Soto powers Pizza Rats to 3-2 win over Cyclones

STATEN ISLAND - Junior Soto broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning with a solo home run over the left field wall as part of a 2 for 4, 3 RBI day, as the Staten Island Pizza Rats defeated the Brooklyn Cyclones 3-2 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Saturday night.
Staten Island Yankees, playing as the Pizza Rats, as they will for every Saturday home game this season, got on the board early when Soto drove home Kyle Gray from second on a single to left field in the second frame. Frederick Cuevas then doubled the lead by bringing home Alex Junior with an RBI single to right field.
Getting the start for Staten Island was right-hander Alex Mauricio, who allowed no earned runs in 5.2 innings, striking out three on only three hits. However, Brooklyn tied the game at two runs apiece immediately after he left the game, when Carlos Cortes and Jose Medina scored on an error with two outs in the top of the sixth.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth, when Soto came up with one out, and hammered a 2-1 pitch from Cyclones reliever Billy Oxford high over the trees beyond the left field wall, putting Staten Island back ahead.
Daniel Martinez (1-0), who originally entered the game with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, mowed down the Cyclones easily with a 1-2-3 ninth frame to earn the victory for the Pizza Rats. With the win, Staten Island improves to 10-12, and has now won a season-high five games in a row, and six of the last seven.
They will look to remain on the winning track with they visit Brooklyn tomorrow for a 4:00 p.m., game. Getting the start for Staten Island will be Roansy Contreras. Following that game, the two squads will return to Richmond County Bank Ballpark for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Monday.