Nick Banks Leads Blue Rocks To 4-3 Win

The Wilmington Blue Rocks were able to make up for their loss on Thursday night as they outscored the Brooklyn Cyclones 4-3 on Friday, June 17 to retake the series lead 3-2.

Once again, the Blue Rocks got the scoring started in the first inning when Nick Banks hit an RBI-single to bring in Jeremy Ydens, who leadoff the game reaching first on a fielding error from Cyclones’ shortstop Shervyen Newton.

Ydens would drive in Wilmington’s second run of the night when he hit a ground ball to Newton, which gave Kevin Strohschein enough time to run 90 feet to home plate.

While the offense was getting runs on the board, Blue Rocks starter Tim Cate was holding it down on the mound, as he kept Brooklyn scoreless through four.

The Cyclones did manage to score in the top of the fifth when Matt O’Neill hit an RBI-double to drive in Warren Saunders. Since Saunders reached first on a fielding error from first baseman Drew Mendoza, Cate was not charged with an earned run.

Cate would leave the game after six with the 2-1 lead, a lead that the Blue Rocks expanded on in the bottom of the seventh when Banks added two more RBIs to his night with a two-run homer.

Going into the ninth inning, Wilmington reliever Tyler Yankosky came in to close out the night, but left the game with an apparent injury during the second at-bat. Amos Willingham came in to finish off the game, and despite giving up two runs, was still able to close the gates on Brooklyn’s comeback to allow the Blue Rocks to win the game.

Tomorrow, the two are back in action for a doubleheader here in Wilmington. Game one’s first pitch is set for 5:05 p.m.