Blue Rocks Drop Both Games In Doubleheader Against Brooklyn

It was a rough night for the Wilmington Blue Rocks as they dropped both games of their doubleheader with the Brooklyn Cyclones 1-0 and 4-1 on Saturday, June 18.

The first game of the day was scoreless through the first seven, which sent the matchup into extra innings. This was in part to the strong starting pitching from both the Blue Rocks’ Mitchell Parker and the Cyclones’ Nick Zwack.

Zwack went six innings, giving up four hits and striking out three. Parker gave Wilmington seven, allowing only three hits and striking out five batters.

It was the top of the eighth when the Blue Rocks put Amos Willingham on the mound in relief for Parker. This is when the Cyclones strung together two singles to drive in Shervyen Newton, the ghost runner placed at second at the beginning of the inning.

The run would be the only score in the first matchup and all Brooklyn needed to capture the victory 1-0.

The second game was a makeup one from their series in Brooklyn earlier in May, which meant that despite being in Wilmington, the Blue Rocks were considered the visitors.

This meant that the Blue Rocks batted first, which allowed them to get on the board first when Yasel Antuna hit his seven homerun of the season.

The score would hold at 1-0 until the bottom of the third when the Cyclones would get on the board. Their scoring would start when J.T. Schwartz hit an RBI-single to drive in Rowdey Jordan. Schwartz would then be driven in himself when Wilmington starter Carlos Romero gave up a two-run homer to Nic Gaddis.

Brooklyn would expand on their 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Wilmington relief pitcher Garvin Alston also gave up a homerun, this time to Tanner Murphy, to make the game 4-1.

Despite having the bases loaded in the top of the seventh with one out, the Blue Rocks were not able to capitalize and make a comeback, losing their second game of the night.

The Blue Rocks will have the chance to split this eight-game series with the Cyclones on Sunday afternoon as they will faceoff one more time this month. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.