by Trevor Dugan
Dylan Sonntag gets the save for the Cyclones as Bayside’s comeback attempt falls just short.
Final score: Cyclones 12- Yankees 11 pic.twitter.com/afJCDWvglE
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 26, 2024
The third day of East Coast Baseball’s Memorial Day Clash began with a 9 a.m. matchup featuring plenty of offense between the Massapequa Cyclones and the Bayside Yankees.
Heading into Sunday’s game both teams held a 2-0 record in the tournament.
Massapequa and Bayside each defeated the LI Junior Ducks and Mayhem Baseball Cohen in their respective matchups on Saturday.
James Carollo started on the mound for the Cyclones, and pitched a scoreless top of the first.
The Cyclone offense wasted no time getting run support for their pitcher, scoring seven runs on a mix of stolen bases and singles, including an RBI single by Matt Vogt that drove in two. By the end of the first Massapequa led 7-0.
Carollo went back to work in the top of the second and worked himself out of a jam in impressive fashion. After Bayside put runners on second and third with no outs, Carollo got the next batter to hit into a 6-3-5 double play.
A run came in on the play to cut the lead to 7-1, but the Cyclones infield showed great awareness by doubling up the Bayside runner as he tried advancing to third.
Bayside starting pitcher James Frangas appeared to settle in after a rough first inning, allowing just one run over the next two innings to keep his team in the game.
With the score at 8-1 in the top of the third, the Bayside offense woke up and pushed across five runs in the inning. A combination of heads up baserunning, disciplined at-bats, and timely hitting got the Yankees right back in the game at 8-6.
After another shutdown inning by the Yankees, they cut the lead to 8-7 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to Declan Cruz’s RBI single.
Cyclones score four to go ahead 12- 7, including two on this RBI double by Nate Vasquez.
Cyclones 12- Yankees 7 halfway through 5 pic.twitter.com/6F8fbD2rUb
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 26, 2024
The Cyclones would answer in a big way in the top of the fifth, scoring four more runs to push their lead to 12-7. Nate Vasquez drove in two on an opposite field double down the right field line. His hit proved to be the difference in the one run victory for the Cyclones.
Never showing an ounce of quit, however, the Yankees continued to fight their way back. They scored four more runs over the final two innings but their rally came up just short, ending on a lineout to centerfield.
Dylan Sonntag pitched the final two innings and recorded the save for the Cyclones. He showed exceptional grit as he had to fight his way out of some difficult situations, but he got the job done in the end.
The Cyclones and Yankees will meet once again on Monday, May 27 at 9 a.m. at Pops Field in Farmingdale to determine the champion of the 9u Memorial Day Clash.
