The Wilmington Blue Rocks (34-44) defeated the Brooklyn Cyclones (38-41) by a final score of 4-1 to record their first victory of July.
Blue Rocks designated hitter Will Frizzell scored two of the team’s four runs and expressed how important the win was for the whole squad.
“Huge to get back in the win column, definitely feels good,” Frizzell said.
The offense for Wilmington came in the form of a couple of two-run innings, one in the fourth and one in the seventh. The runs came in unique ways.
After being set down in order through the first three innings, the Rocks bats woke up when Lucius Fox leadoff the fourth with a single. Viandel Pena followed it up with a bunt-single to put runners at first and second.
Two batters later, Will Frizzell hit a hard groundball to Brooklyn first basemen Chase Estep who’s offline throw to the shortstop in an attempt to turn a double play, trickled into centerfield and allowed Fox to score from second.
Jeremy De La Rosa would follow suit by hitting a deep fly to centerfield that scored a tagging Viandel Pena. Wilmington’s 2-0 lead would remain until the top of the sixth when an Omar De Los Santos sacrifice fly scored Alex Ramirez to halve the Rocks lead.
Frizzell would score his second run of the game in the seventh inning after a wild pitch from Joander Suarez hit Cyclones catcher Kevin Parada in the neck, stunning him as the the runner crossed the plate. Parada was removed from the game.
“I think we just settled in and had really good at bats for those two innings where we scored, that was the difference for us,” Frizzell said.
Blue Rocks starter Andry Lara kept Brooklyn quiet through his five innings of work. He allowed one hit and two walks while striking out two Cyclones. It brings Lara’s ERA down to 5.57.
“He was attacking the zone, his fastball was live,” manager Mario Lisson said. “He was able to pitch ahead with his fastball and the breaking ball was working, it had depth, so it was a good day for him… mainly pitching ahead.”
The Blue Rocks bullpen followed Lara’s lead. Marlon Perez, Carlos Romero and Holden Powell combined for one run, two hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
After dropping their last seven games, the Blue Rocks dugout can take a sigh of relief as they can tally a “W” for the first time in July. Following Sunday’s series finale, the Minor League All Star break gives the players a healthy dose of rest before getting back to it on Friday.
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