The Cyclones managed to steal a couple from a very tough Shaskys squad on Sunday, sweeping a doubleheader by 7-4 in Game 1 and 7-1 in Game 2.

The Shaskys went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first. The Cyclones began with a booming double by lead off hitter Sherwin So and a walk by Jeremy Jarvis followed and the Cyclones looked to be in business; some baserunning gaffes ensued and the Shaskys got out unscathed. The score remained 0-0 into the 4th when the Shaskys broke out. The first four batters reached safely on singles by Steve Hughes, Mark Callahan and Dennis Lane. Tim Burns the crushed a booming double over CF Jeremy Jarviss head and the Shaskys led 2-0. A one-out single by Tom Hoeg finished the scoring at 4-0 Shaskys. The Cyclones came right back in the bottom half when Sherwin So again led off with a double. Shaskys starter Mark Callahan got the next two hitters, but a sharp single to left by John Coulombe and a walk to Rich Robertson loaded the bases for Scott Travis who delivered a bomb to right-center clearing the bases and the Cyclones trailed 4-3 after four innings. The Shaskys loaded the bases with one out in the fifth but a strikeout and a groundout kept Cyclones starter Bill Farrell in the game. The Cyclones would trail 4-3 all the way to the 7th when Sherwin So again led off with a single, Jeremy Jarvis followed with a hit and Dave Hartman walked. Rich Robertson tied the game with a one-out single; Scott Travis then broke the tie getting hit by a pitch, 5-4 Cyclones. Bret Sentiwany followed with a single to left-center and the Cyclones entered the bottom of the 7th with a 7-4 lead. Not willing to relinquish his pitchers mound, Cyclones starter Bill Farrell demanded the opportunity to finish the game. Farrell delivered the win facing only three batters in the 7th including a hit by Steve Hughes on a nine pitch at-bat and an around-the-horn double-play to finish.

Game 2 started rather quietly but in the 2nd inning the Shaskys drew first blood on two singles and then scored on a wild pitch for the 1-0 lead. That would be all that Cyclones starter Sean Meca would allow in the second game, however, as there were plenty on Shaskys baserunners but all would fail to score (Meca even left the bases loaded three times).

Sherwin So again singled and Jeremy Jarvis reached on an error. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Don Shultis drove home a run on an RBI grounder and Jarvis moved to third when the throw home failed to nab So and all runners were safe. Cyclones call the double steal and Jarvis scores when Shultis gets caught in a run down and the Cyclones led 2-1 after four. The Cyclones got a single run in the fifth on another double steal and then pulled away with four runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Scott Travis, a single scoring two runs by Gibby Travis and a sac fly by Jim Denney for a final of 7-1.

Some big offensive numbers for the Cyclones include:

Scott Travis: 4-for-5; R, 5 RBI, HBP
Sherwin So: 4-for-6; R, 2 2B
Jeremy Jarvis: 3-for-5; 4 R, BB, SB
Jim Denney: 2-for-4; RBI, SF
John Coulombe: 2-for-5; 3 R, 2 2B, HBP
Bret Sentiwany: 2-for-6; R, 2 SB, 2 RBI
Don Shultis: 2-for-6; R, RBI
Gibby Travis: 2-for-6, 2 RBI

Both Cyclones starting pitchers went the distance. Game 1 starter, Bill Farrell allowed fewer runners but allowed a bunch in one inning, while game 2 starter Sean Meca scattered his around his seven innings.

Bill Farrell: 7 IP, 4 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 3 K, CG (W)
Sean Meca: 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 6 BB, 8 K, CG (W)

One other oddity... both games were so cleanly played that both games finished well under the time limits. Good, clean baseball and quick working pitchers.

Not a very bright outlook for either team next week. The Shaskys get the two-time defending champion Bombers who should be ready to avenge their loss from yesterday (their first this season) at Watervliet High School at 10 am on August 5. The Cyclones get to face the team that beat the Bombers - the Braves - at 3:15 pm at New Scotland.

Good luck to Tim, Tony and the rest of the Shaskys the rest of the way!