Cyclones Win First NY-Penn League Title Since '01

Brooklyn Cyclones at Citi Field. Photo by Jason Schott

The Brooklyn Cyclones clinched their first New York-Penn League Championship since 2001 when they outlasted the Lowell Spinners, 4-3, in the deciding Game 3 of the NYPL Finals on Tuesday night at MCU Park.


There are some parallels to that 2001 championship, which was won in their first year of existence.

The date that this title was won, September 10, was the same date in which the Cyclones beat the Williamsport Crosscutters in the first game of the Championship Series in 2001.

That would be the only game they would play in that series, as the teams were sent home shortly after the September 11 attacks and declared co-champions.

The manager of this Cyclones team is Mets legend Edgardo Alfonso, and his brother, Edgar, was at the helm in Brooklyn 18 years ago. (per BrooklynFans.com's Billy Fackovec).

The Cyclones won the first game in Lowell on Sunday before dropping the second game in Brooklyn Monday night to set up this winner-take-all battle on Tuesday.

Brooklyn got on the board first in the second inning. Brett Baty (the Mets' top draft pick) walked to start things off, followed by a double from Ranfy Adon. 

Jake Mangum followed with a one-out single to score Baty, and then Antoine Duplantis grounded out to bring home Adon and make it 2-0 Cyclones.

Lowell came right back to tie it in the third when Joe Davis got a two-run single to tie it.

Matthew Allen came on for Brooklyn in relief of starter Nathan Jones, and he pitched three perfect innings, in which he didn't allow a run, hit, or walk, and struck out two.

The game was still tied at 2 as it entered the top of the seventh, and Lowell took the lead when Marino Campana homered on a line drive to left field.

That homer was against Cyclone reliever Mitch Ragan, who went on to get the next three Spinners in order, including two strikeouts.

The Cyclones responded in the bottom half of the frame when Mangum singled and came around to score on a triple from Duplantis to tie it.

Yoel Romero followed with single to score Duplantis and put Brooklyn ahead, 4-3.

Andrew Edwards came on to pitch for Brooklyn in the eighth and he pitched the final two innings to earn the save.

The Cyclones were at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon to take in Mets batting practice and meet with the team.