Cyclones win four fall baseball games

VERNON — After coming off an undefeated spring season, the 14U Vernon Cyclones picked up five new players and are stronger then ever and are now playing in the North Jersey Summer and Fall Baseball Leagues 16U Division.

The Cyclones opened their season on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Don Bosco Razorbacks and come away with two wins.

In game one Justin Lavorini pitched 7 solid innings. The game was scoreless until the third inning when the Cyclones' leadoff batter Paul Parigi started off the inning with a walk and quickly stole second base, Justin Lavorini then bunted for a base hit, moving Parigi to third, and stole second on the next pitch, Max Rodriguez then singled to right, scoring Parigi and moving Lavorini to third. On the next pitch Rodriguez stole second. Noah Franetovich then hit a base hit to right-center, scoring Lavorini and Rodriguez to take a 3-0.

Going into the top of the sixth inning, Lavorini was pitching a one-hitter until Don Bosco bats came alive, Lavorini gave up 2 runs on 3 hits. In the top of the seventh, Don Bosco tied the game at 3.

In the bottom of the seventh, Matt Bell walked for the Cyclone and quickly stole second on a wild pitch. JT Franetovich then hit a line drive down the right field line, scoring Bell for the walk-off 4-3 win over Don Bosco.

In the second game, Max Rodriguez pitched 3 2/3 innings. With Don Bosco home team in the second game, the Cyclones scored 2 runs in the top of the first when leadoff batter Ryan Bell started the game off with a base hit followed by a walk by George Gutierrez. Brandon Lavorini then hit a line drive over the center fielder's head for a stand up triple scoring Bell and Gutierrez. Don Bosco answered back scoring 1 run on 2 hits in the bottom of the first.

In the top of the second, Cyclones leadoff batter J.T. Franetovich walks and got to third base on a base hit to right center from Paul Parigi. Justin Lavorini then hit a deep fly ball to center scoring Franetovich, giving the Cyclone a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth the Dom Bosco tied the score at 3. Cyclones then put George Gutierrez on the mound. With bases loaded 2 outs Gutierrez struck out the next batter for the final out of the inning. With the score tied at 3 Don Bosco went on to score 1 run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Cyclone first two batters J.T. Franetovich and Parigi both walked and both steel second and third. Justin Lavorini dropped a bunt down the third-base line for a suicide squeeze and beat the throw to first that the first baseman couldn't handle, allowing Lavorini to get to second. Rodriguez followed with a single to right field and, after a stolen base, Noah Franetovic scored two runs with a single to left, giving the Cylcones a 7-4 win.

On Sept. 20, the Cyclones traveled to Ringwood and played a double header and came away with two more wins.

In game one Matt Bell took the mound and pitched 2 2/3 innings, letting up 2 runs in the second before handing the ball over to Justin Lavorini to strike out the inning.

In the top of the third, the Cyclones answered back when Parigi led off the inning with a base hit, followed by a walk from D.J. Springstead. Matt Bell then singled to load the bases for Adam Driscoll, who hit a line drive to left center, scoring Parigi and Springstead and tying the score at 2.

In the top of the fifth, the Cyclone went on to score 4 more runs when Matt Bell singled to right, Rodriguez hit a ground ball to third that couldn't be handle. The next batter Gutierrez walked. With the bases loaded, Justin Lavorini hit a deep fly ball in the gap in left-center scoring two runs. J.T. Franetovich then up got up and was hit in the head by a pitch, loading the bases for younger brother, Noah, who followed JT, and also got hit in the head by a pitch, scoring Gutierrez. The Cyclone went on to score one more run that inning off another walk from Parigi. Justin Lavorini finished the game strong, pitching the final 3 1/3 innings letting up only 2 hits, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.

In Game two, Brandon Moser took the mound first for the Cyclones and pitched a solid 3 innings giving up only two runs in the third. The Cyclones answered right back in the bottom of the third when DJ Springstead led off with a walk, followed by a base hit from Moser and another walk from Matt Bell. With the bases loaded, Adam Driscoll hit a base hit, scoring Springstead and Moser. Rodriguez then grounded out to the first scoring Bell to give the Cyclones a 3-2 lead.

Driscoll took the mound in the fourth inning for the Cyclones and let up 2 runs on 3 walks and two wild pitches before getting out of the inning. With the Cyclones now down 4-3, they entered the bottom of the fourth. Noah starts the inning off with a walk and stole second and got to third on fielder's choice by Parigi. D.J. Springstead singled to left, scoring Noah and to tie the score at 4.

Justin Lavorini took the mound again for the Cyclones in the fifth inning and held Ringwood scoreless. The Cyclones went onto score 4 more runs in the bottom of the fifth when the Ringwood pitcher walked Bell, Driscoll and Gutierrez. With bases loaded, Lavorini hit a single in the gap of left center scoring Bell and Driscoll. Noah then walked, reloading the bases for Parigi, who drove in two runs with a single.

In the top of the sixth Ringwood scored two runs on a walk one hit and an error. The Cyclones went on to win 8-6.

Cyclones merrcy Indian HillsThe Vernon Cyclones played Indian Hills in one 9-inning game.

The Cyclones were off to a slow start. George Gutierrez first took the mound for the Cyclones pitching four solid innings. letting up only one unearned run in the second inning on a walk, one hit and an error. The Cyclone answered right back in the bottom of the second when the Indian Hills pitcher struggled with the strike zone, giving up three walks and a base hit for the Cyclones to tie the game.

In the bottom of the third, Matt Bell led off with a hard-hit ball to second that couldn't be handled followed by a walk from Adam Driscoll. Gutierrez then singled to left, scoring Bell and Driscoll and allowing Gutierrez to advance to second on the throw home from left field. With Justin Lavorini batting, Gutierrez stole third. Lavorini picked up the sign from third-base Coach Driscoll and with the suicide squeeze on, Lavorini laid down a perfect bunt along the first-base line, scoring Gutierrez and almost beating out the throw to first to give the Cyclones a 4 - 1 lead after 3 innings.

Matt Bell then took the mound in the fourth inning for the Cyclones and pitched 2 solid shut-out innings letting up only one hit. The Cyclones scored two more runs in the bottom of the forth when Brandon Moser started the inning off with a base hit followed by a double by Max Rodriguez scoring Moser, Ryan Bell then singled to right, scoring Rodriguez.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gutierrez singled to left and quickly stole second and scored on a base hit to left from Paul Parigi. In the bottom of the sixth, Noah Franetovich and Matt Bell both walked, followed by a base hit from Gutierrez scoring Franetovich. Driscoll then singled and scored Bell. Then JT Franetovich singled, scoring Gutierrez and giving the Cyclones an 11-1 lead after 6 innings.

Ryan Bell then took the mound for the Cyclones in the top of the 7th and pitched a quick 3 outs striking out the final batter to mercy the Indian Hills team. The Cyclones scored 11 runs on 14 hits and remain undefeated this season.