Vernon Cyclones finish regular season undefeated

GREAT MEADOWS — The 14-and-younger Vernon Cyclones traveled to Great Meadows to take on the undefeated Cardinals, and finished with a 4-1 win to complete an undefeated regular season.

Max Rodriguez took the mound for the first four innings, letting up only 1 run on 3 hits before handing the ball over to George Gutierrez too finish of the last three innings. Gutierrez pitched a solid three innings letting up only 2 hits. The Cyclones took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when leadoff batter Ryan Bell started the game with a base hit to left field, Bell quickly stole second and got to third on a base hit from Adam Driscoll. Gutierrez then came up and hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field to score Bell.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals scored a run on two hits, tying the score, 1-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Cyclones responded right back when Driscoll led off with a walk, stole second then advanced to third on a fielders choice. Ben DiCarlo then walked and stole second. With runners on second and third, Joey Swartz hit a base hit to right center scoring Driscoll, Swartz, now on first, stole second and on the attempt to get Swartz out, DiCarlo stole home to give the Cyclones a 3-1 lead. The Cyclones scored one more time in the top of the sixth when D.J. Springstead hit a base hit down the left-field line, followed by a pair of walks from Bell and Rodriguez and a base hit from Driscoll to score Springstead.

The Cyclones finished their regular season 10-0, scoring 102 runs and letting up only 14 runs. The Cyclones will play in the semifinals on June 14.