Cyclones make long-awaited return to playoffs
Brooklyn clinches McNamara Division in regular season finale
The Brooklyn Cyclones won’t have to “wait ’till next year” for the first time in seven seasons.
Buoyed by a nine-strikeout performance by West Islip, N.Y., native Frank Valentino and Luke Ritter’s clutch two-run double, the playoff-bound Baby Bums held off archrival Staten Island, 4-1, Monday afternoon in front of 3,957 fans at MCU Park to clinch their first postseason berth since 2012.
Not only did Brooklyn make its long-awaited return to the playoffs, but it also grabbed its first McNamara Division title since 2010 via a tiebreaker over Hudson Valley.
The Cyclones (43-32) will visit the Renegades (43-32) Wednesday night in Wappinger Falls, N.Y., for the first game of the best-of-three New York-Penn League semifinals.