Season Ends By Forfeit

November 22, 2011 - A season that began with an incredible promise of hope ended with dysfunction and confusion.  Customary with the start of every season, Mgr. Dean Cosme and the Spring Cyclones always feel as though that particular group of players has what it takes to bring home a championship. In the Spring 2010 season, those dreams and feelings were true and the Cyclones won the title that season.  Since then though, the Cyclones have stormed through the regular season finishing in first or second place, but when it came time to step up their game in the playoffs, the Cyclones seemed as mediocre as it can get.

This post season was supposed to be different.  They had the arms.  They had the bats. Boy did they have the bats.  They also had the defense.  But as the season progressed, one thing became evidently clear.  The Cyclones were not whole.  At no time this entire season had the entire roster been at a game together.  As the season progressed, they slowly lost player after player until there were almost none left to play.

Tom started a new job and was not always available on the weekends which led him to step away from the team.  Hector had off the field obligations to tend to along with an ailing hip that led him to leave the team.  Jason tore ligaments in his arm leading to surgery during the playoffs.

Then came the others.  Clever's lack of communication, commitment and courtesy along with his lack of on field hustle led to differences with teammates and his manager.  His final game coincidentally was the final regular season game.  Joe Witcraft, he of infinite baseball wisdom (sarcasm Intended), committing the ultimate team sport sin, inexplicably quit on his teammates in the middle of a playoff game.

Finally, in what seemed a regular occurrence, several players had outside commitments that prevented them from attending the final game.  That coupled with another injured player and an unexplained no-show, the team was left with no other choice but to forfeit one of the most promising seasons since their championship.

Controversy Mars Comeback, Cyclones Fall 14-12

November 14, 2011 - In an inexplicable fit of anger, Joe Witcraft quit the Spring Cyclones in the midst of what would have been a historic comeback for the Cyclones. Instead, Witcraft's incomprehensible act of selfishness left his former teammates handcuffed defensively and ultimately cost them the game.

Facing an inspired Texas Heat team, the Cyclones overcame an early 9-run deficit  to tie the game at 12 in the bottom of the 7th inning as time ran out.  The Cyclones scored 6 runs to tie the game and left the winning run at 3rd base.  But it was the events that occurred in the bottom of the eighth that would become the demise of the Cyclones for this game.

With two out and Witcraft on base after drawing a walk, Ryan Werda appeared to strikeout but the Heat catcher dropped the ball.  Werda proceeded to run to first, where no effort to throw out the runner was made.  It happened that the home plate umpire lost track of the outs in the inning and called Werda out instead of declaring the ball and play live, thus causing the Texas Heat catcher to make no throw to first.  The Cyclones claimed that the ball was live, the Heat claimed that the play should be dead and the inning declared over due to the umpire's mistaken actions.

In the midst of the controversy, the pitcher for the Texas Heat was ejected for arguing with the umpire over their indecisiveness to render a verdict.  After order was restored, the umpires conferred and decided that the out would stand due to the mistaken call.  Manager Dean Cosme ordered his two players off the field so that they could begin the next inning.  It was at this point where the most disgusting display of sportsmanship occurred.

Joe Witcraft had had enough.  Enough of what, no one knows, but he had had enough and decided at that point that he was quitting the game, the team and the league.  After some choice words between he and Cosme, the Cyclones took the field shorthanded and out of position.  Ultimately, it led to the Cyclones allowing two runs and losing the game.

In 18 plus years of playing Adult Baseball, never had Cosme seen such an audacious, despicable display of sportsmanship.  Never had anyone walked out of a game let alone a playoff game to cause their team irreparable harm for that game.  Who does that?  What kind of person who has played most of their life playing the ultimate team sport, quits the game, team and league all at once? 

#34 Hurls Gem, Dean Paces Offense

November 7, 2011 - As the Fall 2011 Season playoffs begin, one question kept lingering for Mgr Dean Cosme.  Who's going to be the leadoff hitter and who will hit second?  All season long Cosme had been looking for top of the order batters to fill the lead off and second batter positions.  Various players were used in those spots throughout the Fall season.  As a few players began to find their groove, Cosme moved them up in the order.  One such move was moving Travis Dean into the #2 hole. 

Since moving Travis into the #2 spot in the order, he has virtually exploded with offense.  And last night was no exception.  In the 1st inning, Travis hit the first of two home runs, a solo shot that had no doubt written all over it.  In the 5th inning, Travis hit his second homer of the game, a two run shot this time, over the left center field wall.  Travis finished his night with a walk, as the Conroe Sharks wanted nothing to do with facing him.

But as much as Travis was the main story on offense, the main story of the game was #34.  #34 entered the game having only pitched 9 innings since Sept 25th.  But #34 knows this is the playoffs.  He knows that these game count a whole lot more than the regular season.  #34 threw 7 shutout innings giving up only 1 hit while walking 2 and striking out 12 batters. But not to be outdone by his battery mate Travis, #34 capped off the Cyclones 8-0 win with a 2-run HR of his own in the 7th inning.

Shorthanded Cyclones No Match For Zephyrs, Fall 14-3

October 31, 2011 - This wasn't in the script..  This wasn't how the regular season was supposed to end.  There wasn't supposed to be a last second scramble to find players to fill in.  There wasn't supposed to be players playing out of position all over the field.  But so it was on Sunday and so it happened.

The Zephyrs pounded a discombobulated Cyclones team that was playing with only 8 defenders for most of the game, with many of those defenders playing out of position.  The Cyclones allowed double-digit runs for the first time since June of 2010 en route to their first NHWBL Championship.

Mgr Dean Cosme started on the mound and from the start was evident that he didn't have his best stuff but stayed on the mound and took one for the team as the only other pitcher available was Marc Love.  To remove Love from centerfield would have further downgraded the defense so Cosme stayed on the mound.  Cosme allowed 14 runs (11 earned) in the loss.

Cyclones Melt Heat 12-5

October 24, 2011 - Last season's champs, The Texas Heat, looked a little tired as they played the second game of a double header for them.  The Cyclones on the other hand looked fresh and ready and it showed.  The Cyclones started Ryan Werda on the mound and Werda pitched well holding the Heat to only 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits while walking 4 and striking out 3.

On the other side of the ball, the Cyclones took quick advantage of the weak Heat team by plating 3 runs in the 1st and 5 more in the second and cruised the rest of the way.  When it seemed that the Heat would get close again, the Cyclones tacked on a couple of runs in the 8th inning to open the lead again.  Joe "Woody" Witcraft led the offense with a 3 hit/3 RBI day while Marc Love continued his Out-Of-This-World pace with another 4 hits including 2 doubles.

Cyclones Continue, Storm Past Colt 45's

October 16, 2011 - Earlier in the week, Cyclones pitcher Ryan Werda sent a message to Mgr Dean Cosme letting Cosme know he was ready to pitch.  Due to certain events that arose prior to the game, Werda was going to have his chance to pitch.  You see, the last time Werda asked to start and was given the opportunity, he lasted only 3 innings and had to come out mid inning due to fatigue.  Granted, it was probably over 100° but when you ask for the rock, you better come through.

This time was different.  Werda was much better prepared and the temperature was hovering around 85° with a nice breeze.  What was also different was Werda's performance.  Werda pitched 5 solid innings allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, 4 walks while striking out 5.  Werda handed the ball off to his good friend Kory Winters to finish out the game after developing a blister on his forefinger of his throwing hand.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cyclones kept rolling.  It was a 2-2 game after the first 3 innings, but Cyclones would open up the lead in the 4th with a pair of RBI's from Woody and Marc Love.  Then in the 6th inning the game was broken wide open when the Magnolia Colt 45's changed pitchers.  The Cyclones would welcome him by scoring 5 runs before an out was recorded and topping off the game with another run in the 7th.

Smith's Walk-Off Double Caps Comeback, Cyclones Top Skeeters 8-7

October 2, 2011 - Hector Landin, playing his first game in over a month, led off the bottom of the 8th inning with a single into centerfield.  That was followed by an ugly sacrifice bunt by Mgr. Dean Cosme. What followed was a pressure-relieving double that had redemption written all over it.

Jeff Smith had been struggling of late and had 2 base knocks the day before to ease the burden, but in the bottom of the 8th inning Smith put it all behind him and roped a walk-off double over the centerfielder's head to give the Cyclones an 8-7 victory over the Father-Son Skeeters from the HHL.

Cyclones Take Advantage, Batter Sharks 20-1

October 1, 2011 - Taking advantage of a depleted Sharks team, the Spring Cyclones pounded out 20 runs on 20 hits and continued to thrash opponents pitching.  Every Cyclones batter reached base safely via a hit or a walk and all but one batter scored a run. 

The biggest hit of the day came in the first inning when Clever Bonilla clubbed a 2-out 3-run HR to widen the score to 5-1 after one inning.  The other big hit of the day came from All-World centerfielder Marc Love who laced a 3-run triple in a 7 run 4th inning.

Cyclones Pound Heat, Win 18-2

September 26, 2011 - Taking full advantage of a Heat team that was tired and out of pitching due to the game being the second game of a double header for the Heat, the Cyclones scored 13 times in the second innings to blow open the game early and cruise to an 18-2 victory.

Mgr Dean Cosme started on the mound for the Cyclones and ran into trouble quickly as 3 out of his first 4 pitches we smacked for hits, but the tides turned as the Cyclones turned their first ever triple play.  After that, Cosme allowed only one hit and one walk thru 5 innings of work for his 3rd win of the season.  Cosme has now allowed only 3 earned runs in 3 starts this season.

Every one on the team reached base safely at least one time, while everyone but one had at least one hit.  Marc Love kept his hot streak going with a double and a HR and plated 4 more RBI. And after a slow start to his season, Travis Dean has worked his way up the order and is now 6 for 11 in his last three games.  Over all, the team has raised their overall batting average almost 80 points to be over .300 for the first time since the beginning of the Spring 2011 season.

Cyclones Rout Sharks 13-0

September 18, 2011 - Rookie Marc Love's hot streak continued Saturday as Love added two more hits and 3 more RBI to help the visiting Spring Cyclones routed the host Conroe Sharks 13-0. This one wasn't even close from the start.  The Cyclones put up 4 runs on the Sharks in the first inning thanks in part to #34's 2-run double.

4 more runs were added in the top of the 2nd as the Cyclones took advantage of Sharks starter Ronnie Hessel and his wildness, scoring 3 runs on wild pitches thrown.  Conversely, Cyclones starter Dean Cosme, fresh off the DL, was on his game as he shutout the Sharks for 5 innings before giving way to Travis Dean.

4 out of 5 innings that Cosme pitched were 1-2-3 innings.  The only trouble Cosme ran into was in the 2nd inning when he allowed 3 singles to load the bases, but was able to work out of trouble and keep the Sharks from scoring.  Travis Dean, pitching for the first time in quite awhile, pitched a scoreless 6th inning to finish the game and preserve the shutout.

Love's 2 HR Powers Cyclones Past Blue Beavers

September 10, 2011 - Marc Love opened the scoring in the second inning with a laser beam HR to right-center field.  2 innings later, with a runner on first, he hit another laser beam HR, this time to left-center field.  The 4th inning scoring was capped by a 2-run single by newcomer Travis Dean.

The Cyclones led the game the whole way even as the Blue Beavers attempted to chip away at their lead only to run out of innings and outs.  CL started on the mound for the Cyclones and pitched very well and was backed by some solid defense.  Ryan Werda pitched 2 innings or scoreless relief and Marc Love closed the game after allowing a run to score.

Cyclones Shutout For First Time in History

August 29, 2011 - CL started for the Cyclones and pitched a complete game in a losing effort allowing only 3 runs to score, one of which scored without the ball leaving the infield and struck out 9.

Offensively, the Cyclones were offensive.  Not able to muster much against a team that had everything go right for it on this day, the Cyclones, for the first time since the team was taken over by Dean Cosme and becoming the Cyclones were shut out.

Zephyrs Edge Past Cyclones 4-3

August 26, 2011 - With a hand injury to Mgr Dean Cosme limiting the available pitching, the Cyclones started Ryan Werda on the mound for this key early season matchup with the Zephyrs.  The gamble paid off as Werda allowed only 2 runs (1 earned) in almost 4 innings of work.  Newcomer Clever Bonilla came in on relief and faired equally as well allowing 2 runs (1 earned) in 3 plus inning so of work.

Normally, that kind of production is enough to win a few game over the course of a season, but in this case, the Cyclones were facing the Zephyrs and recently most of those games have been fairly close contests and Thursday played true to form. 

The Cyclones took a 2 run lead in the top of the 4th inning on a 1 out single by new outfielder Marc Love.  In the bottom of the 4th, the Cyclones promptly coughed up the lead allowing the tying runs to score as Werda ran out of gas and Bonilla took over.

In the bottom of the 5th, the Zephyrs cashed in a couple of runs on some shaky defense.  In the 6th, the Cyclones came up short on an attempt to get a rally started when Keith Marion, after leading off the inning with a single, was thrown out attempting to score on a double by #34  Had the Cyclones scored, the inning would have brought up Marc Love,  Love led off the 7th inning with a HR that may have been a go ahead homer, but instead was an impressive solo shot that brought the Cyclones 1 run closer.

3 Run Triple Keys 7-4 Win Over Lookouts

August 22, 2011 - The Spring Cyclones joined the Interleague fun this season and hosted the Katy Lookouts at the Cy-Fair Sports Association Complex on Sunday.  But the didn't treat their guests that kindly as they defeated the Lookouts 7-4.

Sparked by a Marc Love's 3-run triple in the first inning, the Cyclones looked dominant over the Lookouts until the 6th inning when starting pitcher #34 began to tire under the 102° heat.  In the 6th, #34 allowed 3 runs as the Lookouts tried to get back in the game. But #34 kept the damage to a minimum and handed the ball over to Ryan Werda in the 7th, who closed the door for the save.

New Season Begins With Win

August 13, 2011 - The "new look" Spring Cyclones took the field Saturday with 4 new players and all new hopes of another Championship.  The Fall 2011 Season began with a "heated" competition versus the expansion Magnolia Colt 45's.  Game time temperatures hovered near the 100° mark making for a slow paced contest.

The Colt 45's opened up the scoring in the top of the second capitalizing on a uncharacteristically wild Dean Cosme.  Cosme finished the game throwing 5 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 2.  Both runs came in the second where Cosme walked 2 and allowed 2 hits.  After that, Cosme worked in an out of trouble but allowed no more runs.  Ryan Werda pitched the sixth inning allowing an unearned run.

Offensively, the Cyclones took advantage of Colt 45's starter/former Cyclone Stephen Landin to take the lead in the third inning.  Newcomer Clever Bonilla began the third with a walk, followed by a single to right center by Cosme.  Keith Marion walked and Joe Banasik stroked an RBI single to start the Cyclones scoring and the route was on.

The fourth inning began similarly to the third inning with Bonilla walking and Cosme reaching on an error by the shortstop.  From there, the Cyclones scored an additional 3 runs and tacked on a couple more before the game was over for a 10-3 victory.