Playing the Staten Island Yankees on the road Tuesday night, the Aberdeen IronBirds (4-7) dropped their third straight contest, losing 4-3 to their hosts in 11 innings.

The defeat dropped Aberdeen into a tie for last place with Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League’s four-team McNamara Division.

The IronBirds had a shot to take the lead in the game’s final inning when, with the scored knotted 3-3, they loaded the bases with two outs, but Aberdeen second baseman Mike Mooney was set down on strikes to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 11th, reliever Jose Barajas retired the first batter of the frame, walked the next, then got the third hitter to fly out. The Yankees then strung together a walk and two singles to drive in the game-winning run.

The Yankees got on the board in the bottom of the first frame when Aberdeen starter Patrick Kantakevich surrendered a pair of runs on two walks, a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout.

Center fielder Rich D’Oleo led off Aberdeen’s half of the third by doubling to center. One out later, Mooney came to the plate knocked a pitch over the right center field wall for his first professional home run, tying the game 2-2.

Right fielder Arthur Bonevacia got things started in the fifth frame with a leadoff single to right, and Mooney moved him over to third base with a double. Shortstop Blake Davis followed with a long fly to left field that allowed Bonevacia to tag and score. Though they had two men on and one out, the IronBirds couldn’t muster another run.

Aberdeen reliever Stephen Procner started the sixth inning by walking the leadoff man then picking him off at first base. The Yankees then came through with a single and a game-tying RBI double.

For the next four innings, both sides failed to plate a run.

Mooney finished the game 2-for-6 with two RBIs, while Tom Edwards went 2-for-3 with a walk. Bonevacia picked up two base hits, a walk and a run.

Kantakevich lasted 4-2/3 innings, striking out two, walking four and allowing two earned runs on four hits in a no decision. Procner surrendered three hits and one earned run in 2-1/3 innings of work, while Scott Mueller tossed two innings of one-hit baseball. Barajas was charged with the loss after going 1-2/3 innings in which he allowed one earned run, two hits and two walks.

‘Birds drop sixth

With eight hits during their Monday-night contest, it was apparent the IronBirds didn’t have problems meeting the ball, but pushing runners across the plate proved a bit more daunting as Aberdeen batters went 0-11 with men in scoring position and left eight men stranded on base in a 5-2 loss to the Staten Island Yankees.

The Yankees, who racked up 12 hits, were also aided by the Aberdeen fielders committing a season-high four errors.

The defeat dropped Aberdeen’s season record to 4-6, placing the IronBirds in a three-way tie for second place with Hudson Valley and Staten Island.

In Monday’s game, Staten Island pushed one across at the expense of IronBirds starter Colin Allen (0-2) during its first turn at the plate.

Aberdeen answered in the visiting half of the second when D’Oleo ripped a triple off the Yankees’ hurler to start the inning, then scored on Bonevacia’s RBI groundout to tie the game 1-1.

After going silent in the bottom of the second, the Yankees tacked two more runs on the board in the bottom of the third frame.

The IronBirds would fail to score in both the third and fourth innings, but Mooney, playing in his third professional game after being added to Aberdeen’s roster last week, put himself in scoring position by lacing his first extra-base hit, a triple, with one out in the top of the fifth. Ty Kelly came up later in the frame with Mooney at third and struck out swinging, but the Yankee catcher couldn’t handle the third strike and Kelly took off for first. The throw from first to home sailed into right field, allowing Mooney to score and cutting the Staten Island lead down to 3-2.

Allen left the game after the third inning after allowing three earned runs on six hits, striking out three and walking won to take the loss.

Jacob Smith took over on the mound in the bottom of the fourth and held the Yankees at bay through the next 3-1/3 innings, allowing zero runs on four hits, striking out four and walking one batter.

With the Yankees just a run ahead, Aberdeen reliever Mick Mattaliano came on in relief after Smith’s departure, and surrendered the final two Staten Island runs on two hits in the eighth innings.

Mooney had the IronBirds’ top offensive performance, going 2-for-4 with a three-bagger and one run scored, while D’Oleo also went 2-for-4 with a triple and scored once. Kelly, T.J. Baxter, Tom Edwards and Jason Stiffler all rapped out singles for Aberdeen.

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