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 McNamara Division.

The IronBirds had a shot to take the lead in the game’s final inning when, with the score 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 frame, 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 one 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 still 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.

‘Birds set homer mark in loss

The Aberdeen men’s Sunday contest, the first of a three-game road trip, saw them bash a club record four home runs, and also blow a 7-2, eighth-inning lead in an 8-7 loss to the host-team Staten Island on Sunday.

Aberdeen leadoff man Davis, who finished the game 2-for-5, got the IronBirds started on the right foot with a solo homer in the top of the first frame.

After going silent in the second inning, the IronBirds got a pair of solo round-trippers from Buck Britton and Lance West. In the top of the fourth, T.J. Baxter hit his team’s fourth home run, also a solo shot, putting Aberdeen up 4-1, and setting a club mark for homers in a game. Before Sunday’s game, the IronBirds had gone deep three times in a single game on five occasions.

After a three-run outburst in the visiting half of the eighth, Aberdeen took the field in the bottom part of the frame with a commanding 7-2 advantage, but it would not last. The Yankees managed to plate a game-tying five runs, and, after holding the IronBirds scoreless in the ninth, scored the game-winning run on Aberdeen reliever James Brandhorst in the bottom half of the inning.

Brandhorst (0-1) was charged with the loss after tossing a pair of innings in which he let up two earned runs. Nick Haughian started the game for Aberdeen and made it through four innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and striking out two. Relievers Barajas and Brian Sisk allowed a combined five runs and six hits in three innings of work.

‘Birds bounce back

Following a pair of losses in which they were outscored 17-4, the IronBirds held the visiting Brooklyn Cyclones to four hits en route to a 4-2 victory on Saturday night.

Aberdeen starter Kenny Moreland (2-0), who extended his scoreless inning streak to 14 2/3 frames before allowing Brooklyn to score, surrendered one earned run on three hits, struck out five and walked zero in six innings of work to put another check in the win column. Mueller took the hill in the ninth frame and held the Cyclones scoreless for his first save of the season.

The IronBirds scored all four of their runs in the third inning, with Davis starting the rally by doubling home Bonevacia, who had reached base with his own two-bagger. Baxter knocked Bonevacia home with an RBI single, then Baxter eventually came around to score the IronBirds’ third run. Garabez Rosa capped Aberdeen’s scoring for the day when he made it home after the Brooklyn third baseman committed an error.

Bonevacia finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, one base hit and one run to pace the IronBirds’ offense.

In the top of the fourth frame, the Cyclones plated both of their runs, but Moreland was able to get out of the inning before the visitors could get any closer.

The victory improved Aberdeen’s record to 4-4.

Aberdeen pounded

Playing at home last Friday night, the IronBirds managed to scratch out just three hits and a pair of runs in a 9-2 loss to the visiting Brooklyn squad.

Mooney, playing in his first professional game, reached base in the third inning on a walk, then advanced all the way to third after after a misplayed pickoff attempt. Later in the frame, Mooney scored the game-tying run when Davis lined an RBI single.

Brooklyn broke the 1-1 tie in the fifth inning by plating three runs, then scored five more in the eighth and ninth frames to run up a 9-2 advantage.

Tyler Sexton (1-1) pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief and surrendered five runs to take the loss. Brandon Erbe, making his second rehab start after being sent from the AA Level Bowie Bay Sox, lasted three innings and held Brooklyn to a single run one hit and sent four opposing batters down on strikes.

IronBirds lose 8-2

Aberdeen followed up its hard-fought, 4-3 extra-inning Wednesday-night win by dropping their series-opener with the visiting Brooklyn Cyclones 8-2 last Thursday.

The IronBird batters fanned 12 times and were held to six hits on the game.

Designated hitter Levis Carolus cracked an RBI double, and scored the IronBirds’ second run of the contest in the bottom of the ninth, while center fielder Steven knocked in Aberdeen’s other run with an RBI single in his team’s final at bat.

Aberdeen’s Tom Edwards, who had hits in the IronBirds’ previous two contests, extended his hitting streak to three games by stroking two singles and a double.

Kantakevich (0-1) started the game for the IronBirds and was charged with the loss after going 5 2/3 innings in which he allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out four.

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