STATEN ISLAND, NY- During their season high nine-game winning streak, the Staten Island Yankees were cashing in on opponents’ mistakes while limiting theirs. However, the roles were reversed in last night’s 5-4 home loss to Oneonta before 3,453 at Richmond County Bank Ball Park by the Ferry Terminal.

The Baby Bombers weren’t sharp in the field committing a season worst seven errors. Not surprisingly, the Tigers took advantage scoring all five unearned runs in three different frames to jump out to a 5-0 lead before the home club made it interesting late but ultimately fell just a little short of extending their streak.

Before a 10-minute downpour interrupted play in the fourth for over an hour, Oneonta made Staten Island pay for their sloppy play in the field. Bomber starter Luke Greinke couldn’t escape the third like he did in the first which saw the Tigers load the bases before he wiggled out of trouble.

Instead, Oneonta jumped out in front pushing across two unearned thanks to miscues from S.I. shortstop Walter Ibarra and left fielder Taylor Grote. Ibarra booted the potential second out of the inning allowing Ben Guez to reach on an E6. A batter later, Grote let a Chris White line drive play him dropping the ball to put runners on the corners. After Greinke got the second out, Carlos Ramirez delivered a two-run triple to right center which eluded a diving Melky Mesa. Though the Bomber center fielder initally stayed in the game, he later was replaced following the rain by Ray Kruml.

When the game finally resumed, the Bombers had a chance to get back in it with two runners on but DH Jack Rye hit into an inning ending 5-4-3 double play to kill the threat.

The follies continued as even sure handed first baseman Jahdiel Santamaria botched a routine grounder and then was followed by a Mike Lyon E5 for the fifth error of the night on what looked to be a potential DP. Even with the two miscues, reliever Dan Kapala limited the damage to a run on a Bryan Pounds RBI single. Second baseman David Adams turned a nice 4-4-3 twin killing to keep the Bombers within three in the fifth.

Following an inning ending Grote double play with Kruml on, the Tigers added another run taking advantage of Ibarra’s second error of the game. It was preceded by a Mitch Abeita throwing error on a pickoff allowing a runner to get into scoring position. With a couple of more runners on, Oneonta executed a perfect squeeze with Brandon Douglas getting it down perfectly between third and short and then beating it out to put runners on at first and second. Guez followed with a runscoring base hit to left plating Joseph Bowen for the fifth run.

Just when the game seemed over, Staten Island sprung to life with three straight hits by Braedyn Pruitt, Ibarra and Adams to load the bases in the sixth with no one out. Two batters later, right fielder Dan Brewer’s sac fly got them on the board. Rye then beat out an infield hit with a throwing error by Oneonta’s Mike Gosse allowing Adams to score the second run. Abeita then reached on an error re-loading the bases but Kruml bounced into an inning ending 4-6 force out.

Still trailing 5-2 in the seventh, the Bombers drew closer when Ibarra and Adams had back-to-back two out doubles with the latter nearly going yard with the ball going off the left center field fence. With the tying run up at the plate, Lyon worked the count from 0-2 to full but took a tough called strike three on what appeared to be a ball a couple of inches outside.

Despite the errors and such a call not going their way, Staten Island continued to battle till the very bitter end. After the first two batters were retired, they put together a two out rally in their last licks. A Pruitt walk was followed by an Ibarra base hit. With the tying runs on base, Adams singled to right scoring Pruitt to slice it to one but Ibarra was pegged out by right fielder Luis Arlet to fittingly end a night of mistakes.

Notes: Adams broke out of an 0-for-20 slide with four hits in five at bats scoring a run and driving in two. … Despite a couple of costly errors, Ibarra finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a couple of runs. … Pruitt replaced Santamaria at first reaching base twice in three at bats. … Greinke worked the first four suffering the loss to drop to 0-2 giving up three unearned on three hits while K-ing a pair. … S.I. reliever Brad Rulon came on and worked the final two innings striking out five Tigers while giving his team a chance to comeback. … Mark Brackman picked up the win despite allowing two runs (ER) on five hits in two frames. … The nine inning game took two hours and 52 minutes while the rain delay lasted 68 minutes. … First place Bombers (14-8) look to bounceback against the Tigers in the middle game with a rare early 11 AM start on Kids Camp Day in St. George.