BROOKLYN, NY- Coming off an undefeated six-game road trip, the Brooklyn Cyclones came home to not only lose for the first time in eight games, but did so in what has become typical Brooklyn fashion this year, failing to send runners home and committing costly errors in a 4-2 loss to the Oneonta Tigers.

While the team’s last road trip did result in six consecutive wins, the team’s success over that span had little to do with their hitting. Before tonight’s game, the team’s batting average was a lacking. 212. Sadly, as of tonight, Dustin Martin (.288, 10 RBI) and Luis Rivera (.279, 17 hits) were the only regulars to have batting averages better than .250.

Coming off a seven-inning shutout performance in his last start against the Williamsport Crosscutters, right-hander Jorge Reyes was out to prove that his last outing was no fluke. Fortunately for the Cyclones, Reyes would hurl four scoreless innings before a power outage would delay the game with runners on first and second for the Tigers and only one out.

After things got started again 31 minutes later, Reyes would get into trouble, walking the next batter, Santo Deleon, leaving the bases loaded for Tigers Outfielder Diek Scram. While Scram would eventually strike out, Reyes would walk Scott Sizemore, giving Brandon Timm safe passage to score from third, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The walk would prove to be the end of the line for Reyes, who was replaced by Rip Warren, who would get Brennan Boesch to fly out, ending the inning and keeping the score at 1-0.

It was apparent that after the game continued, Reyes had lost his composure; Cyclones manager George Greer believed the power outage broke Reyes out of his rhythm, ruining an otherwise solid performance.

“I thought he was awesome,” said Greer. “I thought he threw the ball as well as he’s thrown it all year, but regardless of where you are in life, a rookie pitcher or a veteran, it’s going to mess you up.”

Despite the early deficit, the Cyclones would answer back in the sixth after a Jonathan Sanchez single brought Jon Malo home, tying the score at 1-1. Brooklyn could have added more wood to the fire during the inning with Tigers reliever Christopher Krawczyk reeling, but Sanchez was picked off of second base on a sloppy base running play and the score remained tied through six.

Sanchez’s base running folly in the sixth would be the least of his problems, as in the top of the seventh Sanchez would misplay a line drive that would open the door for a two-run Tiger seventh, putting the Cyclones down 3-1.

Unlike most of their games this season, Brooklyn showed some offensive life late in the game, adding a run on another RBI single from Jonathan Sanchez to bring them within one run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Tigers would then bring in reliever Casey Fien, who would need only one pitch to get out of the inning after Jon Schemmel was tagged out at home after a passed ball got past Tigers catcher Jeff Kunkel, keeping the score at 3-2 with only one inning left to play.

After Nick Abel gave up a run in the top of the ninth, a 112-minute rain delay would cause a break in the action. When the game continued, Jeremy Mizell would replace Abel, getting the last two outs of inning, forcing the Cyclones to come from behind to earn a victory.

The ninth inning at Keyspan Park was a virtual ghost town, with easily less than 50 fans staying to watch the Cyclones during their last turn at bat. Despite giving up a double to Joe Holden, Jose Fragoso would pitch a scoreless ninth for the Tigers, tying the knot on a sluggish 4-2 Brooklyn loss.

After the game, Greer believed that the errors combined with the power outage and rain created a hard luck loss that all teams have to deal with from time to time.

“I thought the kids played hard,” said Greer. “But as a baseball player, this is something you just have to deal with.”