LAKEWOOD, N.J. (July 23, 2026) — 1B Trace Willhoite collected three hits and drove in two runs, but for the second straight day, the Brooklyn Cyclones suffered a walk-off loss, falling 6-5 to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws in 12 innings on Thursday night at ShoreTown Ballpark.
Jersey Shore (7-18, 33-57) jumped out to an early first-inning lead.
3B Nick Biddison slapped a one-out single to center and advanced to second on a two-out wild pitch. 1B Brandon Lewis followed with a run-scoring knock to left-center to give the BlueClaws a 1-0 lead.
Brooklyn (12-13, 37-53) answered immediately in the second.
Willhoite led off the inning by launching the first pitch of the frame for a solo home run onto the walkway beyond the left-field berm. The Georgetown, Ky. native's sixth homer of the season tied the game at one.
In the fifth, the Cyclones jumped out in front.
With one out and the bases empty, LF Kevin Villavicencio drilled a line drive that clanged off the chain-link fence above the left-field wall for a solo home run. The 22-year-old's third homer with Brooklyn gave the Cyclones a 2-1 advantage.
Willhoite helped add to the lead in the seventh. He opened the inning with a double down the left-field line before stealing third with one out. The throw down skipped into left field, allowing Willhoite to get up and score, extending Brooklyn's lead to 3-1.
Jersey Shore cut the deficit to one on a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh, but Brooklyn answered in the ninth.
Willhoite worked a leadoff walk in the frame, but remained there with two out. On the first pitch he saw, CF Yonatan Henríquez pummeled a line drive into the left-center field gap for an RBI triple, pushing the Cyclones edge to 4-2.
However, the BlueClaws rallied in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
Back-to-back walks put the tying runs aboard before another one-out walk loaded the bases. C Luis Caicuto followed with a ground ball to first, but the throw to second for a potential game-ending double play sailed into left field. Two runs scored on the throwing error, tying the game at 4-4.
Brooklyn managed to escape further trouble in the ninth, and after a scoreless 10th, regained the lead in the 11th.
Willhoite lined a leadoff single to left, allowing automatic runner SS Colin Houck to score from second and put the Cyclones back in front, 5-4.
Jersey Shore answered again in the bottom half. After SS Trent Farquhar bunted the automatic runner to third, Caicuto sliced an RBI double off the right-field wall to even the score at 5-5.
The Cyclones were unable to capitalize in the 12th. A groundout moved the automatic runner to third, but a fielder's choice at the plate erased the go-ahead run before a caught stealing ended the inning.
The BlueClaws completed the comeback in the bottom of the 12th.
An intentional walk to Lewis and a walk to CF Devin Saltiban loaded the bases with nobody out. Brooklyn started to quell the threat with a strikeout and a pop out, but Farquhar parachuted a bloop single down the left-field line between the diving left fielder and third baseman. Automatic runner DH Wuilfredo Antunez scored from third, giving Jersey Shore a 6-5 walk-off victory.
Neither starter factored into the decision on Thursday. LHP Nicolas Carreño turned in one of the best outings of his career for Brooklyn, matching a career high with 6.0 innings while allowing one run on three hits. The 20-year-old walked one and struck out six. Jersey Shore starter LHP Mavis Graves yielded one run on two hits over 4.0 innings, walking one and striking out five.
RHP Jake Eddington (2-1) earned the win after allowing one unearned run on one hit over 2.0 innings of relief, striking out one.
LHP Gregori Louis (2-3) was saddled with the loss for Brooklyn after allowing two unearned runs over 1.2 innings. The left-hander walked three and struck out one.
Brooklyn will try to snap its four-game losing streak during Friday night's doubleheader. RHP Noah Hall (3-6, 4.81) is scheduled to start the lid-lifter for the Cyclones, while RHP Frank Camarillo (2-1, 3.97) is expected to take the ball in Game 2. Jersey Shore is slated to counter with RHP Luke Gabrysh (3-7, 5.01) in the opener and RHP Ramon Marquez (1-1, 2.25), the Philadelphia Phillies' No. 4 prospect according to Baseball America, in the nightcap. First pitch from ShoreTown Ballpark is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. ET.