The Fraser Valley Cyclones continue to be their own worst enemy at the Canadian Senior League Championships in Thunder Bay, Ontario as they were not able to hold a 4 run lead and eventually dropped a 16-7 decision to the hometown Thunder Bay Selects. 

The game was a two day marathon as lightning interrupted the game and then a thunderstorm halted it in the bottom of the third inning on Thursday evening with the  teams knotted at 1. Coquitlam's Kyle Williamson was on the hill for the Fraser Valley All-Star Squad and was keeping the Thunder Bay bats in check.

The game resumed at 9:30 Friday morning with one out and Coquitlam Little Leaguers Ben McCarthy at 2nd base and Derek Fong at the plate. Fong laid down a masterful bunt that the Selects botched and McCarthy raced home to give the Cyclones the lead. Two pitches later, Coquitlam's Allen Velten walloped a towering 350 ft home run over the left field fence to put the Cyclones up by 3. North Langley's Austin Calla followed up with a single and was driven in by Langley's Connor Stockli-Mervyn who also singled up the middle.

Thunder Bay battled back with two runs in the top of the 4th, but the Cyclones responded with two of their own as Langley's Nathan Coleman and Coquitlam's McCarthy hit back to back singles before Fong laid down another perfect bunt that bamboozled the Selects allowing both Coleman and McCarthy to score.

The gritty Selects refused to quit and plated 4 in the top of the 5th to even the score at 7 apiece, and then the wheels fell off for the Cyclones as a couple of walks, a couple of minor miscues and a triple with the bases loaded allowed the Selects to score 6 runs in the top of the sixth inning. 

The Selects bullpen shut down the Cyclones the rest of the way and they added two more runs in the top of the seventh to seal the deal. 

Manager Bruce Michael said after the game, "Baseball is a game where little things can be very big. We weren't able to execute some of those little things that we have practised endlessly and today those little things cost us. It's very frustrating, but that's the way this game is - you have to be able to make those plays, and when you aren't able to, you have to be mentally tough enough to put them behind you, and resilient enough to weather the storm when the going gets tough. Today, we made those little mistakes, and they bit us. We normally don't make those kinds of mistakes, and if we do, we are able to batten the hatches and battle through. But this is the Nationals - the competition is intense and every team is talented. We just have to be better tomorrow."

The Cyclones square off against the Atlantic representative Cape Breton Cubs on Saturday afternoon. Follow the Cyclones on twitter: @fvcyclones

Cyclones drop tournament opener 9-8 to Quebec's Valleyfield Elites. 

Ace Ben McCarthy had an uncharacteristically shaky start and the jet-lagged Cyclones were not sharp behind him as they gave up 5 in the top of the 1st. The Cycs rallied to score 3 in the bottom of the first when Brett Honeysett singled to score Derek Fong and Allen Velten. McCarthy shut the door after that. Whalley's Wes Bauer came on to relieve in the fifth but surrendered a double after walking the bases loaded and eventually allowed 4. The Cyclones responded with 4 of their own with Allen Velten and Andrew Walton collecting RBIs. Down by 2 in the bottom of the seventh, McCarthy and Fong banged out back to back doubles to get within one, but stranded the tying run at second.

Manager Bruce Michael said, "I dont think it was jet lag - we weren't tired, we were a bit overexcited playing the opening game of the tournament. And except for the first inning we outscored them. I am confident that we will calm down and have a better game tomorrow when we play Thunder Bay."

As the Cyclones gear up for their own Canadian Championship Tournament, they want to extend their congratulations and best wishes to the 17/18 year old District 3 Fraser Valley Chiefs who won their Canadian Championships and are representing Canada at the Big League World Series. For more information about the Big League World Series please visit: http://www.bigleagueworldseries.com/

Go get em!