\'Cats Squander Hot Start, Drop Doubleheader Opener, 6-4, to Saratoga

Published on August 2, 2013 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Despite owning an early 4-2 lead through three innings of play, North Adams could not hold on as Saratoga roared back by means of a three-run inning in the bottom of the fourth, and that was enough, as the SteepleCats dropped the opening game of an NECBL West Division doubleheader, 6-4, on Friday afternoon at East Side Recreation Field.

Seeing its losing streak run to four games, the SteepleCats (21-22) dip below .500 for the first time in over a week and lose their fourth consecutive contest with a chance to clinch a playoff berth at stake. Winning their fifth in a row, the Brigade (21-22) move even with both North Adams and Holyoke with each team playing once more on Friday to determine the final playoff spots.

With a win in the nightcap, the SteepleCats would earn either the No. 3 seed or No. 4 seed depending on the outcome of the Holyoke-Keene contest. With a loss in the nightcap, North Adams would be eliminated with a Holyoke victory; for either team, a loss and a Holyoke loss would set the stage for a play-in game tomorrow at a location yet to be determined.

North Adams scored four runs in three innings, but offensive inconsistences plagued the visitors the rest of the way, as the ‘Cats' bats went quiet in the last four innings, allowing Saratoga to take the lead for good thanks to a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth.

Starter Casey Brown (CCSU) took a no decision after lasting 3 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking two while yielding four runs - two earned. But junior Mike Murphy (Rider), who came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, was tagged for just his third loss of the summer, giving up two runs - one earned - over the last 2 2/3 frames, striking out four while yielding no walks and two hits.

Saratoga's Dylan Delaney picked up his second win of the summer after the Brigade rallied from behind to back him to a victory. The righty struck out four and walked two while giving up seven hits, and reliever Garrett Heyward shut down North Adams over the remaining two innings to pick up a six-out save.

The SteepleCats got off to about the best start possible in the top of the first, using three hits and benefitting from a pair of errors to grab a three-run lead. Junior Joe Landi (URI) led off the game with a single then scored on an error during a base hit from freshman Brad Anderson (Pepperdine). Then after a run-scoring groundout tacked on a second run, freshman Kevin Martir (Maryland) blooped a single into center to round out the productive first half inning.

But Saratoga got on the board in the bottom of the first, as J.R. Aguirre reached by means of a hit by pitch before Dylan Butler singled him home to get the home side on the scoreboard.

After both sides traded runs in the third, the Brigade came to bat in the bottom of the fourth trailing, 4-2. But the hosts would load the bases after two this and a walk, pulling Brown in favor of Murphy. That was when the bizarre began, starting with an odd fielder's choice that scored a run, and with runners at second and third, an errant throw from third tied the contest and put runners on the corners.

That brought up Zach Looney, who singled into left to drive in the go-ahead run, and just like that, the Brigade capped off a three-run, three-hit inning that put the home side ahead, 5-4, after four innings.

From there on out, North Adams was kept in check offensively, as Saratoga added one last run in the sixth for an insurance run.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 2, 2013


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