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Behind Squier and Early Offense, 'Cats Cruise to 7-2 Victory against Sanford

July 27, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Backed by a season-high nine-strikeout performance on the mound from southpaw Scott Squier (Hawaii) and a four-run spurt in the third inning, North Adams hopped ahead early and cruised the rest of the way en route to a 7-2 victory against Sanford in an NECBL cross-division showdown on Saturday night at Joe Wolfe Field.

Bouncing back from a tough loss yesterday with their fifth win in six days, the SteepleCats (21-18) will now welcome Saratoga on Sunday afternoon a win away from the franchise's 11th playoff berth in 12 seasons, while the Mainers (17-20) will look to contend for the last playoff spot in the East Division down the stretch.

Out-hitting the visitors by a 10-5 margin on the night, the SteepleCats' offense ran out to a 5-1 lead thanks to a five-hit, four-run third inning that featured three doubles and four consecutive hits; from there on out, the closest the Mainers would get would be four runs, as Squier's dominance on the bump squashed any chance of a comeback from the visitors.

The rising junior matched a season high with nine strikeouts, moving him to 64 total K's on the season. Squier needs just five strikeouts in his next outing to match the SteepleCat all-time record of 69 fans set by Scott Chambers in 2004 and Adam Kalkohf in 2003. The lefty also finished with just five hits, two runs and one walk allowed to improve to 4-4 on the season.

His counterpart, EJ Ashworth, was tagged for six earned runs, with five coming in the third and the other in the first. Otherwise, the right-hander was effective, finishing with six strikeouts and one walk allowed, but those two rough innings were enough to hand him the loss. Out of the 'pen, David D'Errico added two innings of one-hit ball, finishing with two strikeouts and an unearned run allowed.

The SteepleCats did not wait long to grab an early lead, as junior Garrett Tuck (UC San Diego) ripped a one-out single and scored an at-bat later after freshman Kevin Martir (Maryland) stroked a double down the left field line, giving North Adams an early one-run cushion.

But following a scoreless second, the Mainers tied it up after Troy Black became the beneficiary of a dropped third strike. After a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, Black would trot in on a run-scoring single from Daniel Nevares to tie the contest at a run apiece.

In the bottom of the third, through, the hosts would respond with a stretch of four hits in five at-bats, a sequence that included three doubles, allowing the SteepleCats to roar ahead by four runs. Junior Joe Landi (URI) got the rally going with a double down the right field line before taking third on another single from Tuck.

With runners on the corners, Martir - who finished with a game-high three hits and two RBI - roped the second of three doubles down the left field line before freshman Brad Anderson (Pepperdine) followed suit with another suit with a duplicate double that brought in a pair of runs. Three at-bats later, sophomore Dominic Severino (CCSU) kept the big inning alive with a run-scoring base knock to drive in Anderson, putting the home side ahead, 5-1, after three innings.

In the fifth, the SteepleCats squeezed in another run after Martir added another of his three hits to lead things off, then scored two batters later on an RBI groundout off the bat of junior Cody Doyle (Cal State L.A.).

Sanford pulled to within four runs thanks to Nic Wilson's solo home run in the top of the sixth, but the 'Cats would respond with another run thanks to a pair of errors in the bottom of the seventh, and that was enough for Squier the rest of the way.

The SteepleCats round out a weekend homestand tomorrow, July 28, when they welcome Saratoga to the Berkshires. First pitch from Joe Wolfe Field is set for 4:30 p.m.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 27, 2013


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