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Blue Sox Best Cats in Extras

June 14, 2011 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


Holyoke, MA -- Gray Carden stood mostly by himself as he ate his post-game meal just behind the third base dugout at Mackenzie Stadium on Monday night. The junior right-handed closer from Leesburg, Georgia kept a blank expression on his face, as if to suggest he was disappointed but resolute. After all, the SteepleCats had just lost a thrilling 11-inning affair to the Holyoke Blue Sox in another fascinating installment of a series that has had its share of tight ballgames. "I was tired going out there for the third [inning] but I had to push through," said Carden. "I wouldn't do it any other way." It is this fearless mentality that has endeared the fireballer to both manager Clayton Kuklick and pitching coach Mike Vicaro, who sent Carden out for the bottom of the eleventh inning after pitching the ninth and tenth. Very rarely do you see a closer in this day and age pitch more than two innings, but there was Carden in the eleventh, just a day after picking up a four-out save to give the 'Cats their first victory in 2011. After Andrew Siano led off the frame with a double and Paul McConkey took first on a hit by pitch, North Adams catcher Brett Frantini skipped a throw to second base into center field in an effort to pick off Siano. With a 1-2 count on Kris Richards and the winning run for Holyoke just 90 feet away, Carden bounced his next offering past Frantini and back to the screen which allowed Siano to score the decisive run.

The starting pitching matchup lived up to the billing as both Desmond Paulson of Holyoke and North Adams' right-hander dueled each other into the fifth inning. Blue Sox catcher Ronnie Freeman got the scoring started in the bottom of the 1st with a long home run that cleared the scoreboard in left center field. The SteepleCats put a runner at second in each of the first two innings, but could not solve the talented freshman from BYU, who recorded his first six outs with Ks. After Thiesing recorded two quick outs in the second, he gave up a walk and a double off the bat of Kris Richards' that put a pair of runners in scoring position. With center fielder Chris McGowan at the plate, Thiesing balked and rewarded McConkey to cross home plate with the game's second run. McGowan would then ground out to third base, which began a stretch of 15 straight Blue Sox batters that were retired.

North Adams would cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth when Drew Gadaire singled home Sam Russell from second base which made it a 2-1 ballgame. In the top half of the sixth, shortstop Marc Magliaro collected his first base hit of the season but was then thrown out trying to steal second by Freeman. In the next frame, designated hitter Steven Zavala was left at first following a two-out single which extended his hitting streak to three games. The streak of 15 Blue Sox to not reach base came to a halt when Andrew Loynaz walked the bases loaded in the seventh after getting the first two hitters to ground out to short. It was surprising to many given that just an inning before, Loynaz worked a relatively easy 1-2-3 in his initial appearance of 2011. Left-hander Cody Kopilchak was called upon for immediate damage control and got McGowan to ground into a force play at second in a 1-1 count.

The eighth inning began with SteepleCats second baseman Corbin Blakey picking up his first hit of the year off Holyoke's Daniel Watts. Justin Leeson followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt that was thrown wide of the bag at first by Troy Mancini, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Magliaro tacked on his second straight hit with a threading bunt down the third base line that just stayed fair inside the chalk, loading the bases with SteepleCats and nobody out for Jacob Daniel. The Russellville, Alabama native proceeded to tie the game at 2 with a long scoring fly ball to straightaway center, allowing both Magliaro and Leeson to tag up and advance to second and third. Following an intentional walk to Cameron Griffin to load the bases and open up the double play possibility, the 'Cats were sent back to the bench after Russell and Drew Gadaire were retired.

In the home half of the eighth, the Blue Sox re-took the lead at 3-2 as a result of Tom Murphy's infield single to third base that scored Sam Eberle, who had walked with one out and later stolen third. Down to their final three outs, North Adams went to work after Steven Zavala battled Evan Scott to a leadoff walk, forcing Holyoke manager Daryl Morhardt to call upon right-hander Kevin Crumb from the bullpen. Zavala then stole second after the ball bounced away from Freeman, and eventually wound up at third with one out after a terrific sacrifice bunt by Frantini. Recently acquired first baseman Kyle Boudreau replaced Blakey as a pinch-hitter and rocketed a sacrifice fly to deep center that tied the game at 3 in the ninth. Leeson then struck out swinging to end the inning.

Holyoke's opportunity to prevent extra innings came to a crashing halt in the ninth after Eberle was robbed of a base hit by that inning's defensive substitution Nico Hernandez, who ranged to his left at second base and made a leaping catch with two outs and the winning run at second. The SteepleCats followed suit in the visiting tenth when Gadaire watched a third-strike fastball cross the outside corner with runners at the corners and two outs. The bottom third of the lineup went down in order in the top of eleventh before the Blue Sox came to bat against Carden for the win.

The SteepleCats play the second game on their 4-game roadtrip tonight in a rematch against Vermont at 6:30. The Mountaineers come in at 1-2 following a 4-3 loss to Danbury last night. You can listen or watch the game by accessing the TeamLine link on the team's website by visiting www.steeplecats.com or the league's website at www.necbl.com.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 14, 2011


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