Blue Sox Fall in Extras to SteepleCats, 6-1
June 9, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Valley Blue Sox News Release
HOLYOKE, MA - The Holyoke Blue Sox fell to the archrival North Adams SteepleCats 6-1 in 12 innings at Mackenzie Field tonight, surrendering the eventual winning run on a throwing error in the third extra inning after both team's starters turned in brilliant performances.
After five scoreless innings, the SteepleCats scored the first run of the game in the sixth, with shortstop Jose Cuas reaching on an error, followed by a pair of bunt singles, and then a single by center fielder Vinny Zarrillo to bring Cuas in. However, thanks to the work of pitcher Michael Burke, that was all the SteepleCats could score, as the righty from the University of Buffalo induced a double play and then a groundout.
Through six, the Blue Sox had not managed a hit against North Adams pitcher Michael Murphy, but in the seventh, designated hitter Joel Fisher tipped a blooper to center to break up the no-hitter, and two batters later, shortstop Travis Maezes slugged a double to right to plate Fisher. Maezes stole third, but the Sox were unable to bring him in.
In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, right fielder Vahn Bozoian slammed a liner to the right center field wall for a double, but after Maezes was walked, left fielder Jason Lombardozzi hit a dribbler that SteepleCats catcher Jacob Huckabay was able to fire to first to send the game to extras.
Burke came out to start the tenth, finishing his night with an exclamation point by fanning the first and only batter he would face in the extras. Asked after the game about coming out for the tenth, he said it was the first time he could recall since little league, but "I was confident. Me and [catcher] Justin [Morhardt] were on the same page and I didn't throw a lot of balls."
The SteepleCats put runners on second and third in the first extra frame, but reliever Jace Herrera fanned first baseman Bryce Soloman to end the threat. North Adams then had first and second in the following inning, but again Herrera was able to squash the threat, catching Cuas looking with an outside fastball. In the home half of the inning, Fisher hit a double to left center with two outs, and Bozoian was intentionally walked, but reliever Stephen Frye got Maezes to fan on a curveball to end the eleventh.
In the top of the twelfth, the SteepleCats again threatened, getting first and second with one out, and then scored when a throw down to third got into right, as second baseman Joe Landi came home. Soloman then singled to left to make it 3-1, Huckabay dribbled an RBI groundout for the 4-1 lead, and Richardson stroked a double to left to make it 6-1; the Sox went down 1-2-3 in the home half of the frame to end the game.
"Their kid pitched great today," Head Coach Darryl Morhardt said after the game, "and I thought our guy did just as well. We didn't have a great approach at the plate," he added, noting that there were a few situations where the team had runners in scoring position but failed to bring them in, and the tough situation that Herrera had to deal with in the final frame, commenting that "the littlest things make a difference."
Picking up the win for North Adams was Frey, tossing 3.1 innings of nearly flawless relief, fanning three while allowing just two hits and one walk. Taking the loss was Herrera, who surrendered two runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work . Murphy went 7.2 innings for the SteepleCats, allowing one run on two hits with two walks, fanning seven, while Burke tossed 9.1 innings for the home team, firing 109 pitches, including 79 for strikes, fanning eight while allowing one walk, eight hits and just one unearned run.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 9, 2013
- Blue Sox Earn Shutout Victory over Waves 6-0 - Valley Blue Sox
- 'Cats Topple Bay Sox, Improve to 3-0 on Young Season - North Adams SteepleCats
- Ex- Blue Sock Perez Makes Major League Debut - NECBL
- SteepleCats Draft Class of 2013 Concludes with Chantz Mack's Selection by Seattle - North Adams SteepleCats
- Blue Sox Hit Road for Two-Game Road Trip - Valley Blue Sox
- Newport Gulls Get Even with Bay Sox - Newport Gulls
- Roy Taken by Pirates in MLB First-Year - North Adams SteepleCats
- Sanford Mainers lose 4-1 - Sanford Mainers
- Blue Sox Fall in Extras to SteepleCats, 6-1 - Valley Blue Sox
- Swamp Bats lost 4-3 - Keene Swamp Bats
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