Blue Sox Pound North Adams 15-7
July 24, 2011 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Valley Blue Sox News Release
North Adams, Mass - The SteepleCats have been a team that has been a problem for the Holyoke Blue Sox the past two times they have clashed, but on Sunday night Holyoke took care of business very quickly.
The Blue Sox, who scored a total of nine runs in Saturday's game against the Mountaineers, brought that many across the plate in the very first inning against North Adams.
Alex Glenn started the game with a leadoff walk from SteepleCats starting pitcher Cameron Copping, a Western Division All-Star pitcher, and was followed by a single by Eric Smith putting runners at first and second with no outs.
The hitting frenzy would continue with designated hitter Ronnie Freeman as he singled driving in Glenn to make it 1-0 Holyoke.
Trey Mancini stepped up next and grounded into a double play, allowing Smith to come in score making it 2-0, which made it seem that the SteepleCats would be able to dodge any more damage on the scoreboard.
Copping looked to be almost out of the inning until Tom Murphy hit a towering shot to left field which would bounce off the glove of Chantz Mack and go over the wall for the solo home run and his sixth long ball of the season.
With a 3-0 lead the Blue Sox rattled off three straight singles would allow Justin Ringo and Matt Tenaglia to come around and score making it a 5-0 lead for Holyoke.
The scoring was not over for the Blue Sox as Frank DeSico would step up and rip a RBI triple down the first base line as Paul McConkey, who singled in two runs in his at-bat, scored making it 6-0 Blue Sox.
Following the triple Glenn came back up to the plate and drove in DeSico making it 7-0, this would result in the end of the night for Copping.
The North Adams starting pitcher had allowed only seven runs on the season as a whole, and lasted only 2/3 innings giving up eight runs on eight hits and issued one walk.
Matt Hinkle relieved Copping and did not start well as he served up a 0-1 pitch that Smith took advantage of and sent it off the foul pole down the right field line for a two-run blast making it 9-0 Blue Sox.
Holyoke would finally be retired as Freeman flew out to center field to end the inning. The Blue Sox scored seven of their nine runs with two outs in the inning.
With a lead like that Kyle Hooper took the mound and started to work against the SteepleCats not giving up a run until the third inning when Mike Lebel, the North Adams shortstop, unloaded on a pitch sending a no doubter out of Joe Wolfe Field.
Holyoke would answer the lone SteepleCats run with three of its own in the top of the fourth inning as Smith hit his second home run of the night making it 10-1 Holyoke, and the Blue Sox would tack on two more runs in the inning to make it a commanding 12-1 lead for the Blue Sox.
Despite being down in the game North Adams would not go down without a fight as the SteepleCats would score two runs in the fifth inning thanks to a RBI groundout from Jacob Daniel scoring Mack, and Drew Gadaire singled in Lebel to make it 12-3.
The SteepleCats would make their biggest run at the Blue Sox lead in the sixth inning as after Brent Hopkins scored on a pop out in foul territory to Hooper making it 12-4, back-to-back doubles drove in three runs bringing life back into the crowd at Joe Wolfe Field as North Adams had cut the once 11-run lead down to just five runs.
Following the second double Hooper would be pulled and replaced by Nolan Becker, and left the game pitching five and two-thirds innings, gave up seven runs only one being earned had nine strikeouts, a season-high and walked only two in his first win of the season.
Becker would work out of the inning not allowing anymore runs to cross the plate. Those would be the last runs the SteepleCats would push across the plate in their 23rd loss of the season.
Holyoke would tack on one more run in the eighth inning on a passed ball scoring Smith, making it 13-7, and the Blue Sox would add two more in the ninth inning to make it 15-7, which would be the final score.
With the win the Blue Sox improve to 23-12 on the season and take over first place in the Western Division as well. Holyoke continues their road trip on Monday as they travel to Laconia to take on the Muskrats with that game starting at 6:05 p.m.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 24, 2011
- Mainers Lose Third Straight In New Bedford - Sanford Mainers
- Muskrats Win 10-8 - Winnipesaukee Muskrats
- Blue Sox Pound North Adams 15-7 - Valley Blue Sox
- Navs Rally Falls Short In Laconia - North Shore Navigators
- Pizzano Named NECBL Player of the Week - North Shore Navigators
- Westerners Beat Up on âCats - North Adams SteepleCats
- Pair of Swamp Bats- DeLoach And Monroe-Win Player, Pitcher of The Week - NECBL
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