'Cats Snap 4-Game Losing Streak

Published on July 26, 2011 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


North Adams, MA - Tim Thiesing will be the first person to point out that he does not have overpowering stuff. He does not have the electric fastball possessed by Brian Gilbert or Trent Franzago, or the slider of Gray Carden, but Thiesing has proved himself to Clayton Kuklick and Mike Vicaro all season long. Often overlooked in the rotation anchored by All-Star Cameron Copping and Gilbert, Thiesing had received decisions in five of his six starts with the SteepleCats. Coming off his best year as a junior at Keene State College, he had arrived in North Adams with the expectation of staying the course in preparation for his final year. Since taking his first loss of the season at home against Holyoke on June 19, Thiesing was 2-2, his two other losses coming in 6+ inning outings against Newport and Danbury. But he had turned the corner with back-to-back wins against Vermont and Old Orchard Beach, and his walk total stood at a low 9 in 31.1 innings of work. On Monday night beneath dreary, gray skies, the right-hander waited for 6:30 to roll around so he could take the mound against the New Bedford Bay Sox. A win would not only split the regular-season series with the fourth place team in the East, but it would also close the 'Cats record against the other division with a sharp 8-4 mark in 2011. What the South Grafton native didn't know was that he'd flirt with history for more than half the game, and by the end of it, he'd have delivered one of the most memorable performances by a 'Cats starter this season.

After racking up a pair of strikeouts in the first and having retired the first six Bay Sox in order, Thiesing watched left fielder Steve Zavala take first on an infield single with one out in the home second. Center fielder Justin Leeson rolled a grounder to third, and Dan Haugh's throw to second was misplayed by second baseman Brad Shaban, allowing Zavala to move to third. Leeson stole second before Bay Sox starter Nick Friar came too far inside and hit Cameron Griffin with his 0-1 delivery to load the bases. Mike Zavala was then hit by another Friar pitch to score his older brother Steve and make it a 1-0 game. After Corbin Blakey struck out swinging, Chantz Mack worked a four pitch walk to score Leeson and keep the bases loaded for Mike LeBel. But the 'Cats shortstop lifted a flyball to center fielder Brett Botsford to end the inning.

Thiesing sped along the freeway with two more strikeouts in the third and one in the fifth, and he had not allowed a baserunner through five innings. Meanwhile, Griffin snapped a career-long hitless streak with a long solo home run to left that led off the fourth and soon signaled the end of Friar's (1-1) evening. In the fifth, All-Star right fielder Jacob Daniel started things against reliever Mike Barsotti with a single to right. With Gadaire batting, Daniel stole second and soon came into score on Steve Zavala's RBI single through the left side. He then stole second against catcher Trevor Edwards, the fourth of five stolen bases in the game for the 'Cats, who were not caught once. A Leeson strikeout and a Griffin groundout ended the inning with North Adams on top 4-0, and it calmed down Barsotti, who would only allow one more hit the rest of the way when Blakey picked up a one out single in the sixth.

Thiesing's bid for perfection came to a sudden end in the sixth when shortstop Mike Connolly sent a hard grounder to Griffin at third, who threw too high for Gadaire to put the Bay Sox first runner on base. After picking up his season-high sixth strikeout to retire Haugh and a groundout by left fielder Jake Berry, Botsford punched an RBI single that got the Bay Sox on the board. With Thiesing still on the mound in the eighth, things quickly turned on him after retiring Connolly and Haugh to start the inning. A lengthy battle with Berry resulted in Theising's second walk of the game before Botsford hit a sinking liner into right field. Daniel went into a full extension dive but could not make the catch, as the ball rolled all the way towards the fence, giving Botsford an RBI triple and cutting the deficit in half to 4-2. Shaban went the other way with a liner into left field, and Steve Zavala also failed on a diving attempt to bring in the ball, scoring Botsford and putting the tying run at second base. With number three hitter Mike DiBiase at the plate, Thiesing (3-3) closed out his game in ace fashion with another strikeout, giving him seven total.

In the ninth, Carden trotted in from the bullpen with his first save situation on the table since blowing his last one in Newport a week ago. It was a disappointing blow for the 'Cats proud closer, who had been perfect on save opportunities until that point, despite North Adams 6-2 win in ten innings that night. Without much delay, he overpowered Edwards and Lalli with looking strikeouts on backdoor sliders before getting right fielder Colin Gay to ground out to short to end the game.

The SteepleCats (13-23) play their second-to-last road game of the season in Vermont at 6:30, when they take on the Mountaineers (22-14) at Montpelier Recreation Field. Make sure you listen to all 9 innings by accessing the TeamLine link at the bottom of the team's website when you visit www.steeplecats.com

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 26, 2011


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