Mountaineers Top 'Cats in Extras, 3-1, Sweep West Semifinals, 2-0

Published on August 5, 2013 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - With the score even at one run apiece in the top of the 12th inning, Vermont capitalized on a throwing error and used four hits to score the deciding runs, topping North Adams, 3-1, in Game 2 of the NECBL West Semifinals, sealing a series sweep for the Mountaineers while ending the SteepleCats' season.

Finishing the year with the franchise's 11th playoff appearance in 12 years, the SteepleCats (22-24) scored just one run in two games in the best-of-three series, allowing the Mountaineers (26-20) to advance to face either Keene or Holyoke in the Western Division Finals later this week.

The loss spoiled a dominant start from right-hander Mike Murphy (Rider), who went nine innings with one run surrendered on four hits with nine strikeouts; a late Vermont run in the eighth took righty John Miles off the hook and tied the contest at 1-1, as the Mountaineer starter finished with nine impressive innings of his own, striking out six and giving up one run on six hits.

But the game came down to extras, and after two scoreless frames the Mountaineers put the leadoff man aboard in the top of the 12th after Mike Triller singled through the left side. Then, Chandler Brock laid down a bunt single but an error on the throw to first allowed Triller to score all the way from first and pushed Brock to third, giving the Mountaineers the lead for good.

A single from Kevin Krause tallied one more run that proved to be unnecessary, as reliever Brandon Alphin wrapped up three innings of scoreless relief with another scoreless 12th, as the right-hander picked up the win out of the bullpen with sophomore Joeanthony Rivera (Barry) taking the tough loss.

Both sides finished with nine hits apiece, while North Adams' one error committed proved to be costly. For North Adams, junior Joe Landi (URI) and freshman Kyle Richardson (Notre Dame) led the way with two and three hits apiece, while Vermont's Thomas Roulis and A.J. Ryan each added two hits for the visitors.

With Murphy mowing down the Mountaineers through the first three innings of play, the SteepleCats came to bat in the bottom of the third looking for the first run of the game. Freshman Jacob Huckabay (UT-Pan American) pegged a ground ball through the left side to lead things off and moved to second on a sacrifice. Then, Landi drilled a single into left that brought in Huckabay, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage after three innings of play.

That would hold all the way until the eighth inning, as Murphy went through the Vermont lineup twice unscathed before giving up a leadoff double in the seventh that proved to be harmless. The visitors finally got the righty for a run on three hits in the top of the eighth, with Bret Dennis singling in the tying run with one out and runners at second and third.

Murphy would escape further trouble and tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to send the game to extras, but Vermont wound up with the game-deciding runs in the 12th to sweep the series.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 5, 2013


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