Murphy's Complete Game Gem Powers 'Cats to 3-1 Win over Danbury

July 20, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Powered by a seven-inning complete game gem from junior Mike Murphy (Rider) that featured eight strikeouts and just one run allowed, North Adams capped off a huge NECBL Western Division doubleheader sweep of Danbury with a 3-1 victory in the late game Saturday, pushing the SteepleCats back to .500 for the first time in over two weeks.

After a dramatic, walk-off grand slam helped them take the opening game, the SteepleCats (16-16) made two runs in the bottom of the fifth hold up the rest of the way, as the Westerners (12-21) fell to 0-4 on the year against North Adams.

Winners of a season-high four games in a row, North Adams' latest victory helped the Black and Gold open up a three-game cushion between fourth and fifth place in the West; the top-four teams all qualify for the postseason, and with 12 games to play in the regular season, the SteepleCats head into the last stretch of the year playing their best baseball.

Murphy was the star of the late game, going the distance for his first complete game victory of the year. The Rider right-hander struck out eight - two shy of his season-high - while walking two and yielding just four hits to give a wary bullpen a much-deserved break in the late game.

His counterpart, James Murphy, fell to 0-3 on the season after giving up three runs - two earned - on five hits over 4 1/3 before reliever Zachary Tax kept the SteepleCats at bay the rest of the way.

After two scoreless innings, North Adams tallied the game's first urn in the bottom of the third. After an error allowed junior Garrett Tuck (UC San Diego) to reach with two outs, freshman Kevin Martir (Maryland) capitalized one at-bat latter with a base hit to left, allowing Tuck to scamper home while beating the throw to the plate to give the 'Cats a 1-0 lead.

But Danbury responded an inning later, as Daniel Spingola jumpstarted the Westerners with a leadoff double and moved to third on a sacrifice before coming home on a wild pitch, evening the game at 1-1 after four innings.

The Westerners had two runners on with a hit and a walk in the top of the fifth, but Murphy got out of the jam to give his offense a chance. The 'Cats did just that in the bottom of the fifth, tallying two runs on two hits, with junior Joe Landi (URI) driving in the first run before freshman Kyle Richardson (Notre Dame) scored on a wild pitch to put North Adams ahead, 3-1.

With Murphy dealing, that was more than enough for the hosts, who let up just one more base runner over the final two frames to seal another big victory.

The SteepleCats will enjoy an off day for the NECBL All-Star Game tomorrow before hitting the road for a five-game road trip starting with a doubleheader on Monday, July 22, as the SteepleCats take on Vermont for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 20, 2013


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