Newport Hands North Adams First Loss in 5-0 Setback

June 12, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


NEWPORT, R.I. - Playing in its first game since Sunday after a pair of rainouts earlier this week, North Adams squandered early scoring chances and watching reigning New England Collegiate Baseball League champion Newport edge ahead with a steady offensive onslaught to hand the SteepleCats their first loss of the season, 5-0, on Wednesday night at Cardines Field.

Falling to 3-1 after picking up wins in their first three tilts, North Adams finished the night 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while the Gulls (2-1) racked up 12 strikeouts from their pitching staff - including nine looking - to back their way to a win.

Newport used a run in the second, fourth and fifth to build up a three-run lead that was more than enough for the Gulls' pitching staff. After starter Brett Graves ran into trouble in the top of the fifth, southpaw Brett Lilek entered the contest in relief and kept the 'Cats at bay over the ensuing two innings, using three strikeouts while yielding a hit to pick up the win in relief.

Those efforts were enough to top righty Mark Reece (Nevada), who took the loss after yielding two runs on three hits over 3 1/3 frames, striking out two and walking two over that span.

In his place, rookie righty Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) followed up with 2 2/3 innings in his first meaningful game since his high school career after redshirting for the Scarlet Knights this spring. The Toms River, N.J., native struck out six while walking one but was pegged for three hits and two runs in the seventh after an unearned run in the fifth.

Sophomore Joeanthony Rivera (Barry) made his SteepleCat debut and was solid with two scoreless, three-strikeout innings later in the game.

After North Adams squandered chances with scoring position in both the first and second, Newport struck for a run in the bottom of the second. Steve Anderson led off the frame with a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch, and a fielder's choice brought him to third before Matt Foley singled him home to put the Gulls on top by a run.

Two frames later, Anderson blasted a one-out double down the left field line before scoring two batters later on an RBI single off the bat of 2012 SteepleCat Adrian English, but Driscoll rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam with only one run allowed.

In the fifth, the visitors threatened after drawing three straight walks against Graves and Lilek combined, but a failed stolen base attempt and a strikeout from the latter squandered that threat. Newport promptly made the SteepleCats pay for a two-out error by notching an unearned run in the home half of the frame, pushing the home side's lead to 3-0 after five.

North Adams wasted a two-out double from sophomore Julian Loret de Mola (Nova Southeastern) in the sixth, and then in the bottom of the seventh, the Gulls chased Driscoll on three straight hits, including an RBI double off Ben Roberts before Tam Sing scored on a wild pitch to add to the Gulls' lead.

The SteepleCats return home tomorrow (June 13), to welcome the Plymouth Pilgrims for the first-ever meeting between the two franchises. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. from Joe Wolfe Field.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 12, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central