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Resilient 'Cats Force Another Game Three

August 8, 2015 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


North Adams SteepleCats Celebrate Win
North Adams SteepleCats Celebrate Win
(North Adams SteepleCats)

Once again Friday night, the SteepleCats faced elimination when going back home in Game 2 of the playoffs. Once again, they managed to stave it off in front of the fans at Joe Wolfe Field. After a 7-3 loss in Game 1 Thursday night, the 'Cats evened the series up with a 3-1 victory in the second game of the series. It all boils down to the decisive Game 3 in Vermont Saturday night. The winner will face the Mystic Schooners for the right to be called the 2015 NECBL Champions.

Dakota Edwards (Bridgeport) did not let the Mountaineers get the better of him. He was the winning pitcher. Edwards went 7.1 innings, allowing an earned run and eight hits. The starter was able to strike out four and walk three. Vermont didn't even score off Edwards until the eighth inning, and after that run came across, he departed with the lead.

 "He kept the ball down, he had a good slider and he was really accurate," said Rob Calabrese.

He got his run support in the fifth inning. Zach Wall (Young Harris) cranked a solo home run after not having one in the regular season.  Parker Perez (Jacksonville)) then grounded a triple (yes, really) to the right-field wall and scored when the next batter, Graham McIntre layed down a suicide squeeze.

"Sometimes you gotta gamble big if you want to win big," said SteepleCat manager Mike Armstrong. "I trust my guys to execute and they came through in a big way tonight."

It was enough to give the win to Edwards and the loss to Vermont starter Damian Powers (Le Moyne). The only runs Powers allowed were those two. He had struck out five and allowed just one walk. Still, the 'Cats grabbed the lead and did not look back. North Adams never trailed in Game 2.

The SteepleCats got a run back after Vermont had scored in eighth. In the ninth, it was a save situation and a job for Jared Habershaw (Eckerd). However, three outs would not prove to be an easy feat. Riley Jackson (Louisville) was walked. Jack Parenty (Stony Brook) singled. Runners were on first and second with no outs. A putout advanced both runners up 90 feet and the tying run was in scoring position. Joe Dudek (Kentucky) was intentionally walked after previously going 3-for-4 with a run scored.

With the bags juiced and just one out, a mere swing of the bat from Ridge Smith  (Austin Peay St.) could have given the Mountaineers the lead. Instead, Habershaw sent him down on strikes. He then extended the same courtesy to Isaiah Pasteur (Indiana). Consecutive strikeouts ended the game, and the SteepleCats had won. The fans at Joe Wolfe Field went crazy after Habershaw preserved the win. Again the team had clawed back to tie the series after a 1-0 deficit.

 "I think it's the whole teammate philosophy," Habershaw said. "I think it's everybody picking each other up, everybody having everybody's back. We're brothers out here and we're really playing like it.

Matt Kostalos gets to start tomorrow. During batting practice today, he expressed his determination to get this team to the NECBL Finals.

"i just want one more shot," Kostalas said.

He's got one.




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North Adams SteepleCats Celebrate Win
North Adams SteepleCats Celebrate Win
   



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 8, 2015


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