SteepleCats Come Back in Holyoke

July 2, 2011 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


Holyoke, MA - Blue Sox manager Darryl Morhardt said on Friday night's post-game show that it's always tough to beat a team four times in a row. It's a common baseball adage amongst managers who understand the finer workings of the game. Despite coming in with the Western Division's best record at 9-3 and facing a SteepleCats team that sat in last place at 5-12, Morhardt knew his squad could take nothing for granted. After all, this was a different North Adams team than the one that had lost eight straight games just a week ago. On the other side of the field, Clayton Kuklick talked about how his boys were finally coming together as a unit and truly embracing the concept of team baseball. The game marked the fourth regular season matchup between the two sides, and only one had been tightly contested up to that point. That was a 4-3 Blue Sox win in extra innings back on June 13, but a lot had transpired since then. North Adams had already come back from two runs down in Keene on Wednesday night to win 9-7 and felt well-versed in the art of playing until the game's final out.

For the fourth straight game, the 'Cats scored first with a run in the top of the second thanks to a Cameron Griffin sacrifice fly to center that scored Justin Leeson. But starter Matt Hinkle could not protect the lead and fell into trouble in the home second following a single by Justin Ringo and a Dillon Robinson double that put two runners in scoring position. Kris Richards tied the game with his own sacrifice fly to center that scored Ringo before right fielder Chris McGovern gave the Blue Sox the lead with an RBI single that scored Robinson. Eric Smith then singled which allowed center fielder Alex Sherrod to rip a two run double that made it 4-1. Holyoke added a run in the third off Hinkle thanks to an RBI single by shortstop Paul McConkey that plated up Ringo.

After Griffin and catcher Mike Zavala singled with two outs in the fourth to put runners at the corners, Corbin Blakey flew out to left off Blue Sox starter Daniel Watts. For the second straight night, a Drew Gadaire leadoff single was spoiled in the top of the sixth by Leeson's groundball to Watts that went 1-6-3 for a double play. North Adams cut the deficit to 5-2 in the seventh after Blakey reached on an error by McConkey that scored Griffin, who had led off the inning with his second straight single. They added one more in the eighth on Leeson's groundball to short that scored designated hitter Chantz Mack who had reached on a ball that slipped through McConkey for his second error.

All the while, Frank Morris was working on his finest performance of the season for the SteepleCats with 3.1 innings of two hit ball with a season-high six strikeouts. With Sam Eberle at second and one out in the eighth against 'Cats lefty Bryant Guilmette, pinch-hitter Kris Richards scalded a grounder to first that was stabbed by Sam Russell who dove to his right. The junior from Central Michigan hopped up and raced to the bag, sliding in headfirst to tag the base and beat Richards by a split second. Guilmette then induced a Trey Mancini fly out to Leeson in center to escape the inning.

In the ninth, Griffin led off against Elliot Byers with a strikeout. Following a Zavala walk, Jacob Daniel pinch-hit for Blakey with a single that put runners at the corners. Daniel took second on a wild pitch that put the tying runs in scoring position for Chantz Mack, who was in danger of losing his three-game hitting streak with two outs. Mack tied the game at 5 with a bases clearing triple on Byers' 2-2 offering that got all the way to the fence in right-center. Steven Zavala then struck out swinging with the go-ahead run 90 feet away.

Guilmette pitched into and out of trouble in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff walk to Eric Smith. Sherrod bunted pinch-runner Frank DeSico to second, who then stole third on a risky gamble against 'Cats catcher Mike Zavala. Following a walk to catcher Ronnie Freeman, Clayton Kuklick called for the intentional walk to designated hitter Tom Murphy to load the bases with one out. Guilmette got Ringo to pop out to Nico Hernandez at short in a 3-2 count before Eberle rolled out to second base to end the inning.

The top of the tenth turned out to be the turning point of the game as Byers sandwiched a Leeson strikeout between singles by Gadaire and Russell. Griffin struck out for the second straight time which allowed Mike Zavala to work another lengthy walk. With two outs, Daniel delivered again with a two run single to center that scored the two runners to give North Adams a 7-5 lead. In the home tenth, freshman Brian Gilbert came out of the pen for North Adams on just two days rest after an eight-inning victory Tuesday night in Old Orchard Beach. Despite allowing an unearned run, Gilbert got Sherrod to ground out Griffin at third with the tying run at first to end the game.

The SteepleCats (6-12) return home to Joe Wolfe Field Saturday night at 6:30 to square off against Western Division rival Danbury (7-5) at 6:30. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive patriotic goodie bags in celebration of 4th of July weekend! If you can't make the game, make sure you support the SteepleCats and listen or watch the game by accessing the TeamLine link at the bottom of the team's newly designed website at www.steeplecats.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 2, 2011


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