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SteepleCats Newsletter

July 1, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


ZARRILLO'S EXTRA-INNING WALK-OFF HIGHLIGHTS 4-1 WEEK

Standing four games under .500 the week before, the North Adams SteepleCats stayed hot last week while stretching its winning streak to four, as the 'Cats four wins in five games last week to move back into the Western Division race.

The highlight of the week came in the form of a 12-inning, walk-off victory at home against Danbury on Thursday night. With two outs and the winning run 90 feet away, sophomore Vinny Zarrillo (Rutgers) blooped a fly ball toward shallow right center that barely avoided the leaping reach of the Danbury second baseman, falling to the ground to score freshman Jose Cuas (Maryland) and wrap up a 4-3, 12-inning, walk-off victory for the SteepleCats over the Westerners in a wild, rain-delayed NECBL Western Division showdown.

That followed an 8-5 victory at New Bedford a day earlier, when North Adams struck for six early runs and held on late to move back to 8-8 on the season. On Friday, however, the SteepleCats' hot streak came to an end with a tough 2-1 setback on the road at Ocean State, despite the setback, North Adams is right back in the thick of the Western Division standings with more than a month to go in the regular season.

WEEK IN REVIEW

On the heels of back-to-back wins to close out the weekend, North Adams enjoyed its first two scheduled off days of the 2013 season before hitting the road for New Bedford on Wednesday.

In that game, the SteepleCats built a big 6-0 lead and held on late to down the Bay Sox, 8-5. Despite the late-game dramatics, the SteepleCats and their bullpen held on, with sophomore Joeanthony Rivera (Barry) notching his first save of the year in the process. The early offensive onslaught that wound up being the difference on Wednesday night, as the SteepleCats took a 6-0 lead after three innings of work.

On Thursday, North Adams returned home to welcome Danbury for the first time in 2013. Both sides played each other 11 times in 2012, including the Westerners' 2-1 series victory in the NECBL Western Division Semifinals.

Thursday night's game indeed felt similar to a playoff showdown, as the 'Cats saw an early 2-0 deficit disappear before edging ahead by a run. Danbury managed to tie the contest at 3-3 in the sixth before both sides' bullpens settled in for nearly seven scoreless frames. North Adams finally broke through in the 12th on Zarrillo's walk-off, getting the 'Cats back to .500 on the year.

The SteepleCats concluded their season series against Ocean State with a road trek to South Kingston, R.I., on Friday. Playing in foggy and misty conditions, the SteepleCats could not get much going offensively and settled for a 2-1 setback against the Waves. North Adams enjoyed another off day Saturday before welcoming the Saratoga Brigade to town on Sunday. Three early errors resulted in North Adams falling behind by three runs early, but the rains opened up in the top of the third, resulting in a suspension of a contest that will be completed at a later date.

SCHEDULE UPDATE

Fans, please note the following reschedule dates: North Adams' scheduled home game against Keene from Monday, June 10, has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. North Adams' scheduled road game against Vermont from Tuesday, June 11, has been rescheduled for Monday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. No completion date has been announced for Sunday's suspended game against Saratoga. PLEASE NOTE ALL SUNDAY START TIMES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE REGULAR SEASON ARE 4:30 P.M. STARTS.

UPCOMING PROMOTION SCHEDULE

Fans, you do NOT want to any of the action at Joe Wolfe Field this summer. In addition to some of the best collegiate baseball nationwide, the SteepleCats organization will proudly bring back some of your favorite promotions and giveaways from last season and beyond.

Here's a look at what's on tap this week (all times 6:30 unless noted): Tuesday, July 2 vs. Danbury - MCLA Night! GIVEAWAY: MCLA Merchandise to the first 250 fans in attendance! Thursday, July 4 vs. Laconia - FOURTH OF JULY SPECTACULAR sponsored by MOUNTAINONE BANK! Come on down to The Joe and enjoy some great baseball on America's Birthday, and then stick around for our postgame fireworks! GIVEAWAY: MountainOne Bank T-Shirts to the first 250 fans in attendance!

SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BRACELETS The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., hit close to home for the NECBL's Danbury Westerners, as Danbury is located just nine miles from Newtown.

In remembrance of the lives lost and support for our friends in Connecticut, this summer NECBL players are wearing a commemorative green ribbon on the side of their hats. In addition, the league is selling a green Sandy Hook Elementary School commemorative bracelet for $5 and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Newtown Youth and Family Services organization. This organization has provided countless hours of free counseling services to the victims' families, as well as other services to help aid in the community's recovery. To show your support, please stop by the souvenir stand during any SteepleCats home game and purchase your bracelet for $5.

2013 NECBL ALL-STAR GAME INFORMATION

Baseball fans: the 20th annual NECBL All-Star game will be held on Sunday, July 21st at beautiful Robbie Mills Field in Laconia, New Hampshire.

Hosted by the Laconia Muskrats, the NECBL All-Star game showcases all of the NECBL's top talent. First pitch is slated for 5:30, but the festivities take place all day long.

Head out to the park early to watch batting practice and see the best prospects from the NECBL show their stuff in front of scouts from virtually every Major League team.

We hope to see you there, Sunday July 21st, in Laconia, New Hampshire, to watch the league's best square off in the 2013 All-Star Game! For more information, please head to necbl.com.

FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA FREE T-SHIRTS FROM MOUNTAINONE BANK Thursday, July 4 vs. Laconia @ 6:30 p.m.

Fans, it may be more than a month away, but you do NOT want to miss the event of the summer here in Northern Berkshire County.

Come down to The Joe and celebrate the Fourth of July as the SteepleCats take on the Laconia Muskrats at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4. The first 200 fans through the gates will receive a free t-shirt courtesy of Mountain One Bank. More promotional details will be unveiled soon.

And of course, be sure to stick around after the last out is recorded for our annual Fourth of July Spectacular! Start counting the days, fans!

PREGAME/POSTGAME VIDEO COVERAGE

Fans, even after the last out, there's still more SteepleCats action. For exclusive interviews and coverage, be sure to check our SteepleCats YouTube channel after every game to keep up to date. Be sure to check back and stay updated, you won't want to miss a thing!

LISTEN, WATCH, and FOLLOW EVERY GAME

Can't make it to the field? Follow your team away from the ballpark on Teamline, the official web broadcasting partner of the NECBL! Teamline is your #1 choice to catch your favorite team, at home or on the road. You'll never miss a pitch!

Video webcasts are available at $8 per game, and every audio webcast is available FOR FREE, each and every game! Teamline is the OFFICIAL webcasting partner of the SteepleCats and the NECBL!

Don't forget to download the NECBL Pointstreak App and follow along as you tune in no matter where you are. Search for the app on iTunes today!

FOLLOW THE GAME LIVE ON YOUR SMARTPHONE

If you can't make it out to the ballpark for every game, make sure you download the Pointstreak phone app, allowing you to follow stats and game scores wherever you are. This app is available on iphone, ipad, and android.

Fans - you too can be like a SteepleCat player swinging the Official Bat of the NECBL,Dream Bats. Be sure to isvit www.dreambats.com to purchase pro quality adult wood bats, youth bats, baseball accessories, and engraved trophy bats and balls.

Also please be sure to check out the Dream Bat SMOKE Aluminum BBCOR bat currently being used nationwide in high school and college baseball. Enter coupon code NECBL for 10% off your entire online purchase. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @dreambatcompany.

SWING JUICE - The official Energy Drink of the NECBL!

Swing Juice is a proud partner of the NECBL. Locally owned and operated right in Rhode Island, "Swing Juice Energy Drink was designed with a specific blend of ingredients to help with your Focus, Stamina and Energy ahead of and during competition." Available in four terrific flavors. Log onto www.swingjuice.com for more details and follow them on Twitter at Twitter.com/SwingJuice!

BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR AND SUPPORT YOUR 'CATS!

Believe it or not, in the summer of 2013 we will begin our 12th season as a franchise and as such, we want to make this the most memorable season yet. Our ability to sustain a competitive, successful and memorable team in the smallest market in the NECBL is a testament to the hard work of our volunteers, the tenacity of the players, and the loyalty of our fan base. It is our mission to continue to put a quality team on the field and to create a memorable experience for all fans.

The 2012 season was filled with many wonderful memories and highlights, both on and off the field. Some of the off-field activities included:

- Nearly 20,000 fans coming to the ballpark.

- Visiting all of the local elementary schools to read, meet, and play with our youth.

- Distributed over 3,000 tickets to elementary school students.

- Bringing parents and friends in from all over the country to learn that our area is a special place to visit and live.

- Providing opportunities for our players off field to help them develop life skills through team building and exposure to a variety of activities.

- Sustaining the SteepleCats deep commitment to our community through player participation in our communities and our schools.

As we begin to plan for the 2013 season, the SteepleCats will need the support of our community once again. As a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, the SteepleCats are only able to exist and function through the generous support it receives from community businesses, charitable donations of all sizes, and the generous time from our volunteers and host families. To demonstrate your belief that the SteepleCats are a valuable asset to our community, we encourage you to consider making a donation of any size to the SteepleCats organization. Whatever size donation that you can make will help us keep NECBL baseball here in North Adams! You can donate right on our Shop SteepleCats website.

Alternatively, please make your check payable to the North Adams SteepleCats and mail it to P.O. Box 540, North Adams, MA 01247. Thank you for your consideration.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 1, 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.

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