SteepleCats Take Opener with Walk off in Tenth

Published on June 10, 2016 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


Not very many teams are able to say that they recorded a walk off win in their first game of a new season. However, the North Adams SteepleCats are able to say exactly that. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, SteepleCats third baseman C.J. Price stepped up to the plate and answered the call as the 'Cats defeated the New Bedford Bay Sox 5-4 Thursday night at Joe Wolfe Field.

"I honestly wanted to take it one pitch at a time," said Price. "I wanted to live in the moment and not worry about the situation."

After falling behind Bay Sox reliever Dylan Collett 1-2, Price was able to hit the fourth pitch to left field. The ball got down for a single scoring Benjamin Bengston from third for the winning run.

"I was not sure but I was hoping," he said. "But as it got farther out into the outfield I had a pretty good idea that it was going to drop."

The 'Cats had a 4-2 lead going into the top of the eighth inning. Facing the top of the Bay Sox order, T.J. Dixon led off with a bunt single followed by another single by Alex Mata. With two on and nobody out, Ryan Baldwin doubled to right field scoring both runners to tie the game.

With one out and the go ahead run on third, Tanner Bird entered the game for the SteepleCats and was able to get them out of the jam, stranding the runner at third. He then came back on and pitched a scoreless ninth.

"I have been in those situations a lot," said Bird. "I was trying to get a big strikeout, keep the ball down and the infield in."

The SteepleCats were able to strike first when Keaton Wright hit a two run home run in the bottom of the first giving the SteepleCats an early 2-0 lead. Starting pitcher Peter Lannoo was dynamite in his SteepleCats debut. He struck the side in the first recorded a total of six strikeouts in five innings of work.

"The atmosphere was great," said Lannoo.  "It is nice to get the first game jitters out of the way. "I definitely did not have my best stuff today, but I was still able to work with it and the defense helped a lot."

The 'Cats also had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. With Price on second, Nick Riotto lined out to second in a play where Bay Sox second baseman Ted Shaw made a diving catch to save the game.

Bengston was hit by pitch in the wrist to lead off the next inning. He then went to second on a passed ball which made the Bay Sox decide to intentionally walk Keaton Wright. Dustin Shirley moved the runner to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. The Bay Sox then gave another intentional pass, this time, this time to Kyle Brennan which ultimately set up Price for the winning hit.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 10, 2016


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