SteepleCats Walk-Off Against Vermont in 5-4 Loss

Published on July 5, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


North Adams, Mass. - Brett Clements hit a ground ball through the right side that kicked off the glove of Johnny Mishu allowing the winning run to score as North Adams came back from a 4-2 seventh inning deficit to defeat Vermont (10-10) in New England Collegiate Baseball League action. The loss dropped the Mountaineers to .500 on the year while the SteepleCats (14-8) took a 3-1 series lead this summer.

Vermont threatened to jump ahead in the top of the first as they loaded the bases with two outs but stranded all three when Aaron Barbosa (Dracut, Mass./Northeastern) flew out to left to end the inning. The SteepleCats then took advantage of the scoreless game as Shane Klemcke singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a fielding error from third baseman Logan Pierce that allowed Charlie Law to reach first. Delgado (Miami, Fla./Austin Peay) recorded back to back strikeouts to end the inning.

The Mountaineers responded quickly when Cole Peragine hit a leadoff double to left field and scored when Chris Cook (Annapolis, Md./George Mason) roped a double to the wall in right field. They then took the lead in the third as Rob Kelly (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Saint Anslem) missed a home run by about three inches to lead off the inning off the left field wall. After advancing to third on a Pierce groundout, he would score on Johnny Mishu's single. It was his 11th RBI of the summer, tying his 2011 mark. Mishu (Nashville, Tenn./Princeton) was caught stealing on the next pitch marking just the second time he had been thrown out on the bases all season. Barbosa would follow with an infield single, steal second and score on a wild pitch by North Adams starter Tyler Gebler making it 3-0 Vermont.

Delgado began cruising through but found trouble in the fourth as he hit both Esteban Tresgallo and Will Klausing to start off the inning. After a Julian Santos single loaded the bases with nobody out, Shane O'Connell grounded into a double play that scored Tresgallo. Dillon Bass then struck out looking to the end the inning and the threat keeping the Mountaineers advantage at 3-2.

Vermont would get their two run lead back in the top of the sixth as PJ Jones singled with one out and advanced to third on a fielding error from Dillon Bass allowing Cook to reach. As Cook attempted to steal second, North Adams catcher Shane O'Connell fired to third but overthrew Tresgallo allowing Jones (Vancouver, Wash./Washington State) to score. Walker Stadler would replace Delgado on the hill and pitch a scoreless sixth before running into trouble in the seventh.

North Adams' Shane Klemcke singled with one out before being retired on a fielders choice off the bat of Charlie Law. A single from Brett Clements put runners at second and third with two outs but chased Stadler (Greenview, Ill./Indiana). Tyler Rogers then came on in relief and proceeded to hit Tresgallo to load the bases. Will Klausing grounded a bouncing ball up the middle that hit off the heel of Chris Cook's glove behind the bag allowing a run to score cutting the lead to one. A wild pitch from Rogers (Littleton, Colo./Austin Peay) allowed Clements to score knotting the game at 4-4 a piece.

Rogers would set down the side in order in the eighth as Vermont went begging in both the eighth and ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Rogers would hit lead off man Shane Klemcke who advanced to second a sacrifice bunt from Charlie Law. With the winning run on second, Brett Clements hit a ball through the right side that bounced off of Mishu's glove and past him allowing the winning run to score.

Delgado pitched five innings allowing two runs on five hits striking out six in a no-decision as Rogers (0-3) took the loss giving up one run on two hits and hitting two batters in one and one-third innings. Gebler also got a no-decision for North Adams going six strong allowing four runs, three earned, on twelve hits. Matt Longfield (4-1) got the win in relief as he tossed a perfect ninth inning with a strike out.

The Mountaineers will be on the road again on Friday July 6, as they travel to Keene, N.H. to take on the Swamp Bats. All the game action can be heard live on ESPN 1240, WSKI and online at www.thevermontmountaineers.com.

Game Notes: Aaron Barbosa's steal of second base in the third inning gave him 15 in the league. He is now 10 behind Brian O'Grady's single season record of 25 set in 2011...The steal also gave Vermont a league leading 74 on the year.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 5, 2012


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