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Westerners Beat Up on \'Cats

July 24, 2011 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


Danbury, CT - The Westerners have shown us two things this season: 1) their offense mashes better than anyone else's; and 2) if the offense doesn't mash for more than a few innings, it's only a matter of time before it starts mashing again. The SteepleCats are all too familiar with both of these sentiments, and heading into Rogers Park on Saturday night, had been blown out in the first four meetings between the two teams. This has been a one-sided series since Danbury edged North Adams 2 games to 1 to advance to last year's NECBL Championship for the Western Division. It's nobody's fault. After all, Jamie Shevchik will send seven, I repeat seven of his players to Wednesday night's All-Star Game at Fraser Field in Lynn, Massachusetts. The West's starting outfield will have many shades of Westerners' black, as Tanner Krietemeier, Dane Opel, and Tyler Horan got the votes. Oh, and by the way, Andrew Garner (another outfielder) was selected as a reserve. Call them what you want and attach a clever nickname by incorporating the number four, but this impressive list of legitimate MVP candidates occupied the first four spots in the Danbury batting order on Saturday night. Taylor Hart was pitching for the first time in just over two weeks for the ‘Cats, his record unwavering at 0-2. But Hart was also well aware of the history in that he had delivered his best start of the season with seven innings against Danbury despite ten hits. On a night when it felt like 99 degrees on the field with the humidity, both teams prepared to play the fifth of six regular season installments.

Neither team provided much pop in the first three innings. The ‘Cats only baserunner during that time came in the top of the second when cleanup hitter Jacob Daniel led off with a bunt attempt up the third base line that was mishandled by Chase Butler for an error. Conversely, Opel had doubled off Hart in the first and singled in the third, but was then thrown out at second on a steal attempt by Mike Zavala for the final out. In the fourth, Drew Gadaire tallied the ‘Cats first base hit off Kevin Link with a one out single, but was stranded after Daniel flew out and center fielder Justin Leeson popped out to second baseman Dillon Everett. Hart had his best inning in the fourth by retiring Garner and striking out both Horan and Butler.

After Link set down the ‘Cats in order in the fifth, Hart allowed a leadoff double to first baseman Mike Ford. Everett laid down a nice sacrifice bunt that was handled for the first out, moving Ford to third and the game's first run was just 90 feet away. Following a walk to catcher Steve Swingle, shortstop Jake Gronsky provided a lift with an RBI single to break the scoreless tie. Krietemeier hit behind the runners with a groundout to second baseman Marc Magliaro that pushed Swingle to third and Gronsky to second with two outs. With Opel at the plate, Hart sent a wild pitch to the backstop that brought in Swingle and advanced Gronsky to third making it 2-0. Hart then walked Opel to place runners at the corner which preceded a Garner RBI single that chased Hart (0-3) from the game with the score standing at 3-0. Bryant Guilmette came out of the bullpen and after getting ahead of Horan 1-2, the Westerners right fielder served a 3-run home run over the short porch in left center to make it a seemingly unreachable 6-0 ballgame for a ‘Cats offense that has been sputtering.

In the top of the sixth, number nine hitter Marc Magliaro hit a long home run to left field on the second pitch from Link to make it 6-1, the Rowan University product's first big fly of the season. But that would be all, as Link retired the next three men he faced to close out the inning. Guilmette then worked a scoreless sixth, sending it to the seventh for left-hander Cody Kopilchak, making his first appearance in exactly two weeks. A leadoff double by pinch-hitter Kyle Richardson set the tone for a 3-run Westerners frame, featuring an RBI groundout by Garner and a run scoring double by pinch-hitter Chad Morgan, who had entered the game for Ford. The ‘Cats provided their biggest offensive lift in the eighth off Link, with three straight singles by Magliaro, Chantz Mack, and Mike LeBel after Zavala led off the inning with a strikeout. With the bases loaded, Gadaire got underneath Link's first pitch and sent a sac fly into right field that scored Magliaro and make it a 9-2 ballgame. Link (4-0) then got Daniel on a groundout to Butler at third, sending the Westerners to the ninth inning with a seven run lead firmly intact.

Fans, the SteepleCats (12-22) are back at Joe Wolfe Field on Sunday at 6:30 pm for the final regular season meeting against the Holyoke Blue Sox (22-12). It's $1 Hot Dog Night at the Joe, so make sure you head to the ballpark for a great night of fun and baseball featuring some of the best college players across the country! If you can't make it, make sure you listen to or watch the game by accessing the TeamLine link at the bottom of the team's website at www.steeplecats.com

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 24, 2011


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