Dukes survive late inning
scares from SteepleCats to hang on
By: Michael Radomski
(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) - In a
pitcher's duel between SteepleCat starter Tim Boyce (Rhode Island)
and Dukes starter Kyle Vazquez (Franklin Pierce), the Pittsfield
Dukes were able to hold on to the 3-2 victory.
Kevin Carby (Tenn Wesleyan College) would give North Adams the early
1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when he singled home John
Malloy from second base. Vazquez would then strike out the next two
hitters to end the inning on his way to nine on the evening.
Boyce would strike out three Dukes through the first two innings,
only allowing one hit, but he struggled in the third inning. With a
runner on first and two outs, T.J. Greig (Malloy College) committed
an error to prolong the inning. Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne) would
then hit an RBI double to tie the game at one. Jason Krizan (Dallas
Baptist) then hit a two run single to give Pittsfield the 3-1 lead.
Krizan would be thrown on the play trying to stretch the single into
a double.
The lead would be more than enough for Vazquez as he continued to
roll setting down 14 of 16 SteepleCats at one point in the game. The
Franklin Pierce student athlete would escape a two out rally in the
7th inning, but North Adams would mount their comebacks in the 8th
and 9th inning.
In the 8th inning, Carby would reach on a leadoff single but would
be caught stealing as he left first before Vazquez threw a pitch.
Later in the inning, Vazquez would struggle and would leave the game
with two runners on and two out. Reliever Zach Anderson (Buffalo),
the newly appointed Dukes closer, would enter in a jam, and walk
Sean Parker (CCSU) to load up the bases.
With an already thin bench due to injuries, pitcher Derek Shaw
(Florida Gulf Coast) would be inserted as a defensive replacement
for pinch runner Dayton Marze (UL-Lafayette) earlier in the game and
would strike out looking to end the 8th inning.
Pittsfield would go scoreless in the bottom of the eight inning, and
Anderson would go back out for the ninth inning with the 3-2
advantage. Leadoff hitter John Malloy (La Salle University) would
reach on a single, but would then be thrown out trying to steal
second base. Anderson would retire the next two hitters to end the
ballgame and end the Dukes' two game losing streak.
With the win, Pittsfield improves to 9-10 on the season and moves
within a half game of first place behind the Torrington Twisters and
the Newport Gulls. The Dukes will host the Twisters tomorrow night
in the 2nd of a 5 game homestand for Pittsfield. The Dukes will send
Alex MacKenzie (Canisius) to the hill for the seven o'clock contest.
North Adams drops to 6-12 with their third straight loss and the
SteepleCats will travel to Manchester to take on the Silkworms
tomorrow night. Nick Serino (UMASS) is the probable starter for the
seven o'clock game.
