SteepleCats sweep
doubleheader from Dukes
Michael Radomski
( NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – In a
doubleheader at Joe Wolfe Field, the North Adams SteepleCats swept
the Pittsfield Dukes and claimed the third spot in the Southern
Division playoff picture.
North Adams would win the first game of the doubleheader 7-2, and
would also go on to win the second game 8-7. With the victories, the
SteepleCats also secure the Battle of the Berkshires victory, having
won four of the six games in the series this season.
The SteepleCats would score first in Game 1 with an RBI single from
Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) against Dukes starter Luke Mazzanti
(San Jose State). North Adams would score another three runs in the
second inning as the SteepleCats would send eight hitters to the
plate.
Mazzanti retired the first two hitters, but the next five reached as
the SteepleCats would score three runs on just one hit. A hit by
pitch and back to back walks would load up the bases, and T. J.
Greig (Malloy College) would hit a two run single up the middle to
expand the lead to three. Jonny Smith (Niagara University) would
walk and as the pitch went to the backstop, John Malloy (La Salle)
scurried home from second base for the 4-0 lead.
North Adams starter Nick Serino (UMASS) allowed just one hit through
two innings, but struggled in the third and fourth. The left hander
would leave the bases loaded in both innings to maintain a four run
advantage.
Mazzanti would allow another run in the fourth and left the game
trailing 5-0. Mazzanti allowed five runs (all earned) on five hits.
He would also walk four and strike out three in his second loss of
the season.
Jake Sabol (Central Michigan) relieved Mazzanti in the fifth inning
after throwing six innings the night before against Torrington. Game
2 starter Nick Shaw (Florida Gulf Coast) added another run with an
RBI single and on would score on an error from Jake Rosenbeck
(Buffalo) later in the inning to take the 7-0 lead.
Pittsfield rallied in the sixth inning knocking Serino out of the
game. Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptist) doubled to right field, his
third hit of the game, to pull the Dukes within six runs as Serino
was taken. Greg Robinson (Wright State) came into the game and
allowed another run before John Malloy made a sliding catch on
Domenic DiRicco’s (Cornell) hit to center field and threw back to
double up Krizan to end the inning.
The Dukes would go in order in the seventh inning as North Adams
wins game one 7-1. The win secured the third spot in the playoffs
for North Adams. The second game would start at seven o’clock as
festivities for Hometown Heroes night took place at Joe Wolfe Field.
Local fire, police, and ambulance crews were on hand to show off the
newest technology between games, and a helicopter flyover took place
prior to game two.
Infielder and knuckleballer Mike Massery (American International)
started for the Dukes and retired the first two hitters before three
straight would reach base. On a double steal, Jonny Smith would
score from third, and Cody Stanley would score on an RBI single from
Ryan Delgado (Chaffey College) for the 2-0 lead.
Pittsfield would answer right back with a run in the second off of
SteepleCat starter Nick Shaw. The Dukes would rally with two outs
and a Kevin Clements (Manchester CC) RBI single closed the gap to a
run.
In the third, Cody Stanley homered to right field, scoring two runs,
and Delgado followed on the next pitch with a solo home run to left
field. An RBI single from Brian Adams (Wright State) later in the
inning put North Adams up 5-0.
Massery pitched four innings for Pittsfield in his first loss of the
season. The right hander allowed seven runs (six earned) on ten
hits, striking out two in the process. Outfielder Domenic DiRicco
was called in to pitch and threw a scoreless sixth inning for the
Dukes.
In the top of the sixth, North Adams manager Jeff Verplanke emptied
the bench as the game took an interesting turn with six pitchers
being used in the field and second baseman Greg Van Horn (Brookdale
CC) on the hill. Pittsfield would mount an improbable comeback as
the Dukes scored five runs off of Van Horn and Robinson on just two
hits as Pittsfield trailed by just a run 7-6.
In the bottom of the inning, Jayson Langfels (Eastern Kentucky)
moved from third base to the mound for Pittsfield. With one out,
Cody Stanley gave North Adams an insurance run on a solo home run,
his second homer of the game, to right field for the 8-6 lead.
The home run would prove valuable in the seventh as an RBI single
from DiRicco brought Pittsfield within a run of tying the ballgame.
With the tying run on second base, pinch hitter Chris Edmondson (Le
Moyne) hit a groundball to short that hit DiRicco’s leg for the
second out. Robinson would then strike out Clements to end the game
and secure a wild doubleheader win for the SteepleCats.
North Adams finishes the season with a doubleheader sweep as the
SteepleCats improve to 20-22 on the season. North Adams will await
the losing team from Thursday’s matchup between the Pittsfield Dukes
(24-17) and the Newport Gulls (25-16) at Cardines Field. The game
will begin at six o’clock. With Newport a game up on Pittsfield, the
Dukes need a win to force a tie atop the Southern Division
standings. With a Dukes win, Pittsfield would hold the tiebreaker
having won the season series 4-2. Mike Woytek (Wright State) is the
probable for Pittsfield as the right hander is matched up against
Chad Arnold (Washington State) of the Gulls.
GAME NOTES: Duke catcher Kevin Clements caught both games of the
doubleheader for back-to-back days. He has caught five games behind
the plate over the last three days. Clements also extended his
hitting streak to seven games with an RBI single in both games…The
home runs for Cody Stanley and Ryan Delgado mark the first time that
North Adams has gone back to back this season. Stanley now has five
home runs on the season while Delgado has his first for North
Adams…Stanley also extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an
RBI single in game one and a three hit performance in game two…Dukes
outfielder Jason Krizan went 3 for 3 in the first game with an RBI
double following a 4-for-36 stretch. Krizan was held hitless in
three at bats in the second game....Outfielder John Malloy picked up
his eighth outfield assist this season, and third against the Dukes
when he doubled up Jason Krizan in game one.
