The Steeplecats’ pitching staff silenced the Westerners’ bats, and their lineup capitalized on defensive miscues to earn a 3-0 win at Joe Wolfe Field.
North Adams (10-30) defeated Danbury (18-21) for the first time all season and earned their third shutout victory of the summer. After averaging 9.7 runs per game during their three-game winning streak, the Westerners stranded eight total runners on base and now trail Ocean State by two games for the no. 6 seed in the NECBL playoffs.
Danbury was held to only three hits the entire game and did not record an extra-base hit off Steeplecats’ pitching. Jackson Taylor went 1-2 with a single and a walk, and Sam Mongelli finished 1-3 at the plate with a walk. Mongelli extended his on-base streak to sixteen games after walking in the third, and his hitting streak reached fourteen games after a leadoff single in the eighth.
Steeplecats’ centerfielder Hunter Pasqualini went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored, and first baseman Cedric Rose recorded a 2-3 night with two singles. Tommy DiTullio went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Ryan Galanie drove in two runs on a bizarre sacrifice fly to center field.
In the bottom of the third, North Adams jumped ahead on a two-run sacrifice fly off the bat of Ryan Galanie. Yes, you read that correctly: a two-run sacrifice fly. The Steeplecats loaded the bases on three singles to left field, and Galanie drove a ball into deep center field. The center fielder made a running catch, but Tommy DiTullio tagged up and scored the first run of the ballgame. Pasqualini also tagged up from second base, but as the center fielder lobbed the ball into the shortstop, he turned on the jets and scored all the way from second base to give his team a two-run lead.
The Steeplecats’ lineup went quiet for the rest of Carwile’s start, but they pushed across another run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Westerners’ relief pitcher Jude Zern worked ahead of Carson Dunkel, but the Steeplecats’ catcher fought back and earned a free pass that would eventually loom large. After this two-out walk, Tommy DiTullio stepped up to the plate and dumped a ball into the right-center field gap. The center fielder raced in and dove after the ball, but it bounced past him and rolled to the right fielder. Dunkel was running on contact, so he got on his high horse and scored all the way from first to make it a 3-0 ballgame. Zern walked the next batter to put runners on first and second, but he avoided further damage by inducing a groundball to Sam Mongelli.
Steeplecats’ starter Nate Beal (2-3) earned the win after shutting down the Westerners’ lineup. Danbury barreled up many baseballs, but North Adams’ fielders made nifty plays to support their starter. Beal did not record any strikeouts, but he wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second and escaped more turbulence in the fifth to keep the shutout intact. Beal’s final line was 5.1 innings, no runs, two hits, five walks, and zero strikeouts.
Westerners’ starter Cody Carwile (2-2) suffered the loss but turned in another masterful performance on Wednesday night. After the two-run sacrifice fly, the Georgia Tech Product faced the minimum and fanned five of the last nine batters he retired. Carwile threw 6.0 innings, surrendered two runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out seven.
The Westerners will get another shot at the Steeplecats on Thursday afternoon, so they will look to avenge this loss and gain ground in the NECBL Standings. These West Division rivals will play two seven-inning contests, and the first game will commence at 4:30 PM ET. Sean Hogan (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will get the nod for Game 1, and Game 2’s starter will be announced before the first pitch of Game 1. Tune in to the NECBL Network to catch all the action, and hear Kyle DeSantis give you the play-by-play commentary.