The directors of the New England Collegiate Baseball League waited as long as they could to hold a vote no one wanted to take and affirm a decision that was largely out of their hands.
Matt Koperniak doubled and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, and the North Adams SteepleCats overcame a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 win over Vermont on the Fourth of July at Joe Wolfe Field.
A move to somewhat reinvent the New England Collegiate Baseball League team last year is being modified based on fan feedback. Matt Torra, who came in as general manager last spring, has taken the lead in rebuilding the board of directors and reformulating the team's brand.
The players on this year's North Adams SteepleCats are too young to really remember the frustration that preceded the Boston Red Sox' 2004 World Series Championship.
But that did not stop them from being a little awestruck in the presence of history.
The LaFesta Baseball Exchange, a North Adams youth baseball staple, holds its Pasta & Meatballs Dinner on Thursday, June 28, to fundraise for their annual baseball exchange series between North Adams and the North End of Boston
Through events like story times and game nights, participating youth have the opportunity to partake in a mentorship with SteepleCats players that fosters excitement over reading and continues past the library, to the ballfield.
The host family commitment is to house a SteepleCats player from June 2 through the beginning of August. Players should have their own room and families provide their meals. Players will arrange their own transportation.
The New England Collegiate Baseball League team is switching out its friendly fuzzy black and yellow cat for a leaner, meaner blue panther. The Drury blue logo and uniforms, with black, white and gray, is meant to evoke a more assertive, competitive talent while still reflecting the team's North Adams roots.
The show in North Adams is one of the largest in Berkshire County, drawing thousands of viewers from the capital region of New York State, southern Vermont and all of Berkshire County.