SteepleCats take advantage of Dukes mistakes 10-3
The North Adams SteepleCats took advantage of seven Pittsfield Dukes errors, scoring six unearned runs in the contest, taking game two of the Battle of the Berkshires, 10-3.The SteepleCats are now 2-0 against the Dukes this season and 12-2 since the start of the 2006 season.
North Adams got off to a fast start as Nick Shaw led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by John Malloy. Kevin Carby came up and lined a single into center, scoring Shaw for a 1-0 SteepleCats lead. Carby then made his own offense, stealing second, tying for the league lead with his fifth swipe of the year. Two batters later, the steal paid off as Joe Leonard sharply singled back through the middle to score Carby and making it 2-0 North Adams.
A wild second inning saw the SteepleCats extend the lead. In the inning, the defense for the Dukes fell apart as Pittsfield committed five errors, two by pitcher Matt Giusti, allowing three North Adams runs to score, making it 5-0 ‘Cats.
Errors also played into things in the fourth inning when the SteepleCats tacked on two more runs. Sean Parker was hit by a pitch to start the inning. On a 1-0 count to T. J. Greig, catcher J. T. Musso threw behind Parker, sailing the ball into rightfield allowing Parker to move all the way up third. Greig then walked and moved to second on a weak ground ball back to the mound. With the runners on second and third, John Malloy singled past the drawn in infield, scoring both Parker and Greig to make it 7-0 North Adams.
Another error set things in motion for the SteepleCats offense in the eighth when Sean Parker led off on an error from Jaysaon Langfels. That was followed by a T. J. Greig walk. With runners on first and second, North Adams got back-to-back-to back singles by Greg Van Horn, Brian Adams and Kevin Carby to bring home two more runs and make it 9-0. A Paul Hoilman ground out scored Van Horn to make it 10-0.
Pittsfield finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning when a two-run triple by Jayson Langfels scored a pair to make it 10-2. Two hitters later, J. T. Musso, lined a single through the left side, scoring Langfels to cut the gap to 10-3.
Craig Crumbly (1-0) picked up the win, allowing two hits and no runs over six innings. Matt Giusti (1-1) suffered the loss for the Dukes.
The SteepleCats remain on the road for the next two games, playing at Torrington at 7 p.m. on Thursday and at 6:30 p.m. at Holyoke on Friday. North Adams returns to Joe Wolfe Field on Saturday, June 21 for Wild Literature Night. Book giveaways will take place all night as the SteepleCats get together with the North Adams Public Library to help promote the summer reading program of Wild Reads @ Your Library
