Dukes survive late inning scares from SteepleCats to hang on 3-2
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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.
New England Collegiate Baseball League
Results for Wednesday, July 2nd
For more detailed results and statistics, please visit www.necbl.com. or http://www.necbl.com/nutshell.htm.
North Shore 4, Vermont 3
Keene 10, Sanford 4
Pittsfield 3, North Adams 2
Manchester 11, Danbury 2
Holyoke @ Lowell - RAIN
Schedule for Thursday, July 3rd
Sanford @ Holyoke 6:30pm
North Shore @ Keene 7pm
North Adams @ Manchester 7pm
Danbury @ Newport 6:35pm
Torrington @ Pittsfield 7pm
