Dukes survive late inning scares from SteepleCats to hang on 3-2

Michael RadomskiPittsfield Dukes
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PITTSFIELD - In a pitcher's duel between SteepleCat starter Tim Boyce (Rhode Island) and Dukes starter Kyle Vazquez (Franklin Pierce), the Pittsfield Dukes were able to hold on to the 3-2 victory.

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
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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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