KEENE, N.H. — After scoring the first run of the game in the top of the third, the SteepleCats' bats went quiet and watched Keene respond with three unanswered tallies en route to a 3-1 loss against the Swamp Bats on Tuesday night at Alumni Field.

 

Dropping all but one of the six contests against Keene on the season, the SteepleCats (21-20) remain in third place in the West but also see their magic number stay at two with Saratoga also winning on Tuesday night. The Swamp Bats (25-16), meanwhile, move their magic number down to 1 as they eye another Western Division regular season crown.

 

The story of the night for both sides was an inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position, but Keene managed to muster the meaningful runs in the middle frames to erase a one-run deficit and hand itself a two-run lead by the end of the fourth inning, while starter David Sosebee and the rest of the Keene bullpen made it hold the rest of the way, as neither side would put up a run from the fifth inning onward.

 

The Swamp Bats also managed to get the best of starter Anthony Mannuccia (Hartford), who lasted just four innings while giving up three earned runs on four hits. After him, though, junior Steve Frey (Monmouth), freshman Cristian Torres (Notre Dame) and sophomore Casey Kennedy (Glendale C.C.) each combined for the final four innings of scoreless ball, striking out two and giving up two hits total the rest of the way.

 

Following two scoreless frames, North Adams struck for the game's opening run in the top of the third. Sophomore Dominic Severino (CCSU) led off the inning with a hard single through the left side and was sacrificed to second. That brought junior Joe Landi (URI) to the plate, who roped a gapper into right center to drive in Severino, giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

 

Keene responded in the home half of the inning starting with a leadoff single from Jonathan Scott, followed by a bloop base hit from the nine-hitter to put runners at first and second. Following a wild pitch and a groundout, Matt Ford came through with a two-RBI double into the gap to push the home side ahead by a run, 2-1, after three innings of play.

 

An inning later, the Swamp Bats manufactured a run after Brian O'Grady led off with a walk. The outfielder stole second and moved to third on a groundout before coming in on a sacrifice fly, putting the hosts ahead, 3-1, after four innings of play.

 

From there on out, both offenses were kept in check, with North Adams' best chance coming in the seventh inning with a runner at third and two outs. But the SteepleCats' 1-for-8 clip with runners in scoring position came back to haunt the visitors, who will look to end the final three-game stretch of the regular season on a high note.