LACONIA, N.H. - The SteepleCats (19-20) did not get its first hit in Tuesday night's game against the Laconia Muskrats (21-18) until the top of the sixth. Yet despite being down 3-0 and 4-1 at one point, a five-run top of the ninth put North Adams up for good as they came out on top 7-4.

 

Most important of all, the Vermont Mountaineers (24-15) took care of the Valley Blue Sox (18-20) also by a score of 7-4, returning the SteepleCats to fourth place in the Northern Division of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. 

 

Laconia's Timothy Viehoff (Southern New Hampshire University) was not batting practice for the SteepleCats. He retired the first 10 batters he faced and he didn't allow a baserunner until Hunter Lee (High Point University) reached on an error with one out in the top of the 4th. Lee also broke up Viehoff's no-hit bid in the top of the 6th when he doubled with two outs to score Graham McIntire (Marist College) all the way from first base and get the SteepleCats on the board. In seven full innings, Viehoff gave up just that one hit and one run. He struck out eight SteepleCats and walked two, with one of them being a leadoff walk to McIntire start the sixth.

 

In the bottom half of the inning and the score 3-1 in favor of the Muskrats, Tanner Bird (Franklin Pierce University) came in relief of Dakota Edwards (Bridgeport University). Tuesday was Bird's 21st birthday. He received a no decision. However, Bird 's error allowed Carter Grote (Furman University) to score and get that run back for the Muskrats to make it 4-1. Bird was not charged with an earned run. 

 

Zach Wall (Young Harris College) was 1-for-4 with three strikeouts in the game, but his lone hit was a huge one. Down 4-2 in the top of the 9th, with pinch runner Grant Lamberton (Monmouth University) and Michael Osinski (Longwood University) on base, Wall singled. Lamberton advanced from second to third. Osinski advanced to second from first. Then an error into the outfield when the ball was live enabled Lamberton and Osinski to score and Wall went to third on the play. Wall was not credited with an RBI for either run.

 

However, that would not be the biggest hit of the game. McIntire, who hit a home run in the top of the 8th, walked again in the ninth. With only one out and two men on, Michael Babb (Jacksonville University) stepped to the plate. He cranked a three-run home run to give the SteepleCats a 7-4 lead. All five runs in the inning came at the expense of Laconia reliever Austin Easter (University of North Carolina Wilmington). 

 

That rally meant Jared Habershaw (Eckerd College) would take the hill. Habershaw did walk a couple of men, but escaped unscathed, got the save and nailed it down to secure the win for reliever Derek Baker (Ashland University) and the SteepleCats. Baker pitched in the seventh and eighth innings, not allowing a run, hit or walk. Easter took the loss.

 

The SteepleCats could expand their lead over the Blue Sox in the standings Wednesday night. They'll welcome the Keene Swamp Bats (10-28) to Joe Wolfe Field. The Blue Sox will travel to Goodall Park and play the Sanford Mainers (20-18). The Muskrats are idle until Friday, when the SteepleCats once again will be on the road to play them.