SANFORD, Maine -- The North Adams SteepleCats got just enough offense at Goodall Park on Tuesday night, holding on for a 2-1 victory over the Sanford Mainers.

 

The victory clinched the season series for the SteepleCats over the Mainers.

 

Alex Pantuso (Slippery Rock) was brilliant for North Adams in his seven and a third innings on the mound. The righthander struck out eight Sanford hitters, and allowed his only walk in his eighth and final inning of work. Pantuso allowed just one run on three hits over his 7-1/3 innings of work.

 

An unearned run allowed North Adams to take the lead in the top of the second. Tyler Walters (Slippery Rock) led off the frame with a single. Taylor Lane (Arizona State) hit a grounder to shortstop that was thrown away, allowing Walters to advance to third base. Walters was then driven in by Liam Sabino, whose grounder to short was deep enough to give the SteepleCats a 1-0 lead.

 

Sanford evened the score in the bottom of the fourth inning with one swing of the bat. With one out in the frame, Shaine Hughes (Monmouth) belted a solo shot over the right field wall at Goodall Park. Hughes' second home run of the season tied the game at one.

 

Curtis Godin (UCLA) was instrumental in giving the SteepleCats the lead again in the top of the fifth. The speedster was hit by a pitch, and subsequently stole both second and third base. After a walk to Joe Gillette (Menlo College), Jonathan Engelmann (Michigan) hit a pop-up to the first baseman that was far enough away from the plate to allow Godin to score the go-ahead run.

 

The Mainers threatened to score in the bottom of the eighth inning, loading the bases with one out on two walks and an infield single. Ryan Schalch (Pacific) got out of the jam by striking out JT Pittman (Le Moyne) and getting Hughes to fly out to right field. TJ Pagan (Pittsburgh) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his seventh save of the season.

 

Wednesday will serve as an off day for the SteepleCats before returning to action on Thursday night. North Adams will travel to Alumni Field for a meeting with the Keene Swamp Bats, who currently occupy third place in the NECBL Northern Division. Blake Whitney (South Carolina Upstate) will climb the mound, and the righthander can break the SteepleCat record for strikeouts in a game with his second strikeout of the night.