MONTPELIER, Vt. -- The North Adams SteepleCats (23-19) had not lost to the Vermont Mountaineers (18-23) all season.  The North Adams SteepleCats Saturday continued their dominance over the Vermont Mountaineers with a 4-3 victory at Montpelier Recreation Field.

 

The victory brought the SteepleCats (23-19) into sole possession of second place in the Northern Division with two games left in their regular season.

 

Despite walking seven batters, Braxton Wilks turned in another solid performance on the mound.  He went five innings and allowed only one run off of four hits and struck out four. In the third, the Mountaineers loaded the bases with nobody out.  Wilks was able to get the SteepleCats out of the jam without allowing any of the runners to score.

 

The Mountaineers put together a little rally in the sixth when they pushed across a pair of runs against ‘Cats reliever Josh Simpson but it was as close as they would get. Andrew Camiolo came on and struck out two in a scoreless seventh in relief.  Brian Stepniak followed suit in the eighth and then came on again to shut down the Mountaineers in the ninth recording a six-out save.

 

The SteepleCats will return to action Sunday afternoon against the Winnipesaukee Muskrats (18-23) in the regular season home finale Joe Wolfe Field. Jack Rupe (0-0, 1.88) will make his second start of the season on the mound for the SteepleCats against Neil Abbatiello (0-2, 4.95) for the Muskrats. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.