NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Hoosac Valley graduate Tanner Bird recorded two strikeouts in a one-run ninth inning to save a 3-1 win that kept the North Adams SteepleCats' season alive.

 

The Cats evened their best-of-three playoff series against the Valley Blue Sox, who will host the decisive Game 3 on Saturday in Holyoke.

 

On Friday night at Joe Wolfe Field, Daniel Holst went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Edward Haus went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

 

North Adams scored in the third, fourth and fifth innings to build a 3-0 lead for starting pitcher Braxton Wilks, who scattered three hits in seven innings of work.

 

Brian Stepniak gave up a single but picked off the runner at first and kept the Blue Sox off the board in the eighth.

 

Bird walked the leadoff man in the top of the ninth and ended up allowing the run to score with two out, but he got the final out on a swinging strike to strand two runners and earn his 11th save of the summer.

 

More photos of this game here.