NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - A night after rallying for a victory in the ninth inning, the North Adams SteepleCats had to hold on for a second victory in the game's final frame.

 

Early timely hitting proved to be the difference as the SteepleCats moved to 2-0 with a 5-3 victory over the Keene Swamp Bats Thursday night at Joe Wolfe Field.

 

North Adams scored each of the game's first five runs, beginning with one in the bottom  of the first. Ryan Schalch (Pacific) followed a 3-for-3 day on Wednesday with a solo home run in his first at-bat Thursday. Schalch's roundtripper was the first North Adams homer of the season.

 

The lead stretched to 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning, due again in part to a big hit. Michael Gulino (Pace) led off the inning with a single, and proceeded to steal second and third base. On his steal of third, the throw to the bag was errant, and allowed the outfielder to score. After a two-out walk to Dillon Paulson (Southern California), Dustin Shirley (Dartmouth) drilled a triple to the right center field fence, bring Paulson to the plate for a 3-0 'Cats lead.

 

Tyler Walters (Slippery Rock) got in on the action in the bottom of the fourth, belting a home run of his own. Walters was one of three SteepleCats with two hits in the victory.

 

The SteepleCats' side of the scoring wrapped up in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single from Paulson, who went 2-for-3 in his first game in a North Adams uniform. Paulson drove in Gulino, who stole his third base of the game and fourth of the season before scoring on the base hit.

 

After seven scoreless innings from Braxton Wilks (Abilene Christian), winning pitcher Robert Donnelly, and Garvin Alston, Jr. (Arizona State), the Swamp Bats got on the board in the eighth, as Robert Boselli III (St. John's) scored on a wild pitch.

 

Keene scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to put a scare in the host SteepleCats. RBI singles by Alex Griffith (Pittsburgh) and Boselli put the tying run on base, but TJ Pagan (Pittsburgh) struck out Connor Christman (Butler) to lock down the victory.

 

With a 2-0 record in hand, the SteepleCats hit the road for the first time for a date with the Plymouth Pilgrims at Forges Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and Robby Buffis will be on the mound for the 'Cats.