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Errors Doom SteepleCats in Loss to Blue Sox
07:14AM / Tuesday, June 13, 2017
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The North Adams SteepleCats suffered a home defeat for the first time in 2017 on Monday night, coming up two runs short in an 8-6 loss to the Valley Blue Sox at Joe Wolfe Field.
 
Three errors doomed the 'Cats, who also were outhit 14-7 by the visiting Blue Sox.
 
North Adams got off to a promising start, posting two runs in the bottom of the first. Eddie Haus (St. Mary's) started the SteepleCat offense with a walk and a stolen base, and JJ Shimko (South Carolina Upstate) followed with a single and a stolen base of his own. Tyler Walters (Slippery Rock) ripped his fourth double of the season to give North Adams the initial 2-0 lead.
 
Valley got a run back in the top of the second on a pair of one-out hits. Hunter Fain (Morehead State) doubled and came around to score on a single from Garrett DeLano (Brown).
 
The SteepleCats responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Liam Sabino (Pittsburgh) led off with a walk, and proceeded to steal second. After the next two hitters were retired, Haus singled to drive in the shortstop and increase the 'Cat lead to 3-1.
 
Three runs, all unearned, allowed the Blue Sox to take the lead for good in the top of the third. Two errors and a two-run single from Fain drove in the runs, which put the Blue Sox ahead 4-3.
 
Mark Grunberg (Towson) hit a two-out double in the top of the fourth to score Braxton Morris (Morehead State), who had started the frame with a single, and increase the lead for the visitors to 5-3.
 
The 'Cats got back within a run in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Lever (UMass Amherst) singled with one out, and Ryan Schalch (Pacific) followed with a single of his own. Lever was moving on Schalch's single, and scored when the Valley right fielder misplayed the base hit.
 
The lead moved back to three runs in the top of the sixth, on an RBI single from Grunberg, and a run-scoring groundout by Niko Hulsizer (Morehead State).
 
North Adams' half of the scoring concluded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, with the entirety of the offense coming with two outs. Lever singled, and scored on a walk and two wild pitches. Shimko then drove in Schalch with a single. A sacrifice fly from Fain in the top of the ninth provided the final 8-6 margin.
 
Despite striking out ten hitters over four innings, Blake Whitney (South Carolina Upstate) took the loss for the SteepleCats, while Valley starter Michael Adams (Towson) got the win. A perfect ninth allowed Tyler Smith (Canisius) to grab his second save in as many nights.
 
After an off day on Tuesday, the SteepleCats return home for the last of a three-game homestand, welcoming the Winnipesaukee Muskrats to Joe Wolfe Field. Kevin Hassett (UMass Amherst) is the scheduled starter for North Adams.
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