MONTPELIER, Vt. -- The North Adams SteepleCats rode a stellar start from Blake Whitney (South Carolina Upstate) to a 4-1 victory over the Vermont Mountaineers Tuesday night at Montpelier Recreation Field.

 

The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the SteepleCats, and was the seventh consecutive North Adams victory over Vermont.

 

Whitney was tremendous for the 'Cats, striking out 11 hitters over seven innings in his first win of the year. The first eight strikeouts for Whitney came consecutively, as the righthander punched out each of the first eight Mountaineers to come to the plate. Through 17 innings this season, Whitney has recorded an NECBL-best 29 strikeouts with only one walk.

 

An early pitcher's duel was broken up by the SteepleCats in the top of the third. Liam Sabino (Pittsburgh) blasted a home run over the left field fence, his first roundtripper of the season. Sabino also doubled in the seventh inning in a two-extra base hit effort.

 

The SteepleCats added to the lead in the top of the fourth. Dillon Paulson (USC) drew a two-out walk, and Ryan Schalch (Pacific) extended the action with a single. Bryce Peterson (UCF) then drove both runners in with a double off the top of the left center field wall, giving North Adams a 3-0 lead.

 

Vermont got a run back in the bottom half of the frame. Leadoff hitter Nick Ward (West Chester) doubled as the first hitter of the inning, and was brought home on consecutive groundouts, including an RBI dribbler to short from Jeff Scott (Bowling Green).

 

North Adams re-extended the lead to three runs in the top of the eighth. Eddie Haus (St. Mary's) doubled, and advanced to third base on a Michael Gulino (Pace) flyout. JJ Shimko drove in his fifth run of the season on a sacrifice fly, which provided the final 4-1 margin.

 

TJ Pagan (Pittsburgh) earned his second save of the season, a six-out outing that ended with three consecutive strikeouts. Both of Pagan's saves have come against Vermont.

 

The SteepleCats and Mountaineers face off again on Wednesday night, this time at Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams. Robert Donnelly (SUNY Oswego) is scheduled to pitch, with game time set for 6:30 p.m.