NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The North Adams SteepleCats held a 3-1 lead through five innings on Wednesday night, but could not hold the advantage as the 'Cats fell to the visiting Mystic Schooners, 8-3, in 10 innings at Joe Wolfe Field.

 

Mystic scored five runs in the top of the tenth in the first extra inning game of the season for the SteepleCats.

 

Starting pitchers Ryan Tapp (UNC Asheville) and Steve Theetge (Bryant) kept the game scoreless through three innings, before both teams plated a run in the fourth. Ryan Ramiz (Seton Hall) doubled with two outs, and was driven in by Ryan Solomon (Northeastern), who added a double of his own.

 

North Adams responded with back-to-back singles from Michael Gulino (Pace) and Ryan Schalch (Pacific), with Gulino scoring when a throw from right field airmailed third. Gulino was North Adams' offensive leader with three hits in the loss.

 

The SteepleCats took their sole lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, thanks to the second of three Mystic errors. Jake Ackerman (Mission College) and Dustin Shirley (Dartmouth) reached on a walk and a single, and were on first and second with two outs. A fly ball to right by Gulino was dropped by the Schooners, allowing both runs to score and giving North Adams a 3-1 lead.

 

Mystic evened the score in the top of the sixth inning, a 3-3 score that held until the tenth inning. The first two hitters of the inning, Tommy Jew (UC Santa Barbara) and John Trousdale (Alabama), both singled. With one out, Solomon hit his second double of the game to plate both Schooner runners. Relief pitcher Braxton Wilks stranded Solomon at second, and worked two more scoreless frames in an excellent bullpen outing.

 

Five runs crossed the plate for the Schooners in the top of the tenth, providing the difference in the extra-inning affair. Mystic loaded the bases on a leadoff double by Nicholas Mascelli (Wagner) and a pair of walks. With two outs, Solomon drove in his fourth run of the game on a bases loaded walk. A single from Andruw Gazzola (Stony Brook) and a three-run triple from Chris Winkel (Connecticut) added the final four runs of the contest.

 

The SteepleCats are on the road on Thursday and Friday, beginning in White River Junction, Vt., on Thursday evening against the first place Upper Valley Nighthawks. Vanderbilt product Matt McGarry will toe the rubber for the SteepleCats, making his first start of the 2017 season.