NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - The North Adams SteepleCats were held to just four hits on Friday night, and took a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Ocean State Waves, who hold the best record in the New England Collegiate Baseball League at 17-5.

 

In two games against the Waves this season, the 'Cats managed just two runs- both of which were supplied on home runs by the same player.

 

Both starting pitchers- North Adams' Alex Pantuso (Slippery Rock) and Ocean State's Ryan Stark (Stetson) worked two scoreless innings before the Waves took the lead in the top of the third. Hits by Daniel Keating (Southern Mississippi) and Michael Alescio (Seton Hall) put runners on second and third with one out before consecutive hits by Chris Wright (Bryant) and Jimmy Titus (Bryant) drove in the first two runs of the game.

 

With one swing of the bat, the SteepleCats cut the Ocean State lead to one in the bottom of the fourth. Dillon Paulson (USC) belted a deep home run over the left field wall, his third of the season. Paulson also supplied the only run in North Adams' loss to Ocean State on the road earlier in the season. The Trojan first baseman was the offensive leader for the 'Cats, going 2-for-4. Curtis Godin (UCLA) and Bryce Peterson (UCF) supplied the other two hits in the losing effort.

 

The Waves responded with a run in the top of the fifth, pushing the lead back to two runs. Matt Cogen (Belmont) hit a two-out single, and an ensuing double and error off the bat of Dylan Resk (Stony Brook) allowed Cogen to score the third Ocean State run of the evening.

 

Ocean State concluded the scoring in the top of the eighth inning, when Kyle Conger (Belmont) scored on a wild pitch.

 

Working scoreless innings for the SteepleCats out of the bullpen were Braxton Wilks (Abilene Christian), Tim Fallon (UMass Lowell), and Eddie Haus (St. Mary's). The 'Cats were kept off the board following the Paulson homer by three relief pitchers, who combined to retire 14 consecutive hitters after the longball.

 

Friday marked the first of four home games in as many nights for the SteepleCats, who return to Joe Wolfe Field on Saturday night for a battle with the New Bedford Bay Sox. NECBL strikeout leader Blake Whitney (South Carolina Upstate) will take the ball for North Adams, and first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.