SteepleCats Defeat Blue Sox 7-3
North Adams, Mass. - SteepleCats reliever Guido Knudson pitched 4 2/3 perfect innings and helped guide the SteepleCats to a 7-3 win over the Holyoke Blue Sox on Saturday night at Joe Wolfe Field.
Knudson came into the game with the bases loaded and just one out in the third inning. The Blue Sox had already scored two runs that inning to tie the game 3-3 and were threating for more. Knudson got the first batter he faced, David Koczirka, to hit into a 5-4-3 double play and then retired all 12 batters he faced over the next four innings.
Over Knudson's 4 2/3 innings, the SteepleCats slowly built a lead. Lance Marvel recorded his first hit as a SteepleCat in the fourth inning and drove in first baseman Tom Coulombe to make the score 4-3. An Andy Mena double in the fifth inning drove in shortstop Mike LeBel and made the score 5-3. Kyle Saul drove in his second run of the night in the sixth inning to make the score 6-3. Devin Shines scored the SteepleCats' final run of the night in the seventh inning, when Blue Sox relief pitcher Brian Bodjiak was called for a balk, to make the score 7-3.
After Knudson departed the game, Taylor McInnis, Eric Perrault and Harrison Slutsky combined to pitch two scoreless innings for the SteepleCats. Knudson picked up the win while Blue Sox reliever Ryan Deeter took the loss. The Blue Sox (3-6) head home to take on the Keene Swamp Bats tomorrow while the SteepleCats (8-3) will host the Lowell All-Americans at Joe Wolfe Field at 6:30 p.m.
