SteepleCats Defeat Mountaineers and Sweep Season Series
Montpelier, Vt. - The North Adams SteepleCats scored four runs in the top of
the first inning and never looked back as they defeated the Vermont
Mountaineers 9-1 at Recreation Field on Monday night. With the win, the
SteepleCats sweep the six-game regular season series against the
Mountaineers. It's just the second time that the SteepleCats have swept a
six-game regular season series in their nine year history. The SteepleCats
swept the six-game regular season series against the Danbury Westerners in
2007.
Mike LeBel drew a walk from Mountaineers starter Jordan Grangard to leadoff
the ballgame. After moving to second base on a Kyle Saul groundout, he
scored on Cam Kneeland's double to left field to put the SteepleCats up 1-0.
Matt Petty then walked to put runners at first and second and, after a Devin
Shines fly out, Andy Mena walked to load the bases with two out in the
inning. Jonathan Castine then drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Kneeland
and make the score 2-0. Garrett Gray came to the plate next and drove in
Petty and Mena on his single to left field to make the score 4-0.
The SteepleCats continued to add runs throughout the game as starter Robert
Nixon dominated Mountaineers hitters. Nixon pitched six scoreless innings,
allowed three hits, walked just one and struck out five. Grangard lasted
just two innings for the Mountaineers and allowed the first four SteepleCats
runs on two hits and four walks. Nixon gets the win, improves to 2-3 on the
season and lowers his ERA to 1.80. With the loss, Grangard falls to 0-2.
SteepleCats reliever Tyler DeLoach, who allowed one run over the game's
final three innings, is awarded a save.
The Mountaineers (15-21), now one game behind the Keene Swamp Bats for
fourth place in the NECBL Western Division, will play a doubleheader against
the Swamp Bats Tuesday at Alumni Field in Keene, N.H. The SteepleCats
(24-13) will play a makeup game in Lowell, Mass. tomorrow against the Lowell
All-Americans at 6:30 p.m.
