NEWS

North Adams, Mass. - The North Adams SteepleCats defeated the Keene Swamp Bats 10-5 Wednesday night at Joe Wolfe Field and won the best-of-three series against the Swamp Bats two-games-to-one. The SteepleCats advance to the second round of the NECBL playoffs for just the second time in franchise history and will take on the Danbury Westerners in the Western Division Finals.

The SteepleCats staged a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game two of the series and had to come from behind to win game three. Guido Knudson started for the SteepleCats and allowed three Swamp Bats runs in the top of the first inning. Those were all the runs he would allow, though.

The SteepleCats scored a run in the bottom of the second and added another run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 3-2. Their big inning came in the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth Mike LeBel drew a leadoff walk, Kyle Saul also walked and Cameron Kneeland was hit by pitch to load the bases with no outs. That was when Brad Monroe was relieved by Tyler Maloof.

Matt Petty, the first batter Maloof faced, hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored LeBel to tie the game. Saul moved up to third on the play and Kneeland moved up to second. After Devin Shines popped out to the first baseman, Saul scored from third on a passed ball during Jonathan Castine's at bat. Castine then hit a sharp grounder to Swamp Bats third baseman Brett Jacobs. Jacobs couldn't handle the ground ball, allowing Castine to reach base and Kneeland to score. Kevin Wager came up next and belted a double to left-center field to score Castine and cap off a four-run inning. The SteepleCats scored four runs in the sixth off just one hit and one Swamp Bats error.

The SteepleCats added three more runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth. The Swamp Bats added a run of their own in the eighth after Knudson departed and one more in the ninth, but could not complete a come back of their own and fell by the final of 10-5.

Knudson lasted seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk. He got the win while Monroe, who allowed five runs - three earned - on four hits and three walks, took the loss.

The SteepleCats will host the Danbury Westerners in game one of the Western Division Finals Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at Joe Wolfe Field. The Westerners advanced to the Western Division Finals after defeating the Bristol Collegiate Baseball Club Wednesday night in game three of their Western Division Semifinals series. Game two will be in Danbury, Ct. on Friday and game three, if necessary, will be in North Adams on Saturday.