By Gregg Caserta

North Adams, MA -- The rain poured relentlessly on defenseless Joe
Wolfe Field. First pitch was well past due, and Friday night’s game
between the SteepleCats and the Westerners had been pushed back to
8:15, nearly two hours after the scheduled start time. Several players
from both sides passed the time with jovial games of two ball down the
sidelines, a favorite amongst high school players waiting for the bus
to take them to their next game. The metal grandstand was mostly empty
save for a few local patrons who planned to wait as long as they
needed to, because rainouts were simply not acceptable in this area of
western Massachusetts. Waiting. That’s seemingly what the SteepleCats
had been doing for the entire week as they dropped four straight road
games against Western Division foes. Waiting for that big hit, inning,
or play that turns around a losing streak and sets the tone for a
memorable season. But that hit, inning, or play never came and once
the dew had settled, neither did that desirable win that was expected
in order to start the turnaround in the dawn of 2011.

If you’re a starting pitcher, there’s nothing more cryptic than being
called a slump-buster. But on Friday night, that’s exactly what Taylor
Hart was as he prepared to take the hill against the team that had
knocked North Adams out of the playoffs a year earlier. Hart (0-2)
worked a scoreless first and watched intently from the dugout when it
was his team’s turn to bat moments later. After right fielder Jacob
Daniel was drilled on the arm by Danbury starter Nick Williams (1-0)
with two outs, first baseman Kyle Boudreau wacked a single up the
middle. Daniel, in the hope of being that catalyst, tried advancing to
third as center fielder Kyle Richardson came up firing to nab him at
third base for the final out.

Danbury got on the board in the second following three singles, the
last one off the bat of designated hitter Steve Swingle that scored
second baseman Chris Waylock. More of the same in the top of the third
when Andrew Garner led off the frame with a single and later came
around to score when SteepleCats catcher Brett Frantini spiked the
pickoff attempt to third past Cameron Griffin. First baseman Dave
Ciocchi, who singled immediately after Garner, also came around to
score on a wild pitch.

The SteepleCats didn’t mount another threat until the sixth inning off
Danbury reliever Kevin Link when Griffin advanced Drew Gadaire to
third with a single shortly after the left fielder reached on a one
out error by Westerners shortstop Dillon Everett. First and third, one
out and still waiting, trailing 4-0 at this point. Nico Hernandez then
blooped a shot over second that hung up in the misty air before
settling into Waylock’s mitt. Frantini would strike out to end the
inning as the backstop from Northern Illinois University continues to
look for balance at the plate. Unfortunately, it’s been a problem for
the whole team lately.

In the eighth, the Westerners opened up the margin with three runs off
University of South Florida prospect Andrew Loynaz, who was charged
with two hits allowed in the inning that could have easily been ruled
as errors. Gadaire doubled with one out the next time up in the home
half, but was stranded at second following a Griffin strikeout and a
Hernandez fly ball to center field. ‘Cats closer Gray Carden came in
for the ninth and exited with flair as the infield rounded a 4-6-3
double play. In the bottom of the ninth, the SteepleCats only pep was
a one-out single by shortstop and number nine hitter Marc Magliaro.

The SteepleCats (1-6) are back at Joe Wolfe Field on Saturday, June 17
as they entertain the Keene Swamp Bats (3-2) at 6:30. It will be the
second game in a weekend tilt at Joe Wolfe Field. If you’re not coming
to the Joe with the family or friends, make sure you listen or watch
the game by accessing the TeamLine link on the team’s website by
visiting www.steeplecats.com or the league’s website at www.necbl.com.