Ben Kailher stepped up to the plate with the chance to put his stamp on Opening Night. 

The Winnipesaukee designated hitter stepped to the dish under the floodlights of Robbie Mills Field with the bases loaded and his team protecting a 2-1 lead. The right-hander got an 0-1 fastball, and crushed it over the left-center field wall.

The grand slam cemented a 6-1 win for the Winnipesaukee Muskrats over the North Adams SteepleCats in the first game of the 2021 NECBL season.

The well-balanced victory proved a strong start for manager Rich Cesca’s squad, as they won their first game of the year for the first time since 2013. 

Drew Martin, Geoff Mosseau, and Trevor Kirk combined to strike out 11 SteepleCats, allowing only four hits. From the fourth to eighth innings, the Muskrats staff combined to retire 11 batters in a row.

The lone blemish for the Muskrat pitching staff came from a fourth inning solo home run from Jeremy Lea, giving North Adams a 1-0 lead. A fourth inning Matthew Overton single and fifth-inning Josh Petrucci sacrifice fly gave the Muskrats a lead they would not relinquish.