Baseball / Gavello’s Glove and Middleton’s Bat Spark SteepleCat win

Gavello’s Glove and Middleton’s Bat Spark SteepleCat win

Date:  Source: North Adams SteepleCats

Box Score/ Summary

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

R

H

E

North Shore

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

2

4

8

0

North Adams

0

0

0

0

7

0

1

0

x

8

6

3

 

North Adams, MA- Trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 5th, the North Adams SteepleCats were without a hit.  But the feeling at Joe Wolfe Field was that something big was about to happen.  Thomas Gavello had just started a 6-4-3 double play to end a North Shore Navigator rally, with an incredible diving play in the hole at shortstop. His team carried that momentum to their biggest inning of the season, scoring 7 runs, capped off by a Charles Middleton grand slam. Gavello would later homer himself, capping off the 8-4 victory.

Jordan Yoder got the ball for North Adams and gave up one earned run over 3 innings.  Richard Alexy (1-0), got the win on the mound as he pitched two shutout innings.  Jake Cubbler relieved Alexy and threw 3 shutout innings of his own.

Luke Marshall got the start for the Navigators and was dominant through 4 innings, not giving up a hit.  However, he did not make it through the 5th, as he gave up 5 earned runs in the frame. Ryan Steinhauer came on with the score tied at 2, he hit Gavello before Middleton broke the game open with his grand slam. 

Key Moments

  • The scoring started in the 3rd, as Dylan Brazil stole 2nd and moved to 3rd on a throwing error, he would score on a Jake Gustin sac-fly.

  • The offense was not done in the 3rd, as Jose Aquino doubled and later came around to score on a wild pitch. 

  • Jon Kozarian got the Cats on the board with an RBI double in the 5th.

  • The Cats would tie it up on an RBI fielder’s choice by Matt Shilling.

  • Gavello was hit by a pitch to make it 3-2, Middleton’s home run and Gavello’s solo shot provided the rest of the offense.

How it happened 

  • The first two innings belonged to the pitchers, as neither Marshall nor Yoder gave up a hit. 

  • The big 5th inning was started by a John Marti walk, and a Hayden Gilliland single.

  • Gilliland was the only SteepleCat with multiple hits on the evening. 

  • The Navigators, trailing by 6, scored 2 runs in the 9th and left the tying run in the on-deck circle as Justin Baeyens got a strike out to end it. 

Coach Dailey’s Thoughts: “Our ability to start lying off Marshall’s curveball was huge. One we started doing that, he was forced to attack with fastballs, and we have a good fastball hitting team. Cubby came on and was rock solid out of the bullpen, as he has been all year.”

 

  • Next time out: The Cats are back in action tomorrow against the Upper Valley Nighthawks.  Wilfrido Valenzuela gets the ball for the SteepleCats, first pitch from Joe Wolfe is at 6:30 PM.