North Adams, MA – Game 1:
 
Tim Thiesing took the hill for his final start of the season, having received decisions in each of his last six starts to up his record to 3-3. After a leadoff double by Hal Landers began the afternoon, second baseman Kevin Casey bunted him to third. Thiesing came too far inside and plunked designated hitter Gabe Ortiz, who stole second base before Joe Hudson punched a two-run single to make it 2-0. Following a strikeout of Brett Doran and a double by Simon Kudernatsch, Scoot Kelleher flew out to right field to end the inning. The ‘Cats collected four base hits through the first three innings off Mystic starter Craig Schlitter, but could not score as the right-hander fanned five across the same span. He and Thiesing began mowing them down in the fourth and fifth, sending it to the sixth inning with the score intact at 2-0. After starting the top half by plunking Ortiz for the second time, Hudson delivered again with a crushing home run over the left field wall. He had driven in all 4 of the Schooners runs until Doran smacked Thiesing’s 1-0 offering out to left that tucked underneath the auxiliary scoreboard. Just like that, four pitches from the South Grafton native had resulted in three more runs that extended it to 2-0. Thiesing (3-4) would finish strong however, setting down the next three hitters in order to send it over to his offense. In the sixth, right fielder Jacob Daniel, coming into the at-bat 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, struck out swinging to give Schlitter nine in the game. Keep in mind that his previous high had been 4 strikeouts against Holyoke on June 21. Drew Gadaire singled for the second time which proceeded walks to Steve Zavala and Justin Leeson, which loaded the bases with one out. Cameron Griffin struck out on three pitches for the second out before Mike Zavala picked up an RBI with a walk that scored Gadaire and got the ‘Cats on the board. But shortstop Marc Magliaro ended the threat with a flyout to right. Schlitter (2-1) shut the door with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, including two more strikeouts of Mike LeBel and Daniel to give him 12 and a complete game.

Game 2: In the second game, CJ Tsoumakas was geared up for his second start this week. Despite allowing a hit in each of the first two innings, the left-hander crafted three strikeouts during that span. In the home second, Gadaire led off against Schooners’ starter John Soldinger with a flyout to left fielder Simon Kudernatsch. Justin Leeson began a memorable game at the plate with a double to left-center before Griffin flew out left for the second out. Catcher Brett Frantini blooped a single into right field that scored Leeson and gave the ‘Cats the first lead at 1-0. In the fourth, Doran grounded out to LeBel at short for the first out with Tsoumakas continuing to throw strikes. Kudernatsch then sent a deep drive to straightaway center that Leeson dropped near the warning track, putting the tying run at second with one out. First baseman Scott Kelleher then tied things up with an RBI single before Nick Ferraresi struck out swinging for out number two. Catcher Tom Gavitt hit a ground-rule double down the left field line that put runners at second and third with the game still tied at 1. But shortstop Patrick Miller lifted a fly ball into left field which was caught by Gadaire for the final out. Leeson made up for his costly error in the top half of the inning with a deep solo home run to left-center off Soldinger that broke the 1-1 tie and gave the Exton, Pennsylvania native his first longball of the season. Mystic would quickly tie it up again in the top of the fifth when Kudernatsch singled home Christian Griffiths when batting against left-handed reliever Cody Kopilchak (0-4). The game wound again into the sixth inning when Kelleher led off the Schooners’ half with a groundout to LeBel at short. Ferraresi then hit a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch before Gavitt hit another one to LeBel, who sent an errant throw to first that put runners at second and third with one out. Closer Gray Carden came in from the bullpen and on his very first pitch to Miller, blazed a fastball off Frantini’s mitt and back to the screen that scored Ferraresi and gave Mystic its first lead at 3-2. With the infield drawn in and Gavitt at third, Miller hit a slow grounder to LeBel who could only make the play at first base for the second out. That allowed Gavitt to score the game’s final run as the Schooners inched ahead 4-2.

Notes: Leeson finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a bunt single in the sixth off reliever Hunter Brown (1-3); Kevin Casey, who started both games at second base, pitched the seventh inning and struck out Frantini, Brent Hopkins, and Corbin Blakey swinging to end the game.

The SteepleCats (13-28) close out the 2011 season tomorrow against the Keene Swamp Bats (26-14) at 6:30 pm at Joe Wolfe Field. Make sure you head down to the Joe for the last time this summer as the SteepleCats will wrap up their tenth season in the NECBL. If you can’t make it, you can still keep up with all nine innings of action by listening to or watching the game on the TeamLine link at the bottom of the team’s website at www.steeplecats.com.