SteepleCats Stun Swamp Bats in Ten
Wednesday August 04th, 2010

Keene, N.H. - Trailing 4-2 in the top of the ninth inning, the SteepleCats rallied to tie the game and Cam Kneeland's two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning gave the SteepleCats the dramatic 6-4 win at Alumni Field. The loss was the first by the Swamp Bats in 18 games this season when leading after eight innings. The best-of-three series in now tied at one game apiece and the third and deciding game will be played Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams, Mass.

The SteepleCats scored a run in the first and added a run in the third to spot starter Tyler Gebler a 2-0 lead. The Swamp Bats scored in the fourth to make the game 2-1 and plated two more runs in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead. All three runs were earned and were charged to Gebler. Gebler lasted 6 1/3 innings for the SteepleCats, allowed six hits, walked two and struck out three. Randall Bulliard, who finished the seventh inning, allowed a leadoff home run to Ben Klafczynski in the eighth that gave the Swamp Bats an insurance run and made the score 4-2. Sean Albury came into finish the eighth and kept it a two-run game for his offense in the ninth.

Jeff Frost, who faced just three hitters in his save on Monday night, came in to pitch the ninth for the Swamp Bats. He allowed a leadoff double to Matt Petty and an infield hit to Devin Shines to put runners at the corners with no outs. Jonathan Castine came up and dropped a single in to left to score Petty and make the score 4-3. After Kevin Wager sacrificed the baserunners to second and third, Garrett Gray came up with one out in the inning. He hit another single to left off Frost to score Shines and tie the game 4-4. Tom Coulombe flied out left for the second out of the inning and Chantz Mack, who pinch ran for Castine, was thrown out in a very close play at the plate for the final out of the inning.

Albury pitched a perfect ninth inning to force extra innings. In the tenth, Mike LeBel drew a leadoff walk against Joe Miller and was bunted over to second by Kyle Saul. That's when Kneeland came up and belted a two-run home run to left to give the SteepleCats the 6-4 lead.

The Swamp Bats loaded the bases with just one out against Albury in the bottom of the tenth, but he struck out Tom Conley and got Jay Ponciano to ground out to finish off the Swamp Bats. Albury earned the win after going three innings, his longest appearance of the season. Frost was charged with a blown save and Miller suffered the loss.

The winner of Wednesday night's game will advance to the Western Division Finals. They'll take on the winner of the Danbury Westerners-Bristol Collegiate Baseball Club series. Those two teams will also play a game three on Wednesday night.