Monpelier, Vt. – The North Adams SteepleCats lost to the Vermont Mountaineers 4-0 Monday night at Recreation Field and were swept out of the New England Collegiate Baseball League playoffs in their best-of-three series.

Mounteers starter Brad Altback dominated the SteepleCats all night long. He pitched eight innings of shutout baseball, allowed just two hits and struck out thirteen.

Mountaineers first baseman Clay Jones provided the only offense Vermont needed, a solo home run to lead off the second inning that gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead. The Mountaineers added two more runs in the third inning with the help of three SteepleCats errors. They scored their fourth and final run by the way of three straight hits to lead off the fourth inning.

All four Mountaineers runs came against SteepleCats starter Brach Davis. Davis went five innings, allowed seven hits, three earned runs and struck out four batters while walking none.

Altback left the game after the eighth inning to make way for Kevin Vance. The righthander pitched a perfect ninth inning to preserve the victory. The SteepleCats only had three base runners all night.

The Mountaineers win the three-game NECBL quarterfinal playoff series two games to none. They will face the winner of the Keene Swamp Bats-Holyoke Blue Sox quarterfinal series on Wednesday. For more information on the NECBL playoffs, please visit www.necbl.com. For more information on the SteepleCats season, please visit www.steeplecats.com.