Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Valley Blue Sox and North Adams SteepleCats wasn’t filled with numerous run-scoring moments.
However, both sides only allowed one unearned run and combined for 19 strikeouts. The SteepleCats also scored the game’s lone run in the seventh inning to secure an impressive 1-0 win at Mackenzie Stadium.
Despite six scoreless innings from starting pitcher Ethan Lyke, which featured four hits and five strikeouts, the Blue Sox moved to 11-12. Jay Bant, meanwhile, recorded two of the team’s six hits.
Following their seventh loss in 10 games, Valley trails Bristol for first place in the West Division by percentage points.
On the opposing side, North Adams starting pitcher Christopher Diaz allowed four hits, two walks, and struck out a game-high 11 across six scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 3.97.
A trio of relievers then delivered three more shutout innings to help the SteepleCats improve to 11-13. Despite the below .500 record, North Adams is only half a game out of first place in the same division.
Aside from scoring one combined run, Valley (six) and North Adams (five) totaled 11 hits while the Blue Sox committed multiple errors.
That last statistic proved essential during the seventh inning, as Caden Dulin scored the unearned run with one out in the top of the seventh to move the road team ahead.
Valley didn’t go down without a fight.
Logan Hugo (hit by pitch) and Chase Jans (fielder’s choice) represented the potential go-ahead runners for the Blue Sox with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
But it didn’t go as planned, as North Adams relief pitcher Joseph Sabbath struck out Jonathan Hogart swinging to end the one-run game.
The Blue Sox’s schedule doesn’t get easier, as they are set to hit the road and face the Coastal-Division leading Newport Gulls (14-9) at Cardines Field on Monday at 3 p.m., while the SteepleCats also travel to compete against the Marthas Vineyard Sharks at Shark Tank Field on the same date at 4:30 p.m.
