Red-Hot SteepleCats Get to .500
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The North Adams SteepleCats Wednesday got a strong outing from one of their top pitchers and key production from the bottom of their lineup in a 5-1 win over the Upper Valley Nighthawks at Joe Wolfe Field.
Johnny Ruggiero, who came into the game with a 1.82 earned run average in seven appearances this summer, lowered his ERA to 1.70 after going seven innings on the mound and earning his second win of the season.
As a team, North Adams won its fifth straight game and got to the .500 mark for the first time this season, improving to 16-16 overall and 12-3 in the month of July.
The No. 8 and No. 9 hitters in Wednesday’s lineup, Qwynn Ahearn and Sean Stephenson, combined to go 6-for-7 with three doubles, a walk and three RBIs.
“I told these guys a little while ago, the way you win games is, basically, your six through nine guys producing,” North Adams coach Mike Gladu said. “This is a pretty good example of that tonight.”
As a team, North Adams collected nine hits in support of Ruggiero, who was locked in a pitchers’ duel with Upper Valley’s Aaron Potter through the first four innings.
Potter allowed just two runs before leaving the mound at the end of the fourth.
In the third inning, North Adams’ Ahearn worked a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on Stephenson’s single.
A hit to left from NECBL All-Star Cuyler Baxter loaded the bases with nobody out, and J.T. Thompson drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly.
The SteepleCats doubled their lead in the fourth.
No. 7 hitter Michael Toth earned a two-out walk and went to third on Ahearn’s single before Stephenson doubled him home.
While North Adams’ bats were getting warmed up, their gloves were doing the job behind Ruggiero.
The SteepleCats recorded double plays in the first three innings, ending the third when right fielder Baxter fielded a line drive and fired to first to double off a runner.
“I don’t know the last time I saw three innings in a row with a double play,” Gladu said. “So that was pretty unique. You never know what you’re going to see when you come to the ballpark.
“But, for me, everything is clicking right now. And these guys are hungry to win and excited to be here. It’s just a lot of fun.”
In the sixth, Ahearn doubled in a run and scored when Stephenson reached on the game’s only error to make it 4-0.
Upper Valley put a run across in the seventh, but Ahearn doubled and scored on Stephenson’s RBI single in the eighth to re-establish the four-run margin.
After Ruggiero ended his night after seven, Jake Foster and Eli Bridenthal each gave the SteepleCats a scoreless inning of relief to finish off the win.
Ruggiero and All-Star Kyle Salvati (3-0, .430 ERA) have given North Adams a tough 1-2 combination at the top of their rotation this summer. Gladu is happy with what he’s seen from the staff.
“Our starting guys have done a tremendous job of not just keeping us in games but getting us a lead and taking over a game,” he said. “Kudos to those guys in the rotation.”
North Adams started Wednesday night tied with two teams, including Upper Valley, for second place in the NECBL North Division. The top four teams in each division reach the post-season, a spot that the SteepleCats last reached in 2021.
“These guys are excited to win now,” Gladu said. “And I think the culture that you want is you want guys that are gritty and care about winning, and we’ve got that. And that’s hard to replace. So I’m very lucky to have this group of guys together for this one.”
The SteepleCats are off on Thursday before going to Sanford, Maine, on Friday. They will be back at Joe Wolfe on Saturday evening for First Responders Night at Joe Wolfe Field.
