Nighthawks Drop Second-Straight Contest Against SteepleCats

By Thaddeus Sawyer

The North Adams SteepleCats have been a thorn in the Nighthawks’ side over the past week; a short-term Achilles’ heel of sorts.

Despite rattling off six wins in nine games, two of Upper Valley’s three losses in that stretch have come to the SteepleCats, who sit dead last in the NECBL with a 4-12 record. With the Nighthawks (9-8-1) dropping another contest late to North Adams Friday night, 6-5, half of the SteepleCats’ wins have now come against the Nighthawks.

“I think we’ve just come out flat in both [losses] against them,” Nighthawks Manager Chase Allen said. “I told the guys, I don't know if there's something to it or if there's coincidence, but just no excuse to come out flat.”

With the Nighthawks rattling off comeback wins left and right as of late, it seemed that they would do so again after a three-run fifth inning catalyzed by an RBI double from right fielder Levi Jones, prolonged by a Frank Kelly sacrifice fly into shallow center and punctuated by third baseman James Love’s first home run of the summer.

Love, whose home run stayed just fair by sneaking inside the left field foul pole, said that he was hunting offspeed pitches from SteepleCats starter Kellen Moore after also picking up a two-RBI single in the third following the same approach.

“I felt like it was good off the bat,” Love said. “
A little out in front, but when you throw offspeed, you just gotta backspin it that way and I saw it go up. I was hoping it would stay fair, and then it did stay fair, so I was really happy with that.”

Despite the surge in middle innings, it was the SteepleCats who would have the last laugh. Matching the Nighthawks’ best inning with three runs of their own in the seventh, North Adams loaded the bases against reliever Carver Pleasant before shortstop Sebastian Rhoades brought the game within one with a sac fly.

Two batters later, designated hitter Owen Arias, who had entered the contest in the sixth as a pinch hitter, singled through the right side to drive in a pair of runs and take a definitive 6-5 lead. 

The Nighthawks looked to have one final chance in the eighth when Kelly led off the frame with a hustle double into right field. Instead, the Upper Valley lineup went quiet from that point on, making six straight outs to end the ballgame.

Despite the loss, the Nighthawks’ bats have come on in a big way over the past three games. The Upper Valley offense has scored 23 runs across its last 27 innings.

“I think they're getting comfortable with the wood [bats],” Allen said. “I think they’re getting comfortable in general. I think guys are just kind of coming into their own, kind of hitting [their] stride.” 

On the mound, Kyle Batt got the start and allowed three runs in four innings, though only two were earned. 

Rhodes picked up an RBI groundout to take an early lead in the first, while right fielder Nick LoBello scored on a wild pitch after doubling in the fourth.

The unearned run came in the third when Kelly threw away a Jake Butler groundball, his second error of the inning.

The High Point infielder largely made up for those two errors with a pair of acrobatic diving catches, including a SportsCenter Top 10-worthy play that saw the shortstop dart backwards to his right before doing his best Superman impression to snag the ball in shallow left field.

Outside of Pleasant, the Nighthawks’ bullpen fared well, with each of Micah Wells, Jackson Caldwell, Nick Tamburro and Brendan Walker tossing a scoreless inning. Caldwell sat down each of the three batters he faced, while it took Tamburro just nine pitches to work around an Alex Barrist double and escape his frame.

At the plate, Love, Jones and Cole Huett each notched a pair of hits. Huett’s performance marked his first multi-hit game of the summer.

Huett also stole a base and was caught once.

After falling victim to a prolonged cold stretch to start the season, Jones has now posted back-to-back multi-hit performances. The RBI double was his first extra-base hit of the summer.

“He's just stayed with it,” Allen said. “He's had the same mentality every day. Lighthearted kid, keeps it light, likes to talk with the guys, and that just hasn't changed whether he was 0-for-whatever or getting hits. That’s kind of the way that the game of baseball works. If you just stay with it, you have a good mentality about it and you have the talent that he does, the game will figure itself out.”

With a win, the Nighthawks would have passed the Keene SwampBats (9-7-1) for second place in the North Division. Instead, the Nighthawks will remain in third and turn their full attention to game No. 2 of the 2026 Governor’s Cup series.

The Nighthawks will host their in-state rivals, the Vermont Mountaineers (6-12), on Sunday at the Maxfield Sports Complex after regrouping on Saturday’s off day.

First pitch at the Max is scheduled for 5 p.m. The contest will stream live on NECBL+.