NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The SteepleCats Friday night lost a little ground in the New England Collegiate Baseball League Northern Division standings.

 

But there is no mistaking this team’s standing in the community.

 

Earlier Friday, the NECBL announced that ‘Cats center fielder Tre Kirklin won the fan vote for the final Northern Division roster spot in Sunday’s All-Star Game in Montpelier, Vt.

 

Kirklin had more than 1,200 more votes than the next closest player in balloting that ran from Monday through Thursday, after the league announced the rest of the All-Stars, a group that includes four of his North Adams teammates.

 

“I’m very thankful to the fans,” Kirklin said after a 5-1 loss to Upper Valley at Joe Wolfe Field. “”To know that the fans and my teammates and the people back home are supporting me -- it’s a really good feeling.”

 

Kirklin, a rising senior at Alabama’s Jacksonville State from Kennesaw, Ga., is hitting .308 with 19 stolen bases for the first-place SteepleCats.

 

He said the local fans in North Adams were not the only ones who put him over the top in the online poll.

 

“Things get around quick with social media,” he said with a smile.

 

Friday’s game was one that SteepleCats fans will want to forget.

 

For the fifth time this season -- and third against the Nighthawks -- North Adams was held to one run or fewer.

 

Meanwhile, Upper Valley jumped out to an early lead when Kirklin’s Jacksonville State teammate Cole Frederick hit a two-out solo home run over the fence in center field in the top of the first.

 

The Nighthawks added two more in the top of the third before North Adams could get on the scoreboard.

 

With one out in the bottom of the third, Brian Picone worked a walk. After Matt Koperniak flew out to the warning track in center field, Shane Muntz hit the second of his three doubles in the game to drive in Picone and make it 3-1.

 

But that was all the ‘Cats could manage against a quartet of Upper Valley pitchers. North Adams squandered 12 baserunners along the way to its first loss in four games.

 

The Nighthawks all but put the game away in the top of the eighth. David Marcano singled to left with one out and raced home on Frederick’s RBI double. Frederick then scored his team’s fifth run when Andrew Cossetti singled with two out.

 

Starter Gordon Graceffo was a hard-luck loser for North Adams, striking out five and allowing three runs -- one earned -- in six innings of work.

 

Muntz provided the offensive highlights for the ‘Cats, going 3-for-5 with three doubles. Matthew Krause went 2-for-4 and stole a base.

 

Muntz will be joining Kirklin, Koperniak, Scout Knotts, Joseph Porricelli and Nicholas Payero on the trip north to the All-Star game. Muntz will compete in the home run derby while the rest will try to get a win for the Northern Division in the main event.

 

As for winning the North, that got a little trickier for North Adams with Friday’s loss.

 

The SteepleCats have a half-game lead over Keene with six games left starting with Saturday evening’s game against New Bedford, the last-place team in the Southern Division.

 

North Adams’ last five games are all against North foes, including the home finale against Keene on Tuesday.

 

Going into Saturday’s games, there are four teams separated by 2-⅕ games atop the division standings. North Adams (23-15), Keene (23-16), Upper Valley (22-16) and Vermont (22-19).

 

“After tonight, I believe we’re still in first place,” Kirklin said. “So, it’s still in our control. We control our own destiny, and that’s a blessing.”