HOLYOKE — Small ball was alive and well in the Valley Blue Sox’s 2-1 walk-off win against the North Adams SteepleCats at Mackenzie Stadium on Wednesday.

During the bottom of the 11th inning with the score tied, 1-1, the Blue Sox executed two perfect sacrifice bunts to best their Western Mass. rivals as well as secure their first win in seven games.

“That’s something that, a lot of times in summer ball, guys aren’t prepared to bunt, they don’t really want to bunt, but it wins baseball games at times,” Blue Sox head coach John Raiola said. “It’s the right thing to do and you got to be able to stick your nose in there and execute. Two really good bunts at the end for us and a much-needed win.”

The NECBL uses ‘ghost’ runners in extra innings, where each team begins the frame with a runner at second base, and if the game remains all square after the conclusion of the bottom of the 11th, the result is a tie.

Fortunately for the Blue Sox, their batters came through with a pair of nifty bunts to improve to 9-11-1 overall.

Leading off the bottom of the 11th, Blue Sox batter Matt Wolfe pushed the ghost runner to third by plunking a bunt down the third base line.

Blue Sox designated hitter Nick Tomasetto was next, but before he reached the batter’s box, Raiola had a brief chat with the righty. Seconds later, Tomasetto laid down the deciding bunt, this time toward first base and despite a great effort from the SteepleCats’ first baseman, the Blue Sox’s winning run crossed the plate about three hours after first pitch.

“I said, ‘if you are comfortable and you bunt this to first base, we’re going to win a baseball game,'” Raiola said on his conversation with Tomasetto before the at-bat. “I said, ‘if you’re not, drive him in and let’s win it that way.’ So I left it up to him. He stuck his nose in there and he was able to get it done.”

While Tomasetto produced the heroics, the Blue Sox’s star of the game was easily relief pitcher Jack Ensell. The burly right-hander threw the final four innings and fanned eight North Adams batters, with no hits, runs or walks allowed.

“He’s kind of got it all,” Raiola said on Ensell’s outing. “He hasn’t pitched in a little while because we haven’t been in winning situations, so we knew he was rested. The fastball is a plus pitch, the breaking ball is a plus pitch and as long as he’s in the zone and around the zone he’s a really tough at-bat.”

It was the 6-foot-3 flamethrower’s first appearance since June 24.

The Blue Sox nearly ended the game in the bottom of the ninth inning on an attempted steal of home base. With two outs, pinch runner and UMass product Anthony Tirado got a good jump on the lefty SteepleCats’ pitcher, but a quick throw and even quicker tag from the catcher sent this one to extra innings.

“If that throw’s anywhere else, we’re safe,” Raiola said. “Anthony’s a very aggressive baserunner, he’s a good baserunner so I trusted him in that moment to get it done.”

Prior to the fireworks the last three innings produced, the majority of Wednesday’s contest was rather humdrum.

The Blue Sox scored their only other run during the second inning on an RBI single from Tomasetto, while the SteepleCats evened the score in the seventh on a fielder’s choice RBI from Alex Barrist.

Hits favored the Blue Sox, 5-4, in this one while the hosts picked up one error as well.

Blue Sox starter Jacob Mulvehill had it going versus the SteepleCats, striking out four while giving up just three hits, one walk and no runs.

“The one, somewhat, nice thing is when you’re at home and you’re in the bottom of the 11th, you can’t lose,” Raiola said. “So worst-case scenario, you don’t lose, but certainly, we want the win.

“There’s a lot of good stuff that can come from it,” Raiola continued. “If you can execute and buy into it and they did and executed at the end when it mattered.”

The Blue Sox return to Mackenzie Stadium on Friday, July 3 against the Mystic Schooners.

First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.