Newport Stamps Mainers Season End in Game Three
Published on August 7, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
On Sunday night the Sanford Mainers had the momentum they wanted going into game three of the Eastern Division semi-finals, walking off with a win in the bottom of the tenth inning the night before to force the final game. With the team down to a skeleton roster, they had to leave everything on the field in order to create a path to advance to the Easter Division Championship Series.
The Mainers did everything they could, but the Gulls came out strong and made a statement quick, defeating the Moose 18-1 to seal their route to the division finals and sending the Mainers home for good.
The Gulls struck first in the bottom of the second inning when they had runners on the corners with only one out. Conor Keniry hit a fly ball to left field, deep enough for Steve Anderson to tag up from third and score.
Over the next four innings, the Gulls plated eight more runs, two runs in each of the four innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Austin Slater hit his first of two home runs in the game, bringing Joel McKeithan around who had singled prior to Slater's at bat and reached second on a throwing error by left fielder Evan Chamberlain.
Chamberlain entered the game in left field after catcher Nate LaPointe collided with Charlie White in the third inning and left the game with a shoulder injury. Since LaPointe was the last catcher left on the team, Will Cooper moved in behind the plate.
The Mainers only run of the game came in the top of the seventh inning when Anthony Hajjar roped a double off the right-center field wall and came around to score after reaching third base on a Jordan Betts ground out and a Jose Torralba single to left.
Newport racked up four more runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning, starting with a lead-off home run by Slater, his second of the game. With one out and a runner on, Matt Pare who pinch ran for starting catcher Jeff Melillo blasted a home run to right putting his team up 13-1.
They went to work again in the eighth inning, scoring five times on four hits, two walks, and two hit batters. The inning started with back-to-back walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases, and the Gulls went station to station five times, but were finally retired with a fielder's choice at third base.
In the top of the ninth, Jordan Hagel doubled to left with one out, but back-to-back strike outs ended the Mainers season. They finished the year 15-26, fourth in the Eastern Division.
Though the numbers were not what the Mainers faithful would have liked to have seen, a few offensive team records were broken including Jordan Betts setting a new team home run record with eleven, breaking the previous of seven set last year by outfielder Mike Montville. He also set a new RBI record with 38, breaking 2004 Mainer, Ryan Crew's record of 30. As a team the Mainers blasted 29 home runs, eight more than the record set by the 2004 Championship team.
For now the dark green overlay of Goodall Park, and the pine and oak trees that surround it will rest quiet until next year, as the town of Sanford awaits another season that hopes to spark a championship run.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 7, 2012
- Newport Gulls Advance to NECBL Championship Series - Newport Gulls
- Danbury holds on to defeat Keene 9-8 in playoff series opener - Keene Swamp Bats
- Newport Stamps Mainers Season End in Game Three - Sanford Mainers
- Top 4 Seeds Advance in NECBL First Round Playoffs - NECBL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
