Burke Completes Shutout Against Mainers
July 14, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Before Saturday night's game against the Holyoke Blue Sox, the Mainers had already completed five season series; four against Western division opponents and one Eastern division opponent. They added one more to the list on Saturday, but the Blue Sox made sure it wasn't done unless it was on their watch. Michael Burke started for the Blue Sox and pitched all nine innings, shutting out the Mainers en route to a 4-0 Blue Sox victory.
Burke threw nine complete innings of shutout ball, giving up only five hits, walking one, and striking out eleven Mainers hitters. In that time he tossed 122 pitches, in which 85 of them were in for strikes.
James Bourque had the Blue Sox shut out through five innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth. Justin Morhardt led off the inning with a single to right and then stole second to put himself into scoring position. Matt Reida dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but Mainers' catcher Cole Martin threw to third in attempt to get Morhardt, but the throw came too low. With runners at the corners and no one out, Bourque balked to force in the game's first run.
They added another run just two batters later when Vahn Bozoian hit a single to Anthony Simon at the second base slot, allowing Reida to score after reaching third on a Sal Annunziata single.
Just an inning later, two more runs crossed the plate for Holyoke. Charlie Butler who came into relief for Bourque gave up back-to-back bunt singles, but during the second bunt, Butler overthrew Scott Heath at first advancing both Joe Carcone and Jake Bergren into scoring position. He got the first two outs via strike outs, but then gave up back-to-back singles to Jacob Bruce and Annunziata to score Carcone and Bergren respectively.
The Mainers only real chance of scoring came in the fifth inning when Simon hit an infield single down the first line and then advanced on a throwing error by Burke. Sam Balzano hit a ground ball to through the left side, but Simon was gunned down at the plate by Blue Sox left fielder Jonny Locher.
This loss now makes three in a row by the Mainers, dropping their record to 11-15 as they remain in fifth place in the Eastern division; one slot behind the final playoff spot.
After a day off on Sunday, the Mainers will host the Newport Gulls for a double header at Goodall Park in Sanford on Monday. Though originially listed as an off day, game one will start at 3:30pm with game two starting shortly after. Evan Hill is expected to pitch game one.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 14, 2013
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