Cam Ridley Scores Game-Winning Run in Extras for Mainers First Win
Published on June 9, 2021 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
SANFORD, Maine - The Sanford Mainers earned their first win of the 2021 season on Wednesday night in thrilling fashion, with Cam Ridley's (Eastern Kentucky) daring dash to the plate with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning the difference in a 5-4 win over the Vermont Mountaineers.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, Dom Freeberger (UNC-Asheville) grounded a ball to shortstop, who was able to get the force out at home plate. After getting the first out, Vermont catcher Parker Landwehr turned to fire to first, where the throw came in on Freeberger and forced first baseman Matt Oldham to drop the ball. Ridley, starting the play at second base and now rounding third, took the aggressive play to score the game-winning run by swiping his left hand over home plate to secure Sanford's first win of the campaign.
Josh Joy (Southern Maine) earned the start for the Mainers and worked around seven hits to keep the offense in the game. Through 5.2 innings, Joy only gave up two earned runs, walked three and struck out one. Spencer Hill (Northern Illinois) followed him and kept the Mountaineers at bay with no hits, no runs, no walks and striking out two in 1.1 innings.
The Sanford offense was held in check by a strong performance from Vermont pitcher Enzo Stefanoni until the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Pierce Gallo (Clemson) grounded a ball to the second baseman who committed a throwing error trying to complete a double play, which brought home Cal Hewett (Vanderbilt) and Freeberger to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Two batters later, Dayne Leonard (Virginia Tech) clubbed a pitch into deep right-center field for a bases clearing triple that brought in two more runs and gave the Mainers a 4-2 lead.
The Mountaineers were able to tie the game back up in the eighth inning and forced the game into extras. Joe Joe Rodriguez (St. John's) was tasked with the tenth inning on the mound and was able to cleanly get through it, working around the extra-inning baserunner rule (a runner on second to begin the extra inning), one walk and punching out two to earn the winning decision. In the bottom of the tenth, the Mainers walked it off to win the game by a final score of 5-4.
Sanford returns to action at home on Friday for their first game against the North Adams Steeplecats.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 9, 2021
- Cam Ridley Scores Game-Winning Run in Extras for Mainers First Win - Sanford Mainers
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