Comeback Kids Take Center Stage in Walk-Off Win
June 29, 2019 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
SANFORD - The Mainers found themselves in familiar territory yet again, trailing 6-0 through five innings against the New Bedford Bay Sox. As has become a habit over the past week, the Moose turned it on late to produce another come-from-behind victory, this time in walk-off style at Goodall Park.
At the game's inception, the Bay Sox looked to be in complete control. They opened the scoring in the second inning on an Alex Brickman solo home run and doubled their advantage an inning later when Thomas Blandini singled to center field to score Tommy Seidl, who led off the third with a double.
Things went from bad to worse in the fifth inning due to a spell of bad luck. Bay Sox catcher Zach Buck started the frame with a bloop single to right field and advanced to second on a Bryan Hart bunt that refused to go foul. One batter later, the two runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and took one more following a throwing error, extending the New Bedford lead to 3-0. Still, with none away, Seidl doubled Hart home and touched home himself on a Jack Winkler home run.
Before they knew it, the Mainers found themselves down 6-0 halfway through the game.
The Moose offense finally woke up in the sixth inning and got themselves on the board. Orlando Adams (Atlanta, Ga./Kentucky) needed just one pitch to reach base, leading off by taking first on a hit by pitch. Sterling Hayes (San Diego, Calif./Vanderbilt) moved him over to second with a single, allowing Drew DeMartino (Pittsfield, Mass./Hartford) to record a run batted in on a double to the left field wall. Nick Howie (Oakville, Ontario, Canada/Eastern Kentucky) brought Hayes in on a sacrifice fly, making the score 6-2.
However, the Bay Sox upped the ante in their next turn at bat. Looking to provide insurance for the late innings, the visitors manufactured a run in the top of the seventh without putting the ball in play. Hart walked to start the contest's back third and immediately got to second on a wild pitch. He then stole third and scampered home on another throwing error.
Even though he gave up an unearned run, Moose reliever Pat Petteruti (East Greenwich, R.I./Brown) refused to break down. With the bases loaded and one out, he induced an inning-ending double play to hold the Bay Sox lead to 7-2.
The team's defensive heroics sparked a rally in the bottom of that inning. Ryan Turenne (Lynn, Mass./Maine) started things off with a walk and promptly raced home on a Shane Marshall (Webster, N.Y./Binghamton) triple to the right-center field alley. Not to be outdone, Robbie Armitage (Falmouth, Maine/Marist College) crushed a fastball over the left-field for a two-run home run, cutting the deficit to two.
The Moose kept rolling along in the eighth, forcing new Bay Sox reliever Christian Rosati out of the game after loading the bases with one out. New Bedford went to the bullpen to try and keep their lead intact, but a new arm could not stop the Mainers from tying the game. Hart booted a Marshall groundball, scoring two runs and leveling the score at seven.
Having lost their lead, Bay Sox batters went back to hit with a vengeance in the top of the ninth. Winkler showed off his reflexes by dodging a Brandon Lankford (Mocksville, N.C./UNC-Asheville) tag on an errant throw to first base, going first to third on a single one batter later. Although the Mainers played their infield in and recorded the first out while keeping the score tied, Brickman nearly replicated his second inning swing to put New Bedford back in front. He laced a double to left field, scoring a pair and restoring his team's lead at 9-7.
Despite such a deflating blow, the Mainers were never fazed. Down to their final out, DeMartino singled to keep his team alive for at least one more batter. Then, with just one strike separating the Moose from a crushing defeat, Reece Armitage (Falmouth, Maine/Marist College) rose to the occasion. He blasted a Matthew Stansky fastball over the right-field short porch, tying the score at nine.
With their newfound energy and the hometown crowd at their backs, the Moose kept going and played for the win. Representing the game-winning run, Howie walked on four pitches to set up a wild finish.
Turenne battled hard through a nine-pitch at-bat, and on a 3-2 count, with Howie on the move, he grounded a single into center field to move him first to third.
Not satisfied with standing 90 feet away from victory, Howie kept going and broke for home. His aggressive baserunning paid off as he scored on a close play at home plate, capping off a thrilling game and sending the Goodall Park crowd home in euphoric fashion with a 10-9 walk-off win.
With the victory, the Mainers find themselves at 7-9, just three games out of first place and two from a playoff spot.
The Moose will look to make it three wins in a row tomorrow when they host the Upper Valley Nighthawks. If you can't get to Goodall Park, be sure to tune in on the Patriot Subaru Mainers Radio Network powered by the NECBL Broadcast Network to catch Ryan Zimmerman's play-by-play call starting at 6:30 PM. In the meantime, you can stay in the know about all things Mainers baseball by heading over to sanfordmainers.com and following the team on social media.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 29, 2019
- Sixth-Inning Comeback Pushes Vermont Past Winnipesaukee, 4-3 - Vermont Mountaineers
- Comeback Kids Take Center Stage in Walk-Off Win - Sanford Mainers
- Gulls Walk off on Muskrats - Newport Gulls
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