Late Upper Valley Comeback Drops Sanford in 6-5 Loss
June 30, 2021 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. - The Sanford Mainers played a road game on Wednesday night against the Upper Valley Nighthawks at Maxfield Sports Complex. After taking the lead in the second inning and holding it for most of the game, a late two-run home run from Will Sullivan gave the Nighthawks a lead that they would hold on to until the finish.
Garret Keough (Georgetown) made a strong start for Sanford in the game. Keough worked around trouble in multiple innings, including the bases loaded in the second, to leave the game with the lead. After 4.2 innings, Keough gave up four hits, two earned runs, four walks and struck out three.
After the Nighthawks took an early lead in the first, the Mainers came right back in the third inning around big two out hits. After a sacrifice fly from Jonny Barditch (Manhattan College), four straight singles brought in two more runs to take a 3-1 lead. Mitch Moralez (Utah Valley), Pierce Gallo (Clemson), Evan Sleight (Rutgers) and Cam Ridley (Eastern Kentucky) strung together hits to go in front.
From there, the two teams traded one-run innings to keep a two-run lead to Sanford. Highlights for the Mainers in the middle innings included another RBI single from Sleight and Moralez each.
The game started to turn in the seventh inning with Blake Bennett (UMass) on the mound for Sanford. After going through a mostly clean first 1.1 innings, Upper Valley jumped on Bennett for three runs, put over the top by Sullivan's home run. Bennett took the losing decision after two innings, four hits, four runs, two earned runs, no walks and one strikeout.
Sanford fought in the final frame, as they got the tying run to third after Dayne Leonard (Virginia Tech) was hit by a pitch, but a close play that went in Upper Valley's favor for the final out secured a 6-5 Nighthawks win.
The Sanford Mainers return to Goodall Park on Friday for a doubleheader against the North Adams Steeplecats, with the first game beginning at 4:00 PM.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 30, 2021
- Late Upper Valley Comeback Drops Sanford in 6-5 Loss - Sanford Mainers
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