Mainers Bats Fall Silent in Tough Road Loss to Valley
June 21, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Holyoke - The Sanford Mainers had a tough outing on Thursday night in Holyoke as they were only able to muster six hits in a 7-2 loss to the Valley Blue Sox. Despite the tough night, this is just the second road loss of the season for the Mainers and just their second loss in the last nine games total.
Sanford jumped on top early in the top of the 1st inning as Johnny Rizer (Cypress, TX/Texas Christian University) launched his third home run of the season, this time a solo shot, deep over the right field fence to give the Mainers the 1-0 lead after the first.
The Blue Sox bats came alive in the bottom of the 2nd inning, however, as Jaylen Smith led off the inning with a solo shot and another run would come around to score on an error later in the inning. After the Mainers couldn't get one back in the top of the 3rd, the Blue Sox got two more in the bottom half of the inning taking a 4-1 lead into the 6th.
Valley's bullpen was able to keep Sanford's hitters at bay over the middle seven innings of the game, something that has alluded other pitching staffs over the last eight games against the Mainers. Valley added a two more on some good two out hitting in the bottom of the 6th, putting them up 6-1 as the game progressed into the 8th.
Austin Biggar (Lilburn, Ga./Georgia (U. of)) got his first hit in just his second game with the Mainers as he hammered a ball off the left field fence for the second hardest ball hit by the Mainers all night after the Rizer home run back in the 1st. In fact, through the middle seven innings the Mainers were only able to put five guys on base and grounded into just the second and third double play turned against them in the first 12 games.
After Valley tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th, Sanford was able to get one back in the top of the 9th as Nick Howie (Oakville, Ontario, Canada/Eastern Kentucky), who picked up the only multi-hit game for the Mainers, came around to score on a passed ball and made the score 7-2.
As a team, Sanford only struck out four times in the game which is a new season low, but the balls they put in play just seemed to find their way right to wherever the fielders for the Blue Sox had them played.
The loss puts the Mainers at 8-4 on the season, moving them into sole possession of second place in the Northern Division as Upper Valley fell to Keene in 10 innings tonight. Sanford is back on the road tomorrow night for an inter-divisional match up with the New Bedford Bay Sox at 6:30 in New Bedford. You can catch all the action on 102.3 FM "The Legends" or on the NECBL Broadcast Network. In the meantime, head over the www.sanfordmainers.com and catch up on all you need to know about this Mainers team.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 21, 2018
- Bats Get First Extra Inning Win in Thriller Against Nighthawks - Keene Swamp Bats
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- Mainers Walk Off the Steeplecats to Move into 1st Place in the North - Sanford Mainers
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