Mainers Bullpen Shuts Down Vermont in Final Home Game for 9-4 Win
July 30, 2021 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
SANFORD, Maine - The Sanford Mainers played their final home game at Goodall Park of the season on Friday night against the Vermont Mountaineers. With a strong bullpen performance, Sanford locked down a 9-4 win over Vermont.
Blake Bennett (UMass) made the start for Sanford, and limited the damage through in his 3.1 innings of work. Bennett allowed five hits, four earned runs, walked four and struck out four in the no decision.
Sanford was able to open the scoring in the home half of the first inning. Mitch Moralez (Utah Valley) and Dom Freeberger (UNC-Asheville) reached to start the inning, then Freddy Rojas Jr. (UT-Rio Grande Valley) brought home the first run on a ground out and Shane Paradine (Stony Brook) singled to bring home another for a 2-0 lead.
After losing the lead in the second, Sanford came back with a roar in the third. Freeberger, Paradine and Dayne Leonard (West Virginia) all singled home runners after Cam Ridley (Jacksonville) doubled to lead it off. The Mainers left the inning with a 6-3 lead.
The Mainers bullpen threw a shutout to help for a win. Trevor LaBonte (Maine) earned the win in relief after a perfect 2.2 innings where he sat down all eight batters he faced, with three strikeouts. Joe Joe Rodriguez (St. John's), Brian Craven (Davidson) and Gavin Hinchliffe (Delaware) all threw scoreless innings in relief to finish the game.
More Sanford runs came in the fourth and fifth innings to get enough for their 9-4 win. Ridley scored on an error by the Vermont catcher when stealing third base, one of two stolen bases he had in the game. Ridley also picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice in the fifth inning, and Freeberger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the final runs in the game.
Sanford returns to play on Sunday as they pick up a suspended game against the North Shore Navigators at Fraser Field, then play the originally scheduled game following the completion of the opening game.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 30, 2021
- Mainers Bullpen Shuts Down Vermont in Final Home Game for 9-4 Win - Sanford Mainers
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