Mainers Clinch Playoff Spot with Win over Keene
August 1, 2022 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
SANFORD, Me - From last in the league to last team in.
After starting the season 1-9, fast forward to the final day of the regular season, and the Mainers clinched the final playoff spot in their victory against Keene, 4-2. Sanford jumped on top, and Zachary Rodgers (UMass-Lowell) kept the Swamp Bats at bay.
Sunday was a continuation of the second meeting of Thursday's doubleheader. Game two lasted only one full inning before thunderstorms rolled through the Sanford area.
It picked up in the top of the second and Rodgers struck out the side to get it going.
In the bottom half showed some more offensive power as David Bermudez (Manhattan) singled to score Jake Rainess (Maine), 1-0. The Black Bear showed great base running, swiping a pair of bases before coming home.
Later in the second, with the bases loaded, Cal Hewett (Vanderbilt) brought in Bermudez on a walk, 2-0.
After another scoreless frame from Rodgers, the Moose tacked on another run as MJ Lucas (UNC-Asheville) drove in Rainess on a sacrifice fly, 3-0. For Lucas, it was his first RBI since June 14 at Upper Valley.
The Mainers scored their final run in the fourth when Hewett scored on a wild pitch from Garrett Rice (Missouri), 4-0.
Keene cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth as Tony Santa Maria (Rutgers) doubled down the right field line and brought in Rice. Later, Nick Hohenstein (Siena) scored on an error from Rainess, 4-2.
Sanford would keep the Swamp Bats quiet the rest of the way as Rodgers finished the sixth before handing it to Brady Afthim (UConn). Afthim picked up the save with a two-strikeout performance in the seventh to clinch the final playoff spot.
Rodgers finished the game allowing just two hits and only one earned run while striking out six. For Afthim, it was his third save of the season, behind only Brian Craven (William & Mary) for the team-high.
The green and yellow will face off against Newport tomorrow night in the wild-card round, with Ryan Butler (Liberty) on the mound.
The two split their regular season meetings, the Gulls took the first in Sanford, 8-3, and the Mainers bounced back a week later at Cardines, 6-4.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 1, 2022
- Bryce Afthim Named NECBL Pitcher of the Week - Sanford Mainers
- NECBL Wild Card Preview: Newport vs Sanford, Vineyard vs Mystic - NECBL
- Mainers Clinch Playoff Spot with Win over Keene - Sanford Mainers
- The NECBL Daily Rundown - 7/31/22 - Sanford Secures Playoff Spot by Beating SwampBats - NECBL
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