Mainers Clinch Postseason Berth with Doubleheader Sweep
Published on July 27, 2023 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Sanford Mainers' Devin Russell
(Sanford Mainers, Credit: Madison Giltner Photography)
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, V.T. - There is typically one goal in sports: win.
With two wins over the Upper Valley Nighthawks on Thursday afternoon, the Sanford Mainers moved one step closer to the ultimate goal of winning the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup as they clinched their spot to the 2023 New England League Playoffs.
In a game that was supposed to be played on Tuesday evening at Goodall Park, the Moose took the field as the home team for game one of the doubleheader and the last licks paid dividends in a 4-3 walk-off win.
Eight Mainers came to the plate in the bottom of the first, which led to a crooked number on the scoreboard and an early lead for Justin Honeycutt (UNC Asheville) on the bump.
Kevin Skagerlind (UMass Amherst) reached on an error to begin the ballgame before Nick Roselli (Binghamton) found his way on base with a walk two batters later. Roselli's college teammate, Devan Bade (Binghamton), struck out swinging for out number two as things began to look bleak for an offense that was coming off a three-hit performance one night prior.
Cal Hewett (Vanderbilt) worked a base on balls to load the bases and keep the inning alive for Jeremiah Jenkins (Maine). Jenkins shot a ball into right field that scored both Skagerlind and Roselli to give the "home" team a 2-0 lead.
Jenkins came to bat two innings later in the bottom of the third with a chance to do more damage following a Hewett single and stolen base with one out. Jenkins smoked a ball to second base that was stopped by Dylan Palmer (Hofstra), but an error on the throw allowed Jenkins to reach and Hewett to score.
Honeycutt returned to the mound with a 3-0 lead, but he gave the run back in the very next half-inning.
Adarius Myers (Louisiana Tech) and Ryan Cesarini (St. Joseph's) singled back-to-back to open the fourth inning for Upper Valley.
After a fielder's choice erased Myers as he tried to advance to third, Steve Harrington (Harrington) hit the third base hit of the inning to drive home Cesarini for the first Nighthawk run.
One inning later, Upper Valley struck twice to tie the game while facing a new pitcher in Michael Dragon (Merrimack).
Dragon issued a walk to Jake Bullard (Stetson) before Austin Beck (Angelo State) followed him with a single. After Palmer flew out to center field, Myers doubled to the outfield wall and drove in both Bullard and Beck to knot the score at three apiece.
Nick Thompson (Colby College) pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth before the seventh created problems for the lefty. Thompson allowed three singles to Bullard, Palmer and Myers, but was helped out by his defense, specifically Skagerlind.
Skagerlind launched the ball to third base as he fielded the Myers single. His throw beat Palmer to third base and Cam Johnson (UNC Asheville) applied the tag just mere milliseconds before Bullard touched home plate to end the frame.
In the bottom of the inning, it was Johnson coming to the plate with the bases loaded as Roselli singled, Bade reached on an error and Jenkins was intentionally walked.
Johnson singled just past the outstretched glove of Bullard at third base to give the Mainers a 4-3 walk-off victory, their second walk-off in as many days.
Sanford carried that momentum into the night cap of the doubleheader as Skagerlind opened the top of the first inning with a solo blast to give the Mainers an early 1-0 lead.
Before the inning could end, Jenkins singled, Eddie Eisert (Virginia Tech) walked and Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Jack Toomey (Holy Cross).
Toomey sent a ball into deep right field that looked like it was caught by Harrington, but the ball popped out of his glove and gave way to a bases clearing triple to make it 4-0.
Devin Russell (Maryland) followed the leadoff home run in the first with one of his own in the top of the third inning. Russell's home run made it 5-0 in favor of Sanford, but the offense wanted more.
Upper Valley committed its seventh error of the day, which allowed Toomey to reach, before a double by Cody Bowker (Georgetown) and a walk by Matt Miceli (Stony Brook) loaded the bases.
Skagerlind, who was up for his third plate appearance in as many innings, drove in his second runner of the game with a walk that made it 6-0 Mainers.
A half-inning later, Palmer manufactured a run by himself for the Nighthawks. Palmer led off the third with a single against Seamus Barrett (Loyola Marymount) before making his way around to home plate on a pair of stolen bases and a throwing error by Russell.
The green and yellow got the run right back for Barrett as another bases loaded walk, this time by Toomey, brought home Jenkins for the seventh Mainer run.
An error, stolen base and wild pitch allowed Palmer to come around to score in the fifth against Jacob Jette (UMass Lowell) before Cesarini followed him home on a groundout by Matthew Russo (Southern Mississippi).
Michael Simes (UMass Lowell) worked a relatively quick sixth inning before running into trouble in the seventh with a trio of singles off the bats of Palmer, Cesarini and Russo. Palmer and Cesarini scored, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the game as the Mainers won 7-5 and clinched a postseason berth.
Sanford heads to Vermont tomorrow as it looks to inch closer to the top of the North Division, which is currently occupied by its opponent in the Mountaineers.
Images from this story
 Sanford Mainers' Devin Russell (Madison Giltner Photography) |
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 27, 2023
- Mountaineers Come Up Short Against Keene, 6-5, On Thursday - Vermont Mountaineers
- Mainers Clinch Postseason Berth with Doubleheader Sweep - Sanford Mainers
- Vermont Drops 3-2 Tilt to Mainers on Wednesday - Vermont Mountaineers
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