Mainers Creep Closer to Top of Division with Walk-Off Win
July 22, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Sanford Mainers' Matt Polk on game night
(Sanford Mainers, Credit: Madison Giltner Photography)
SANFORD, Maine - It is the time of the season where every game matters, and despite that being the case there are still some that matter more than others.
On Saturday evening at Goodall Park, the Sanford Mainers hosted the Vermont Mountaineers in a game that meant a lot between the top teams in the North Division, who came into the day separated by 3.5 games with three matchups left against one another.
Led by a strong performance on the mound by Ryan Dee (Binghamton) and situational hitting, the Mainers pulled off the 4-3 win on a walk-off sacrifice fly off the bat of Jack Toomey (Holy Cross).
Vermont got their offense started right away against Dee as TJ Williams (Notre Dame) worked a leadoff walk in which he would be replaced at first base on a fielder's choice an at-bat later by Marshall Toole (Wofford).
Toole came across when Santino Rosso (Hofstra) delivered a one-out double down the left field line, which gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead.
A night after the offense was not able to help a stout pitching performance, the offense recovered the run in the bottom of the first with three straight one-out singles off the bats of Vanderbilt Commodores.
Cal Hewett (Vanderbilt) started the streak with a single before stealing second base to get into scoring position. Matt Polk (Vanderbilt) then followed suit with a single of his own that advanced Hewett to third and put runners on the corners for Logan Poteet (Vanderbilt).
Poteet, who is one of the hottest hitters in the NECBL, came through with an RBI single to score Hewett and tie the game at one apiece.
The inning continued as Eddie Eisert (Virginia Tech) worked a walk before Devan Bade (Binghamton) brought in the Mainers second run of the game with a sacrifice fly that allowed Polk to touch home plate.
But the Mountaineers climbed back with a two-spot of their own in the top of the second inning. Aaron Whitley (Rochester) reached on an error to start the frame before a second error on an infield single by Tyler Cox (Dartmouth) allowed Whitley to score to knot the game at 2-2.
Cox, who advanced to third, came around to give Vermont a 3-2 lead one batter later as Nate Stocum (Western Carolina) grounded a ball to second base.
The score stood until the bottom of the seventh, but not without a little drama an inning prior.
Dee hit Nate Goranson (William & Mary), who was the first batter he faced in the sixth but then got the first out on a flyout by Whitley. Following the flyout, Cox reached on a single that put two runners on before Dee forced another flyout this time by Stocum.
Andre Martinez (Charleston) registered the second hit-by-pitch of the inning that loaded the bases and ended the night of Dee. Facing the new pitcher in Zack Given (UMass Amherst), Williams attempted a bunt that popped up into the air and was caught by Polk at first base.
That play kept the game at 3-2 in favor of the Mountaineers before a scoreless bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh brought the Mainers to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Two of the three Commodores got things going again as Polk doubled before Poteet walked to put two runners on for Eisert. A wild pitch put the runners in scoring position, which allowed a fly ball off the bat of Eisert to score Polk and tie the game at three.
Chris Gallagher (Wright State) worked around a two-out single in the top of the ninth before his offense got to work in the bottom of the frame.
Hewett reached on a bang-bang play at first base and advanced to second on a walk. Polk struck out before Poteet was intentionally walked to put two runners on with out out. Eisert had the chance to end the game, but he flew a ball into center field as the runners took off on a double steal. Williams made the catch and doubled Hewett off at second base to end the threat.
Gallagher walked a fine line in the top of the tenth with the extra-inning runner starting on second, which quickly became first and second on an infield single by Whitley. Brandon Butterworth (NC State), the pinch runner, and Whitley advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cox.
Working with two runners in scoring position, Gallagher managed a pop out by Jack Renwick (Wofford) to second base and a strikeout of Jace Jeremiah (St. John's), which kept the game at 3-3 heading to the bottom of the tenth.
Eisert, who was serving as the extra-inning runner for Sanford, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bade before Nick Roselli (Binghamton) walked to put runners on the corners until Roselli moved to second on a stolen base.
Toomey fell behind to Max Moss (Clark) in the count, but eventually flew the ball to Williams in center field that allowed Eisert to score without a throw.
The sacrifice fly was the fourth walkoff of the season and put the Mainers just 2.5 games back of the Mountaineers in the North.
Sanford sends Bade and Poteet to the 2023 NECBL All-Star Game, presented by Metro Credit Union, tomorrow. The whole team will be back in action on Monday at Goodall Park against the Mystic Schooners.
Images from this story
 Sanford Mainers' Matt Polk on game night (Madison Giltner Photography) |
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 22, 2023
- Mainers Creep Closer to Top of Division with Walk-Off Win - Sanford Mainers
- Vermont Drops Extra-Inning Affair with Sanford Heading into All Star Break - Vermont Mountaineers
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