Mainers Drop Season Opener on Walk-Off Single
June 9, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
GROTON, CONNECTICUT - Having led or been tied for the lead throughout the entirety of the ballgame, the Sanford Mainers (0-1) were outlasted by the Mystic Schooners (1-0) 5-4 on a 9th inning, walk-off single.
Trouble began in sincerity for the Mainers in the 8th. Casey Baker walked to lead off the bottom half of the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Chris Gaetano (Monmouth University) made a fantastic running catch for the second out and to show an apparent path out of the inning for Sanford, it simply wasn't to be. Nick Mascelli (Wagner) hit a slow roller towards first, a ball quickly gobbled up by Sam Stauble (University of Southern Maine) at first base, but an errant throw to the covering pitcher scored Baker from second base and tied the game at four.
Jonah Normandeau (University of Maine Orono) came in for the Mainers for the 9th and got the leadoff man to ground out to second, but proceeded to walk the next two men and hit a third to load the bases. Casey Baker (Stony Brook University) took the third pitch of the next at bat up the middle for a base hit, scoring the winning run for Mystic.
For the Mainers, it hadn't always been that way at Fitch High School Field. Sanford scored two runs in the first when Ako Thomas (University of Michigan) and Shaine Hughes (Monmouth University) both reached base by way of walk, and a single and later scored on a Gaetano sacrifice fly and a Derek Bauer (Southern New Hampshire University) sacrifice fly to put the Mainers up 2-0.
Mystic would grab two of their own from Mainers starter Nick Kuzia (University of Massachusetts Lowell) in the bottom portion of the inning, only for Sanford to regain a 4-2 lead in the 3rd. Stauble and Bauer would each collect an RBI on a single a piece each giving the Mainers the lead for a majority of the game.
The Mainers will play Friday, June 10 in their first and only visit to Old Mountain Field, where they will take on the Ocean State Waves. First pitch is slated for 6:30 PM, and fans can tune in via the NECBL Broadcast Network or the Legends in Sanford 1220AM or 102.3 FM.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 9, 2016
- Mainers Drop Season Opener on Walk-Off Single - Sanford Mainers
- Schooners Open with Walk-Off Win - Mystic Schooners
- Hart Leads the Way as Swamp Bats Win Season Opener - Keene Swamp Bats
- Gulls Strohschein Garners National Accolades - Newport Gulls
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