Mainers Explode in Game One, Edged in Game Two
Published on July 28, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
The Sanford Mainers and Mystic Schooners faced off for their third double header of the season, this time taking place at Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut. Both teams came off games in which frustration was at the foreground and both were ready for redemption.
The Mainers showcased this by putting on an offensive clinic in game one, defeating the Schooners 16-2 in just seven innings. However, the Schooners fought back from being down 2-0 in game two to come out on top 3-2.
In the first game both sides were retired through the first two innings, but the Mainers struck first and in a big way. Nate LaPointe lead off the inning with a walk, and then advanced to third on a single by Jose Torralba, but Torralba moved up to second on a fielding error by the center fielder. With one out being recorded and two men on, Anthony Hajjar smacked a single up the middle scoring LaPointe and Torralba to put the Mainers up 2-0.
The inning was just getting started as Jordan Hagel went opposite field with a single pushing up Hajjar to second. Jordan Betts who already had a hit earlier in the game hit a ball to first base, but when first baseman Matt O'Herror threw a wide throw to second to start a double play, Hagel slid in safely as short stop Spencer Haynes pulled his foot off the bag to retrieve the throw.
Paul Kronenfeld stepped into the box with the bases loaded and only one out, and responded in a destructive manner. He took an 0-1 pitch and sent it to dead center field, clearing the fence for his first home run of the season and a grand slam that blew open the game 6-0.
The offense continued in the very next inning when LaPointe joined Kronenfeld in players to hit their first home run of the season, by roping one over the left field fence, extending the Mainers lead to 7-0.
Torralba would ground out for the first out of the inning, but another offensive string started to form when Ino Patron took a pitch in the back good enough for a hit-by-pitch, sending him down to first base. Hajjar joined him immediately after with a four pitch walk. The two of them didn't last long on the bases as Hagel lined a ball to right-center field for a three run home run and a newly formed 10-0 lead.
Betts who had been struggling at the plate before today's double header, decided that his team's three home runs were not enough, hitting one immediately after Hagel, a solo home run to add yet another run for an 11-0 lead.
The Schooners got on the board in the bottom half when Eric Yavarone walked and was brought in on a two-out two-run home run to left off the bat of Andrew Santomauro.
The Mainers already scored six runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth inning, but more offense was looming in the sixth. The bases were loaded in just a matter of the first three hitters. Cam Young pinch hit for Betts and singled to right, but advanced to third base on back to back walks to Kronenfeld and Gavin Stark. John Gorman drew the third straight walk to force in another run and put the score at 12-2.
With the bases still loaded and no outs in the inning, LaPointe hit his second home run of the game, this time coming as a grand slam, also the second in the game, that put this game way out of reach at 16-2.
Jerry Ferris who started the game for the Mainers went six innings, allowing only three hits, and the Schooners two runs. He walked one and struck out five. Aidan Sullivan also made his first appearance for the Mainers, pitching one inning, gave up one hit, and struck out one.
Game two was much of a different story, however it started off in a similar fashion. Patron took the first pitch he saw and hit a double off the wall in left to start the game. He moved up to third base on a single by Hagel. During the next at bat, Hajjar struck out for the first out and Hagel was caught stealing for the second out. Patron initially came in to score on the caught stealing play, but was sent back due to batter's interference.
It didn't matter though, as Betts lined a ball over Anthony Turgeon's head at short stop for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead. Louis Concato and Evan Chamberlain made it into a pitcher's duel over the next three innings, but Kronenfeld much like LaPointe earlier in the day, hit his second home run of the season just in front of the parking lot in left-center field to push the lead to 2-0.
The Schooners got to Chamberlain in the fifth inning, scoring twice to tie the game. The inning got started on four straight singles, including RBI singles off the bat of Conor David and Kyle Holland.
Chamberlain settled down to start the sixth inning, but ran into trouble again. With one out, he gave up a double to Turgeon who came in to score the go ahead, and what would be the game winning run, on an RBI double off the bat of Blaise Lezyinski.
Jose Lopez came into the game for the Schooners to close it out in the seventh inning. He gave up a one-out, pinch-hit single to Jose Torralba, but got Will Cooper to ground into a 6-3 double play to end the game.
Concato finished his outing going six innings, giving up five hits, allowed just the two runs scored from the Mainers, walked one, and struck out ten.
The Moose will return home tomorrow night to face the Vermont Mountaineers at Goodall Park at 6:30pm. Steven Rice is set to make his first start of the season.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 28, 2012
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- Newport Falls 2-0 on the Road in New Bedford - Newport Gulls
- Mainers Trounce Vermont in 17-5 Loss - Vermont Mountaineers
- Hunter's Strong Start Paces 'Cats to 5-2 Win Ove - North Adams SteepleCats
- North Adams Defeats Keene 5-2 - Keene Swamp Bats
- Mainers Explode in Game One, Edged in Game Two - Sanford Mainers
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