Mainers Fall to the Steeplecats in Another High Scoring Affair
June 29, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Sanford - For the second time on a Friday night this season, the North Adams Steeplecats spoiled a chance at a home win for the Mainers this time by a final 11-7. It was a big 7th and 8th inning this time that did the trick for North Adams as they plated seven and took the lead once and for all.
North Adams got started quickly once again as they put up four runs through the first two innings on the Mainers and jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after three.
Darren Williams (Maysville, Ky./Eastern Kentucky) took the mound in a relief appearance in just the 3rd inning but was able to stop the bleeding as he posted three scoreless innings striking out three in the process. He got some help in the top of the 4th on a great play by Conner Shepherd (Upland, Calif./Texas Christian University) was able to start a rare 5-2-3 double play that was finished by Austin Biggar (Lilburn, Ga./Georgia) with the bases loaded and only one out to keep the score right where it was.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Mainers broke up the no hitter as they batted around the second time through the order. The hit parade started with Jake Alu (Hamilton, N.J./Boston College) who led off the inning with the first hit of the game for the Mainers. After Shane Marshall (Webster, N.Y./Binghamton) followed with a single on the first pitch he saw, Johnny Rizer (Cypress, TX/Texas Christian University) ripped a double down the line that scored Alu and made it second and third with nobody out. Conner Shepherd followed his great play in the field with an RBI single that plated Marshall and moved Rizer to third. After one of five balks called on the night scored Rizer and a walk, Brandon Lankford (Mocksville, N.C./UNC-Asheville) roped a double into right center field that brought home both Shepherd and Austin Biggar to tie the game at 4 runs apiece with still nobody out.
A balk and a passed ball scored Lankford and moved Brad Czerniejewski (Lake Forest, Illinois/Texas Christian University) to third, Alu came back up for the second time and laid down the perfect bunt to the third base side that scored the seventh run of the inning and gave the Mainers a 7-4 lead as the game moved to the 5th.
After both sides were able to post a couple of zeroes on the scoreboard through the 5th and 6th, a two-run home run by Jacob Jablonski made it a one run game at 7-6 moving into the 8th. The Steeplecats would plate five more in the 8th on four hits and couple of errors to take the lead at 11-7 for good to get out of Goodall Park with the victory.
Sanford is right back at it tomorrow, Saturday, as they finish off a long week and the month of June with another home game against the Vermont Mountaineers at 6:30 before spending the first week of July on the road for four games. Make sure to tune in for all the action on the NECBL Broadcast Network starting with Mainers Pregame at 6:20 leading you right up to first pitch. Head over to www.sanfordmainers.com to keep up with all the latest stats, news and updates for your Sanford Mainers all season long.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 29, 2018
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