Mainers Hang on by a Thread against Bay Sox
July 31, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
The only way to describe Tuesday night for both the Mainers and the visiting New Bedford Bay Sox is interesting. The Bay Sox entered the contest a game ahead of the Mainers in fifth place and 2.5 games behind the final playoff spot in the East Division. The Mainers joined the Bay Sox on Tuesday, ending their four game slide with a 4-2 victory.
The Bay Sox immediately made it interesting in the top of the first against Mainers starter Evan Hill, loading the bases. Hill forced Alex Witkus to fly out to start the inning, but then gave up three straight singles to Lane Richards, Max Nogay, and Chris Travers to load the bases. However, on the next play, Chris Shaw took the first pitch he saw and grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.
In the second and the third inning the Mainers found themselves in a similar spot loading the bases both times, but Bay Sox starter Adam Fournier retired three in a row to end the second and forced a double play to end the third.
The Mainers did it once more in the third, but were able to plate the game's first run to take a 1-0 lead. Matt Verrier started things off with a one out walk, he was followed by Nate LaPointe who singled to left on a pop-up that was misjudged by Richards and Witkus down the left field line. Scott Heath filled the bases with a walk. With only one out Billy Bereszniewicz drew the third walk of the inning, forcing in Verrier to break the 0-0 tie.
Just one inning later the Mainers grabbed a pair of insurance runs to extend their lead 3-0. Daniel Nevares laced a double to left field to start and then came around to score when Anthony Papio hit a line drive single to right. With the score at 2-0 and two outs in the inning, LaPointe kept it going with a single to left pushing Papio to second. Scott Heath grabbed a hit of his own while collecting an RBI as Papio rounded third and crossed home plate for the second run of the inning and the third of the game.
The Bay Sox made a push in the seventh scoring twice to bring the game within one. Andrew Dundon took a 2-2 pitch and sent it down the left field line for a lead off double. Shea Pierce grounded out allowing Dundon to get 90 feet away for the Bay Sox first run at third. Matt Lopez hit a ground ball to first and was able to reach when Nic Wilson couldn't field the ball cleanly. Dundon scored on the play, but instead of bases empty with two outs, there stood a runner on with only one. Conor Krauss who came into the game for Hill walked Witkus, but then gave up a single to Nogay after getting Richards to strike out allowing Lopez to score.
In the bottom of the eighth, Nevares was able to reach on an error by Richards at short and then came all the way around from first to score when Wilson blasted a a pitch to straight away center that hit off the wall at the 404 foot marker for a triple.
The extra run proved crucial in the ninth when Steven Rice who came in during the eighth hit Travers with two outs and then gave up a single to Shaw putting runners at the corners and two outs. Carl Anderson lined a pitch to the left side, but a leaping grab over the head from Troy Black ended the game and sealed the win.
It is still mathematically possible for the Mainers to reach that final playoff spot as they sit 2.5 games behind fourth place with four games to go. The Ocean State Waves will visit Sanford tomorrow for the final game of the season series. David D'Errico will get the start for the Moose with first pitch being at 6:30pm.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 31, 2013
- Mainers with Thriller 6-5 - Sanford Mainers
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- Kutzer Throws Complete Game Shutout, 3-0 - Valley Blue Sox
- Blue Sox Blank North Adams, 2-0, in Home Regular Season Finale - North Adams SteepleCats
- Blue Sox Host Fan Appreciation Day on Thursday - Valley Blue Sox
- Once in a lifetime offer! Own a piece of unique baseball history - Danbury Westerners
- SteepleCats Newsletter - North Adams SteepleCats
- Mainers Hang on by a Thread against Bay Sox - Sanford Mainers
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