Mainers Hold off Keene for Third Straight Win
June 13, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Sanford - The Sanford Mainers continued their good week as they went on the road Wednesday night and picked up their third win in a row, and second straight on the road, using the long ball and another incredible outing by their bull pen to hold on to a 6-4 win against the Keene Swamp Bats at Alumni Field in Keene, NH. Three home runs off the Mainers bats gave them the offense they needed while the bull pen didn't allow a hit in the final four innings.
Tyler Solomon (Haymarket, Va./Vanderbilt) didn't wait long to get the Mainers on the board as on the first pitch he saw with one out in the top of the 1st he launched his third home run of the season that scored Jake Alu (Hamilton, N.J./Boston College) and gave Sanford a 2-0 lead.
The Swamp Bats would tie the game up in the bottom of the 2nd inning following a solo shot by catcher Alex Griffith and a throwing error that scored the tying run with two outs. Despite the home run, Ed Baram (Saddle Brook, N.J./Adelphi) put in his second strong start in as many appearances as he struck out eight over his four innings of work.
In the top of the 4th, the Mainers bats came up big again as after Conner Shepherd (Upland, Calif./Texas Christian University) led off with a double off the left field fence and a sac bunt by Brad Czerniejewski (Lake Forest, Illinois/Texas Christian University) moved him to third, Carmine Pagano (McLeansville, N.C./UNC-Asheville) ripped an RBI single into left field to put the Mainers up one. The very next batter, Josh Zbierski (Stafford Springs, Conn./Southern New Hampshire), smashed a two-run shot, his first of the year, over the center field fence and put the Mainers up 5-2.
Keene wasn't done yet, however, as they would add two in the bottom half of the 5th inning which prompted head coach Chris Morris to go to the Sanford bull pen and bring in Tripp Barfield (Washington, N.C./UNC-Asheville) with runners on second and third and only one out. After walking the first hitter, Barfield got a strike out and ground out to end the inning, preserving the 5-4 lead in favor of the Mainers.
Sanford would add an insurance run in the top of the 7th inning as Johnny Rizer (Cypress, TX/Texas Christian University) deposited his first home run of the season over the center field fence to give the Mainers a 6-4 lead.
That is all the bull pen would need as Barfield, Sean Fisher (Parsonsburg, Md./Maryland), Will Kazura (Saddle Brook, N.J./Felician), and Jack Weisenburger (Rockford, Mich./Michigan) retired the final 14 Keene hitters in a row, striking out five, to finish it off.
Barfield picked up his first win on the mound for Sanford with his great performance, as the reigning NECBL Pitcher of the Week, Weisenburger, picked up his league-leading third save in as many appearances. With his home run in the first, Tyler Solomon is now tied for the lead league in home runs with three and Jake Alu now sits in second place in terms of batting average as he is hitting .444 through the first six games after another multi-hit game.
Sanford is right back at it Thursday as they are back on the road, this time to take on the Northern Division leading Upper Valley Nighthawks at 6:30. You can catch all the action live on 102.3 "The Legends" FM in Sanford (Or on their website) and of course on the NECBL Broadcast Network. For more news, information and scores head on over to www.sanfordmainers.com for everything you need to keep up with the Moose all season long.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 13, 2018
- Nighthawks Defeat Muskrats at Home - Upper Valley Nighthawks
- Mainers Hold off Keene for Third Straight Win - Sanford Mainers
- Keene Falls Back to .500 After Loss to Sanford - Keene Swamp Bats
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