Mainers Rally Past Blues Before All-Star Break
July 22, 2022 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Sanford Mainers in action
(Sanford Mainers)
SANFORD, Me. - To be the best, you have to beat the best.
The Mainers did that as they topped the second-best team in the NECBL, Bristol, 4-3. The Blues battled back from an early hole, but Sanford walked away smiling with a big win heading into the All-Star break.
Jake Rainess (Maine) was back in the lineup after missing the last few games with an injury, and he wasted no time getting the Moose on the board. An RBI double scored Cal Hewett (Vanderbilt), 1-0 after one.
The Mainers would double their advantage when Quinn McDaniel (Maine) smoked one the other way over the right field wall, 2-0. It was McDaniel's seventh blast of the year.
Ryan Douglas (UNC-Asheville) was outstanding on the mound, but the Blues broke through in the fifth. A sacrifice fly from Carson Swank (Yale) drove in Jack Lynch (Manhattan), 2-1.
Bristol would tie it in the seventh as Ben Huber (UConn) scored on a wild pitch, 2-2.
Manager Nic Lops would go to the bullpen and put in Bryce Afthim (Southern Maine), making his first relief appearance, and he was untouchable.
The starting pitcher for the North Division in the All-Star game went one and two-thirds innings of no-hit ball and struck out two.
In the bottom of the seventh, the green and yellow jumped back with some deja vu from two nights ago.
Hewett laid down a bunt, and the throw to first was off-target, allowing Alex Knapp (George Mason) to score from first. A few batters later, an RBI single from Aidan Kane (Delaware) drove in Hewett, 4-2.
The Blues would cut the lead to one in the ninth on a single from Jay Harry (Penn State) that scored Huber, but Brian Craven (William & Mary) would shut the door to give Sanford a big win, it was his fifth save of the season.
The Moose will have a pair of off days as seven members of the team head to Martha's Vineyard for the All-Star Game. Joining Afthim, Craven and McDaniel are Brady Afthim (UConn), David Bermudez (Manhattan), Adam Dapkewicz (Georgetown) and Sonny Fauci (St. John's).
Sanford will be back in action on Monday when they welcome the Valley Blue Sox to Goodall Park, Matthew Sapienza (Georgetown) will start.
The Blue Sox took the first meeting on June 24, 10-9 in Holyoke.
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 Sanford Mainers in action |
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