Sports stats

Mainers Walk It off in the Tenth to Top Winniepesaukee

June 12, 2022 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release


SANFORD, Maine - After a winless opening week the Sanford Mainers pick up their first win of the season in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion over Winnipesaukee. Grant Knipp (Campbell) in his first at-bat of the year knocked in Adam Dapkewicz (Georgetown) to walk it off, 5-4.

Another Mainer making his debut was Coleman Willis (Georgia), as he started on the mound. However, the Muskrats got to work quickly on the tall righty.

Matt Brown-Eiring (Stony Brook) got things going with an RBI infield single to score Brendan Concannon (Paris Junior College). Then, Ian Battipaglia (Franklin Pierce) scored on a grounder by Brett Paulsen (Stony Brook), 2-0.

Willis would settle in and retire the next 11 batters he faced, finishing with six punchouts through four innings of work.

Sanford would cut the lead in half in the fifth when Jayson Kramer (St. Johns) hit a home run over the right-field wall. Just an inning later MJ Lucas (UNC-Asheville) brought Dapkewicz on an RBI groundout to tie it, 2-2.

Winnipesaukee would jump ahead in the seventh courtesy of the RBI single by Matthew Alifano (Adelphi), 3-2.

With its backs against the wall, Sanford found a way to tie things in the bottom of the ninth. David Bermudez (Manhattan) worked a lead-off walk, and AJ Cook (Elms) replaced him as a pinch-runner.

Kramer laid down a bunt to advance Cook to second but as he made a break for third, the throw from the first baseman Sebastian Mueller (Quinnipiac) skipped away from Alifano, allowing Cook to score, forcing extra innings for the second straight night, 3-3.

Then in the top half of the tenth, Paulsen drove in Battipaglia on a groundout to go back on top, 4-3.

Sanford was then forced to create some late-night heroics delivered in the clutch. Winnipesaukee brought in infielder Jack Thorbahn (Northeastern) with no other pitchers available. Three straight walks by Thorbahn brought Quinn McDaniel (Maine) in, putting pinch-hitter Knipp at the dish with the bases loaded.

After arriving in Sanford earlier on Sunday Knipp on his first swing of the summer roped it into right and secured the walk-off win.

The Mainers get Monday off before hitting the road Tuesday for a date with Upper Valley, looking to flip the script after losing to the Nighthawks on Opening Day.

Jacob Marshall is expected to get his second start in that one, with the first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 12, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Sanford Mainers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central