Moose Drop One to Upper Valley
July 21, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Hartford, VT - The Sanford Mainers dropped a tough game on the road on Saturday night as they fell to the Upper Valley Nighthawks by a final of 5-2. It was a pair of multi-run innings that put Upper Valley on top in a game that was, for the most part, a pitcher's duel once again.
Ed Baram (Saddle Brook, N.J./Adelphi) came into the night as the league-leader in ERA, 0.63, and started his night on the mound by striking out five of the first six hitters he retired. Despite a tough 3rd inning where he gave up three runs on four hits, which included a double down the right field line that could've gone either way, Baram struck out seven batters on the night and didn't allow a hit or run in 3 of his 4 innings pitched.
It was 3-0 Nighthawks heading into the 7th as the Mainers came up to try and chip back into the ball game. Carmine Pagano (McLeansville, N.C./UNC-Asheville) stepped up with the bases loaded and one-out as he grounded one to the left side and beat out the double play throw to score Austin Biggar (Lilburn, Ga./Georgia) to cut the Nighthawks' lead to 3-1.
However, in the bottom of the inning, Upper Valley were able to plate a pair and jump out to their largest lead on the night at 5-1.
The Mainers didn't go away quietly as in the top part of the 8th inning, after Jonathan White (Lawrenceville, Ga./Presbyterian) led off the inning with a double, he came around to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Southern Maine) to bring the deficit back to just three.
Kyle Skidmore (Franklin, Mass./Hofstra) kept things where they were with a solid bottom of the 8th inning on the mound as he retired 5 of the 7 batter's he faced after coming on with 1 out in the 7th.
With two outs in the top of the 9th, Pagano and Shane Marshall (Webster, N.Y./Binghamton) found their way on base to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, a pop out to the left fielder ended the game as the Moose fell 5-2 on the road.
Despite the loss, the Mainers still stay tied for 2nd in the Northern Division as Vermont took down Keene tonight. Upper Valley moves one game closer as the race for the post season continues to heat up down the final stretch of this 2018 season. Sanford is off on Sunday but will be right back at it for a full week of action on Monday starting with a double header against Ocean State at Goodall Park. You can catch all the action on the NECBL Broadcast Network as Mike Glennon will have the call starting with Mainers' Pregame at 3:50 and first pitch of Game 1 set for 4.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 21, 2018
- Five-Run Sixth Costs SwampBats in 12-9 Loss - Keene Swamp Bats
- Medina's Big Night Fuels Vermont Past Keene, 12-9 - Vermont Mountaineers
- Moose Drop One to Upper Valley - Sanford Mainers
- Nighthawks Declaw SteepleCats - Upper Valley Nighthawks
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