Mullen Shuts Down Mainers in Shutout
Published on July 19, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Before Tuesday night the Sanford Mainers had dropped the first five meetings against the Laconia Muskrats. Nine in a row if you look back to last season. However, putting up seven runs in one inning on Tuesday was enough to grab the first victory. After having a day off yesterday, the Mainers were set to take on the Muskrats again at Goodall Park in Sanford.
This time the game didn't turn around as it did on Tuesday, as the Mainers were shut out 8-0, all thanks to a pitching performance by Muskrats Kyle Mullen. In his outing, Mullen went 6.1 innings, allowing only one hit, walked six, and struck out six. He had the Mainers no hit until the seventh inning when Brett Armour hit a soft liner into shallow right field.
Tripp Davis got the start for the Mainers and got the opposite treatment. Davis lasted only 4.2 innings, giving up ten hits and six runs, however only two of them were earned. He didn't walk anybody and struck out five.
In the top of the first inning the Muskrats made their mark early. After John Ziznewski struck out to start the game, Leathers reached first on a throwing error by short stop Jordan Betts. Leathers stole second and Danny Collins lined out to center on the next pitch. With two outs, Vince Conde singled to left, just far enough to have Leathers score from second.
Conde also stole second during the next at bat, but came around to score when Donny Duschinsky hit a line drive to right field. The score was 2-0, but the Muskrats weren't finished. Kyle Convissar took the first pitch he saw and doubled to right center field, allowing Duschinsky to come around from first to score the third run of the inning.
The offense continued in the top half of the second when Ziznewski took a pitch and sent it over the right field for a solo home run and his fourth home run of the season. That offensive momentum continued again in the third inning when Duschinsky singled to center with two runners on, scoring Danny Collins. Conde tried to come in behind Collins, but was thrown out at the plate on a throw from Jordan Hagel from center that was scored 8-5-2.
As the Mainers hitters were continually retired with the exception of walks issued from Mullen, the Muskrats struck again in the fourth inning. With a 1-0 count, Corey Stringer smacked a ball deep to left and over the fence for the Muskrats second home run of the game and Stringer's second of the year. With that the score was now 6-0.
The Mainers were able to hold Laconia off the bored for the first time in the top of the fifth inning, but it wasn't long until they added another. This time coming in the top of the sixth. After a single by Regan Flaherty, he advanced to second on a wild pitch. Leathers batted him around when he hit a ground ball through the left side.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, it looked as if Mullen was about to retire the Mainers and keep them hitless for another inning in his quest for a no hitter. However, Armour took an 0-2 pitch into shallow right-center field in which Leathers chased, but after ranging away from the ball and trying to catch it over his head, it bounced off the edge of his glove and dropped and was ruled a hit because of the nature of the play. At that point Mullen had thrown over 120 pitches.
Back in the top of the eighth, Flaherty sent a ball to deep right-center field and after hitting the top of the fence and bouncing back in play, the ball was ruled in play by the umpiring crew and he stayed on third with a triple. During the next at bat, he came across to score on a wild pitch, but was immediately ejected after making a comment to the home plate umpire. That run would put the game at 8-0 and it would stay that way the rest of the game.
Jose Torralba lead off the bottom of the ninth with an encouraging double, but would be left stranded as the following hitters went in order.
The Mainers drop to 10-18 on the season and tied with the Muskrats in the East Division. Jerry Ferris will take the mound tomorrow night as the Mainers travel to Newport to take on the Gulls. Game time is set for 6:35pm.
Notes: Both Jordan Hagel and Paul Kronenfeld had their hit streaks snapped tonight... A walk issued to Hagel extended his on base streak to all 17 games he has played this season... The Mainers reached base 11 times... 9 coming on walks issued by Muskrat pitching... 547 fans were on hand at Goodall Park...
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 19, 2012
- Swamp Bats lose extra inning thriller, still clinch playoff spot - Keene Swamp Bats
- Newport Loses on the Road at Danbury 7-6 - Newport Gulls
- Mountaineers Win Fourth Straight, 11-5, at Holyoke - Vermont Mountaineers
- Mullen Shuts Down Mainers in Shutout - Sanford Mainers
- Eight Gulls Selected to 2012 NECBL Eastern Division All-Star Team - Newport Gulls
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