Two Big Innings & Stout Pitching Do the Trick for the Moose at Goodall
July 12, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
Sanford - The Sanford Mainers used a pair of marathon innings to go along with yet another strong bullpen performance to jump all over the Winnipesaukee Muskrats on Thursday night at Goodall Park as they cruised to a 9-4 victory. Despite being out hit, the Mainers were efficient with their opportunities as it only took them 11 hits to bring around the nine runs they put up in the ballgame as the bullpen didn't allow an earned run over the final six innings.
After falling behind 1-0 nothing in the top of the 2nd, the Mainers were able to put up a monster inning in the bottom half that would put them out in front for good. The scoring started on a Carmine Pagano (McLeansville, N.C./UNC-Asheville) RBI single into left center field that brought in Jonathan White (Lawrenceville, Ga./Presbyterian) who led off the inning by wearing one on the left shoulder. An error on the Muskrats shortstop plated the second run of the inning as Brad Czerniejewski (Lake Forest, Illinois/Texas Christian University) scored from second on the play and gave Sanford the lead. The very next batter was Conner Shepherd (Upland, Calif./Texas Christian University) who launched an absolute no-doubter over the right field fence for his first home run of the season, a three-run shot, that gave the Mainers a 5-1 lead after two.
Winnipesaukee was able to get two of those runs back in the top of the 3rd as they brought around a couple of guys with two outs in the inning on well placed singles that cut the Mainers lead to 5-3.
Despite the three runs given up, R.J. Hall (Marietta, Ga./Tufts) turned in another great start on the hill at Goodall Park as he finished strong throwing a scoreless 4th and 5th inning while striking out four and not allowing a walk on the night.Â
The score remained the same as the game progressed into the bottom of the 5th when the Mainers were able to put the game out of reach for good. A Nick Howie (Oakville, Ontario, Canada/Eastern Kentucky) RBI single brought two runs around, one being unearned as the throw to try and get Pagano at third base was launched over the head of the third baseman by the Winnipesaukee shortstop, his second throwing error resulting in a run on the night. With two outs, Tyler Solomon (Haymarket, Va./Vanderbilt) went against the shift and put an RBI triple to the left field fence that scored Howie and put the Mainers on top 8-3 after five innings.
Sanford tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Jonathan White that scored Tyler Solomon to put the icing on the cake for the Moose and give them a 9-4 lead, the eventual final score.
The Mainers' bullpen was lights out as usual as Tripp Barfield (Washington, N.C./UNC-Asheville), Kyle Skidmore (Franklin, Mass./Hofstra), Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Southern Maine) and John Murphy (Merchantville, N.J./Maryland) combined to throw the final four innings of the game without surrendering an earned run while racking up five strikeouts, three of them coming from Murphy who struck out the side in the 9th to slam the door shut.
Sanford still sits tied for second place in the Northern Division after Keene also won tonight, but a massive showdown tomorrow will take place at Goodall Park as the Mainers welcome the Northern Division leading Valley Blue Sox into town for a double header starting at 4 pm. Make sure to either come on out to the ballpark or get to a television/radio to tune in for all the action live on the NECBL Broadcast Network for a double header that could go a long way for either side as the teams being their push down the final stretch of the season.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 12, 2018
- Two Big Innings & Stout Pitching Do the Trick for the Moose at Goodall - Sanford Mainers
- Vermont Only Musters One Hit in 2-1 Loss against Valley - Vermont Mountaineers
- SwampBats Pull ahead in Fourth, Stay There - Keene Swamp Bats
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