Wiel's Home Run Aids in Victory Over Keene

June 19, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release


After just seven games the Mainers still couldn't hit the .500 mark, but coming off a win against the New Bedford Bay Sox on Monday night, put the team just one win away from hitting even for the first time this summer.

The efforts would have to be left on Alumni Field in Keene, New Hampshire as the Mainers took on the Keene Swamp Bats Tuesday night. It took until the very end to decide the winner of the back and forth battle, but it was the Mainers who swiped the victory 5-3.

Evan Hill took the mound for his second start in a Mainers uniform this summer. After coming off a rough outing against the Mystic Schooners just under a week ago where he lasted only 2.2 innings, he looked to turn things around. Hill didn't record a decision this time around, but did go five innings, giving up six hits and two runs.

The Swamp Bats took to the board first when Tommy Monnot hit a double down the left field line and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Matt Ford.

Just two innings later, the Mainers answered with a run of their own when Will Cooper doubled to left to extend his hitting streak to six games. He advanced to third on a passed ball and then came into score when Anthony Papio grounded out to second.

Keene would take claim of the lead again in the fifth when Dylan Moore led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a walk issued to Zach Lauricella. JP Sportman took the first pitch he saw in the next at bat and drove it up the middle for an RBI single to put the score at 2-1.

During the next half inning, Zander Wiel found the pitch he liked with two outs and roped it over the fence in left-center field for a two-run shot, as well as his first hit of the season, that pushed the Mainers ahead 3-2.

The Swamp Bats would tie the game seventh, but the Mainers took control once again in the ninth. Wiel led off with a single that dropped into shallow left field when Lauricella lost the ball in the lights and Moore couldn't catch up to it. Nic Wilson was hit by a pitch during the next at bat and both he and Wiel advanced up a base on a passed ball.

On the very next pitch, Wiel raced into home with the go ahead run on a wild pitch that was sent to the backstop. Wilson followed suit and headed into third base. Cole Martin came into the game to pinch hit and singled to short scoring Wilson.

Steven Rice came into pitch in relief in the seventh and went the rest of the way, striking out four en route to victory over the Swamp Bats as he records his first decision on the season.

The Mainers improve to 4-4 on the year and will search for their third win in a row tomorrow night as they play host to the Danbury Westerners. Dave D'Errico is expected to make the start for the Moose. Game time is set for 6:30p.m.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 19, 2013


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