Mainers Hold On for 5-4 Win Over Gulls
Aggressive baserunning leads Sanford to fourth consecutive win
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By Cole Purvis
Director of Broadcasting and Media
SANFORD, M.E. - Typically, when a team homers twice in an NECBL game, they're going to win. However, this was not the case last night, as the Sanford Mainers withstood two long balls from the Newport Gulls, and won 5-4 for their fourth straight win.
Mainers starting pitcher Charlie Hale threw two relatively stress-free innings to start the game. But when Brennan Rumph took over in the third, Sanford allowed Newport to strike first. With two outs and a runner on, Gulls left fielder Ryan Novak sent one over the right field fence to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the third, Mainers leadoff hitter Nick Zampieron had a productive out, grounding to first, allowing Brian Connolly to score to make it 2-1.
Sanford knotted it up in the fourth when Troy Carpenter roped an RBI double down the left field line, allowing Albert De La Rosa to cross home.
Newport catcher Adam Broski hit a solo shot in the fifth to regain the Gulls' lead.
The seventh inning was the big one for the Mainers. Connolly stole both second and third, and scored when Antonio Morales put the ball in play. The throw to the plate to try to cut Connolly down was not in time, and Morales reached base, tying the game up in the process. Morales and Sam Miller, who was also on, each stole second and third, respectively. De La Rosa scored Miller with an RBI single, and Carpenter sent Morales home with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3 Mainers.
"When you got the dogs, you gotta let them run," said Sanford manager Nic Lops, talking about the aggressive baserunning his team put on display. "We're not gonna sit around and play tentatively. We're gonna go out there and take the game to our opponents…speed kills. Can't teach it."
A Sanford error in the ninth allowed Newport to tack on another and put pressure on Mainers reliever Andrew Kapica, but the Fordham pitcher got out of the jam, and Sanford won 5-4.
The Mainers are back at home for a doubleheader against the North Adams SteepleCats, with first pitch in game one at 4 p.m.