A Pair of Homers Propels Sanford to 5-1 Win at Keene
Mainers off to best start since 2003 after racking up another road win
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
By Cole Purvis
Director of Broadcasting and Media
KEENE, N.H. - A big early-season matchup between the North division's top-two record holders went down Wednesday night, and it ended in the Sanford Mainers taking down the Keene Swamp Bats 5-1.
Both squads had a runner on base in the first, both of which were quickly erased by a double play. It was the start of an early pitchers duel between Sanford's Jake Dally and Keene's Jack Davis, as the first three innings were a relative breeze for them and their defenses.
That was until the fourth inning. Mainers left fielder Nater Wachter stepped in with a runner on first and blasted a two-run shot to left field to put the Moose up 2-0. It was Wachter's second long-ball of the season – nobody else on the team had recorded one this summer up to that point.
"I like when a guy swings first-pitch, when he's ready with a plan," said manager Nic Lops. "Both of his home runs this summer, I believe, have been first-pitch."
It was a quality start for Dally, who ended the day throwing four scoreless innings and gave up just two hits.
"He's a bullpen guy at Binghamton, the plan is to have him be a starter next year at school, so we'll gladly help him get his feet wet with that," said Lops.
Sanford then got to Keene reliever Eamon McDermott in the fifth. The Moose loaded the bases with one out. McDermott managed to strike out Wachter, but was still not out of the woods. The next hitter, Brennan Staubley, roped a first-pitch single to right that scored two runs and put the Mainers up 4-0.
In the seventh, Keene slugger Jackson Marshall crushed a double to left field, and then advanced to third on a fielder's choice. Pinch hitter Michael O'Brien drove him in with a single to right, to cut the Mainers' lead to 4-1.
Sanford got that run back in the top of the ninth, when Steven Kraus lifted a solo homer to straightaway center. Sanford reliever Sam Young, who pitched the final 2.1 innings, tossed a scoreless ninth to secure the 5-1 victory.
The Mainers are 5-0 on the road and 9-3 overall, marking the program's best start to a season since 2003.
Next up is a trek to Upper Valley on Friday at 6:00 p.m.