Sanford Allows Three Homers in 9-2 Loss at Keene

By Cole Purvis

Director of Broadcasting and Media

KEENE, New Hampshire - The Sanford Mainers suffered their largest loss of the season up to this point in a 9-2 defeat at the Keene Swamp Bats on Friday. The Moose and Bats are now tied 2-2 on the season series. The game, which featured the top two teams in the NECBL North division, was played in front of a packed crowd, who were there for both the baseball and the fireworks display afterwards.

Keene began the scoring in the bottom of the first when second baseman Charlie Meglio whacked a single up the middle to score Eli Stephens. 

Sanford responded when catcher Brennan Staubley doubled to left field. Brendan Sencaj scored easily from third, but Dom Tozzi, attempting to score from second, was cut down at the plate.

The home run party started in the Keene half of the second, when Collin Anderson homered off of reigning NECBL Pitcher of the Week Drew Smith. It was a two-run shot that made it 3-1 Bats. 

The Mainers punched back in the third and cut the deficit in half on Steven Kraus's single up the middle. Jake Harring, who had stolen both second and third, crossed home standing up to reduce the Keene lead to 3-2.

From there, it was all Swamp Bats. Michael O'Brien nailed a two-run homer to left in the third to make it 5-2. Skipping ahead to the fifth, O'Brien would double and cross home when Nico Senese singled up the middle. The next inning, UConn standout Jackson Marshall lifted his fourth homer of the summer over the right-center field fence for a solo shot. The scoring was capped off in the seventh courtesy of a Chris Polemeni two-RBI single, and Keene's bullpen held steady from there to secure the 9-2 win.

The loss drops the Mainers to 15-7, while the Swamp Bats improve to 14-7-1, meaning the squads are jockeying for first place in the North division. Sanford battles North Shore tomorrow on Independence Day at 6:30, before battling Keene again on Monday. Both games can be streamed on ESPN+.