Mainers Ride Big Third Inning to 5-3 Win at Danbury
Will host North Shore Wednesday night

Danbury, CT – The Sanford Mainers used some clutch hitting and took advantage of some shaky Danbury defense en route to a 5-3 victory over the Westerners Sunday night at Rogers Park.  Matt Nandin went 3-5 with two doubles and drove in three for the Mainers’ offense.

      Klint Reed started the top of the third with his first of two walks on the night.  He advanced to third on a Mark Micowski double.  Nandin then delivered a line smash to center that dropped in front of Danbury outfielder Chris Daniels.  The ball took a strange hop and trickled by Daniels, allowing both Reed and Micowski to score.  After a Kevin Reimer walk and a couple of ground outs, Devin Harris hit a routine grounder to short, but Tony Patane threw low to first, plating Nandin and Reimer to give Sanford a 4-0 lead.

     The Westerners crept back with a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh.  Trailing 5-1, Sanford reliever Kyle Davis walked the bases loaded.  Michael Olt came through with his third single of the night, scoring Vinny Dammann and Chris Daniels to cut the Mainers lead in half and chase Davis from the game. T.J. Thomas drew a walk off of new reliever Nick Cenatiempo to once again load the bases.  With the tying run now at second base, Cenatiempo struck out pinch-hitter Zach Babbitt to end the inning and preserve the two-run lead.  The Westerners would not pose any threat in the final two frames.

     Mainers’ starter Jason Bowman picked up the win.  The righty fired five innings, allowing one run on five hits.  He walked none and struck out three.  Davis lasted an inning and two-thirds and was charged with two runs on two hits.  Cenatiempo pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn the first Sanford save of the season.  Danbury starter Nick Jones suffered the loss.  He went 6.1 innings, giving up five runs, two earned, on six hits.  He also walked six batter

***Box scores available at necbl.com