Mainers fall at home, 7-6 to Navigators
Return matchup @ North Shore Thursday night

Sanford, ME – Despite jumping out to an early 5-1 lead, the Sanford Mainers could not hold off the North Shore Navigators, as they fall 7-6 Wednesday night at Goodall Park. The Navigators scored five times in the fifth off of Mainer pitching to gain a two-run lead, a lead they would not relinquish.

After a first inning run by North Shore, Sanford bounced right back in the bottom half. Mark Micowski led off with an infield single. After an error allowing Steve Brooks to reach, Kevin Reimer ripped an RBI single to right, with Brooks moving to third. Branson Joseph followed up with a double play ball that plated Brooks and gave the Mainers a 2-1 edge.

Sanford tacked on a few more in the second. Devin Harris ripped an opposite field triple, just over the outstretched glove of North Shore outfielder Mike Provencher. Matt Nandin then singled home Harris. Greg Hopkins reached on an error by the Navigator defense, allowing Nandin to score. With Hopkins now on third, Micowski delivered a sacrifice fly to center to give the Mainers a 5-1 advantage.

The Navigators turned the game around in the fifth, sending 10 men to the plate. Trailing 5-2 now, Sean McNaughton doubled to lead off the frame and scored on a Provencher double, which chased starter Ryan Lapointe from the game. With the bases loaded and one away, Peter Fotse hit a bouncer to first. Will Greenberg tossed it to second for one out, but the return throw to first sailed over the head of Greenberg, allowing two more runs to score. Ryan McCrann then broke a 5-5 tie with a double to right-center that scored two to give North Shore a 7-5 lead. The Mainers would get a leadoff sixth-inning homer by Joseph, but that would be their only offense the rest of the night.

Lapointe finished with 4.1 innings pitched, giving up four runs, three earned on six hits. Ryan Cole, making his first appearance of the season, was draped with the loss. He gave up three runs in three innings of work. Navigators’ starter Adam Herter picked up the win. In six innings of work, Herter allowed six runs, only two earned, on six Mainer hits. Chris Prescott earned his second save of the season for North Shore.