Mainers Streak Halted at Nine with 8-6 Loss to Keene
Sanford starts four-game road trip Monday night at Vermont
 

Sanford, ME – The Sanford Mainers fell behind early and never fully recovered as their nine game win streak ended where it began as they fall 8-6 to the Keene Swampbats Sunday night at Goodall Park. The Mainers scored six unanswered runs and had the tying run at the plate in the ninth before ultimately losing for the first time in their last 10 games.

Keene would jump all over Mainers’ starter Jeff DeCarlo in the second. Jose Macias drew a bases loaded walk which was followed by an Aaron Westlake RBI single. Franco Valdez drove in a run on an infield single, and Westlake came in to score on a wild pitch to give Keene a 4-0 lead.

The Swampbats would get a pair of runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings off of Ryan Lapointe. With one out and runners on second and third, Paul Karmas ripped a single to left-center to plate Chris Tremblay and Dan Grovat. Alex Lee added a two-run double to score two more in the sixth to allow Keene to open up an 8-0 margin.

Sanford would chip away with solo tallies in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Branson Joseph ripped an RBI triple into the right-center field gap to score Steve Brooks in inning number six. In the seventh, Kevin Reimer and Greg Hopkins each reached on bunt singles. With two outs now and runners on first and second, Corey Hunt poked a base-hit to left to score Reimer. Reimer would be involved in the scoring in the eighth as well, bringing home A.J. Casario home with an RBI single to center.

The Mainers would give Keene a scare in the ninth. Hopkins tripled to deep center to lead off the inning, his third hit of the night. After a Brian Harris sacrifice fly, Corey Hunt reached on an infield single to third. Anthony D’Alfonso followed that up with a single on a grounder through the right side. After a wild pitch allowing Hunt to scire, Matt Nandin brought the Mainers within two with a RBI single to right. With the tying run at the plate and only one away, Casario flew out to deep center and Kyle Groth struck out swinging to end the game.

DeCarlo suffered his first loss of the year. The southpaw went two-plus innings and allowed four runs on three hits, walking four and striking out three. Lapointe gave up four runs in six innings of work out of the bullpen, and Tony Chisman fired a scoreless ninth. Sean Biermann improved to 2-0 on the year for Keene. He gave up two runs in six and two-thirds innings of work. James Wise earned the save for the Swampbats.

***Box scores available at necbl.com


Notes… There was an hour and 47 minute delay prior to the start of tonight’s ballgame…The Mainers are now 1-2 against Keene in 2008… Lapointe’s six innings was the longest outing for a Sanford reliever so far this season… The Mainers begin a four game road swing starting Monday night at Vermont. First pitch is slated for 6:30. Audio and video streaming are both available at sanfordmainers.com