CRAGIN SILENCES ALL-AMERICANS AS MAINERS BATS COME ALIVE; SANFORD DOWNS LOWELL 8-2

SANFORD – Taylor Cragin gave up only two runs (one earned) on three hits over seven-plus innings to stifle the Lowell All-Americans and lead the Sanford Mainers to an 8-2 victory in NECBL action at Goodall Park on Thursday night. Bubba Ruddy led the way for the Sanford (8-14) offense, going 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Cody Allen also chipped with an RBI double, a triple and a run scored for the Mainers. Kevin Rivers and Brendan Akashian each drove in a run in the loss for Lowell (10-11).

The All-Americans started the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Brendan Akashian started things with a two-out single down the left field line. After moving to third on a single to left field by Tom Stack- Babich, Akashian came in to score the first run of the game on a single to center field by Kevin Rivers.

Lowell extended the lead to 2-0 with an unearned run in the top of the third. Tim Manton reached on a fielder’s choice as Matt Kramer was erased at second base for the first out of the inning. Nolan would then reach first base as Mainers second baseman Jeff Helps (Central Michigan/Wyoming, Ontario) committed a fielding error which also allowed Manton to advance to third base. Manton would score when Akashian followed with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The tide would begin to turn when Sanford plated a run in the bottom of the third inning, and it would be all Mainers the rest of the way as they piled up a season-high 16 hits off of three All-American pitchers. Brian Kemp (St. John’s/East Rockaway, N.Y.) got things started in the third when he led off with a bunt single down the first-base line. Kemp would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cody Allen (Central Michigan/Coleman, Mich.) and then to third on a groundout to second base by Max Most (Marist/Port Washington, N.Y). Kemp would come in to cut the Lowell lead to 2-1 on a single to right field by Bubba Ruddy (Cypress CC/Orange, Calif.) who picked up his first of three runs batted in on the evening.

The Mainers would tie the game with another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tim Kalczynski (Michigan/Farmington Hills, Mich.) led off with a double over the head of Stack-Babich in left field. He moved to third on a groundout to second base by Michael Gedman (Le Moyne/Framingham, Mass.) and came in to tie the score at 2-2 on a single through the right side by Helps.

Sanford took the lead for the first time and for good with another run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Allen led off with a triple deep into the gap in left-center field. He would come into score the third Mainers run of the game when Most followed with an RBI single up the middle which chased Lowell starter Nick Cenatiempo from the ballgame.

The Mainers would blow the game open with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After All-American reliever Justin Albert retired Helps to start the inning, Sanford recorded six consecutive hits off of Albert and Bryan Bingham. Kemp started things with a one-out single up the middle and then moved to second base on a wild pitch. Kemp scored to make it 4-2 on a double to left-center field by Allen. Most then hit an infield single behind the bag at second base to put runners on first and third. Ruddy followed with an infield single to the shortstop Nolan to move Most to second and bring home Allen to give the Mainers a 5-2 lead. Scott Guillerault (Wheaton/South Portland, Maine) then welcomed the new pitcher Bingham to the game by hitting a single through the left side to score Most. Jeff Grantham (St. John’s/Randolph, N.J.) finished the scoring in the inning with a single to right-center field to bring home Ruddy and give Sanford a 7-2 lead.

The Mainers would make the final score 8-2 by tacking on a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Helps reached first base with a one-out walked and moved to third on a double down the left-field line by Kemp. Helps scored Sanford’s eighth run of the game three batters later on a single to right field by Ruddy, who picked up his third run batted in of the game, as well as his ninth RBI of the season.

Taylor Cragin (Texas Christian/Friendswood, Texas) started on the hill for the Mainers and pitched seven-plus innings to earn the victory (2-1). He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out four.

Cenatiempo started on the mound and took the loss (0-2) for Lowell. In four-plus innings of work, he gave up three runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out two.

The Mainers return to action on Friday, July 6 when they visit the Vermont Mountaineers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Montpelier Recreation Field in Montpelier, Vt. Matt Janik and Paul Roper will have all the action at http://www.sanfordmainers.com.

A complete box score of tonight’s game will be available via http://www.necbl.com.

Founded in 2002, the Sanford Mainers are a non-profit organization and the premier collegiate baseball team in the state of Maine, playing their home games at historic Goodall Park. A proud member of the NECBL, the Mainers annually aid in progressing the careers of the future stars of professional baseball, in addition to bringing top-notch collegiate baseball to the Sanford area. For more information visit http://www.sanfordmainers.com or call the Mainers front office at (207) 324-0010.