VANDER KOLK, GIANTS CLOBBER MAINERS

HOLYOKE, Mass. – Peter Vander Kolk had a two-run double and Jack Cawley and Craig Turner each added two-run singles to key an eight-run sixth inning for the Holyoke Giants as they defeated the Sanford Mainers 15-7 in NECBL action at MacKenzie Stadium on Saturday night. Vander Kolk also added a two-run double in the second inning to finish with four runs batted in and Turner finished with three RBI to lead the Holyoke (16-8) offense. Cody Allen went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and Bubba Ruddy added a two-run double for the Mainers (8-16) in the loss.

The Mainers struck for the first run of the game with an unearned tally in the top of the first inning. Cody Allen (Central Michigan/Coleman, Mich.) reached first base with a one-out walk, moved to second on a passed ball against Giants catcher Craig Turner, and then moved to third on a balk by Holyoke starting pitcher Santo Maertz. Allen then came in to score and give Sanford an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to center field by Max Most (Marist/Port Washington, N.Y.).

The Giants answered with a five runs to take the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Jack Cawley started things with a one-out single to right-center field. Cawley ended the play on second base after the ball rolled up and over Most’s arm in right field. Cawley moved to third on an infield single by Shawn Gilblair which came to rest in fair territory right on the third-base foul line as the Mainers infield hoped it would roll foul. Turner followed with an RBI single to right field which scored Cawley to tie the game at 1-1 and also moved Gilblair to second base. Gilblair would then come in to give Holyoke the lead on a double to right-center field by Kent Graham which also moved Turner to third base. Both Turner and Graham would score two batters later when Peter Vander Kolk hit a two-run double just inside third base and down the left-field line to make it a 4-1 lead for the Giants. Vander Kolk would score to extend the lead to 5-1 when Kody Hightower made it back-to-back doubles by hitting a ball into the gap in right-center field.

Sanford got one run back in the top of the fourth inning. Most led off with a single through the left side and moved to second when Tim Kalczynski (Michigan/Farmington Hills, Mich.) was hit by a pitch. Most scored to cut the deficit to 5-2 on a single through the right side by Noah Lankford (Central Michigan/Cincinnati, Ohio).

The Mainers would creep closer with two more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Jeff Grantham (St. John’s/Randolph, N.J.) started things with a two-out, bunt single up the third-base line. He moved to second when Kalczynski laid a bunt single down towards third base as well. Lankford followed with a triple deep into the gap in right-center field to score both runs to cut the Holyoke lead to 5-4.

However, the threat was short-lived by the Mainers, as the Giants struck back immediately for eight runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Turner started things with a one-out single through the right side. He moved to second when Graham walked, and Justin Little followed with an infield single to first base to load the bases. Vander Kolk then followed with his second two-run double of the evening down the left-field line to extend the lead to 7-4. Little would then come into score on a wild pitch which moved Vander Kolk to third. Vander Kolk would then score when Bubba Ruddy’s (Cypress CC/Orange, Calif.) throw back to reliever Michael Gedman (Le Moyne/Framingham, Mass.) eluded Gedman and went into center field. Hightower then walked and Kyle Bellows and Kevin Renaud both hit singles to load the bases once again. Cawley followed with a two-run single through the right side to extend the lead to 11-4. Two batters later, Turner picked up his second single of the inning, back up the middle to score Renaud and Cawley to make it a 13-4 Holyoke lead.

Sanford would later score two runs in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Brian Kemp (St. John’s/East Rockaway, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch and stole second base. After Allen worked a walk, Most grounded into a fielder’s choice that saw Kemp erased on the way to third base. Ruddy followed with a two-run double to the gap in left-center field to cut the Giants’ lead to 13-6.

Holyoke would tack on another run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Little led off with a single through the right side. He came all the way around from first to score and make it 14-6 on a double down the left-field line by Bellows.

The Giants added yet another run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Gilblair hit a single through the left side and then moved to second base on a walk by Turner. After a Graham single loaded the bases, Gilblair scored to extend the lead to 15-6 when Little grounded into a fielder’s choice.

Sanford picked up an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning to cut the final deficit to 15-7. Most reached on a one-out walk and later advanced to third on a throwing error by Graham at third base. Most would score on a sacrifice fly to right field by Grantham.

Luke Demko (Rhode Island/Gilford, N.H.) started on the mound and took the loss (1-2) for Sanford. In only two innings of work, Demko gave up five runs on six hits and hit one batter.

Maertz started on the hill and earned the victory (1-0) for Holyoke. Over six innings, he gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out one.

The Mainers return to action on Sunday, July 8 when they visit the Torrington Twisters. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Fuessenich Park in Torrington, Conn. Matt Janik and Luke Hutchinson 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.