Mainers Edge Blue Sox 3-2
Wilson wins second straight start for Sanford.

Sanford, ME – Matt Nandin singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh and Mike Wilson pitched eight solid innings in a starting role as the Sanford Mainers beat the Holyoke Blue Sox 3-2 Monday night at Goodall Park.

Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Mainers would tie it then go ahead in an unconventional manner. Will Greenberg dragged a bunt down the first baseline for a leadoff single. Greg Hopkins bunted Greenberg over to second, and Corey Hunt reached on a drag-bunt single of his own, setting up runners at the corners with one away. Pinch-hitter Anthony D’Alfonso hit a slow chopper to second, second baseman Corey Jones flipped to second for one out, but D’Alfonso beat the return throw to first allowing Greenberg to score from third.

With the score now tied, D’Alfonso stole second base. Matt Nandin ripped a line-shot to right field for a base-hit. Right-fielder Adam Dimino seemingly made a strong throw to home plate that would’ve cut down D’Alfonso trying to score, but first baseman Ken Gregory cut the ball off and did not throw home, allowing D’Alfonso to score and give the Mainers a seventh inning, 3-2 lead. The Blue Sox would go down in order in the eighth but did have the tying run at first base with two outs in the ninth. However, Tony Chisman struck out pinch-hitter Danny Brown looking to end the ballgame.

Sanford got their first run of the game in the first. With two outs and runners on first and second, Mike Murray recorded his first Mainers’ RBI with a line-drive single to center scoring Nandin. Holyoke got solo tallies in both of the fourth and fifth innings for their only offense of the night. Craig Turner singled in Alex Hilliard in the fourth, and Shevis Shima actually gave Holyoke a temporary lead in the fifth on a run-scoring infield single plating Alex Wyche

Wilson went eight innings for his longest outing of the season. The southpaw from Michigan allowed two runs, just one earned on six hits. He walked three and struck two. Chisman allowed one walk in his one inning, earning his third save of the season.

Holyoke starter Justin Albert walked away with a no-decision for the first time this season. He had won all four starts coming into Monday’s action. The lefty allowed two runs in six and two-thirds innings. Brandon Aich picked up the loss, giving up one run in two-thirds of an inning.

***Box scores available at necbl.com

Notes… The Mainers are now 7-1 in one-run games this season…Sanford is 2-0 against Holyoke in 2008… Sanford is now 15-1 when holding opponents to four runs or less…Attendance Monday night was 514… The Mainers are back at Goodall Park tomorrow to take on the Vermont Mountaineers. First pitch is slated for 6:30. Audio and video streaming are both available at sanfordmainers.com