Mainers Top Mountaineers 9-4
Sanford improves to 3-1 on homestand

Sanford, ME – Behind a late-inning offensive outburst, the Sanford Mainers erased an early three-run outburst as they beat the Vermont Mountaineers 9-4 Tuesday night at Goodall Park. Branson Joseph gave the Mainers their first lead of the ballgame in the sixth with his second homer of the year, and Ryan Cole recorded the last four outs of the game to pick up save number four on the season.

With the game tied at three in the sixth, Joseph came to the plate. He picked on a Nick Greenberg fastball and towered over the left-center field wall to give the Mainers a one-run edge. Sanford would also get their fifth run of the game on a Kyle Groth bloop single to left, plating Anthony D’Alfonso.

Vermont would creep within one in the eighth. With Kyle Davis now on the hill for Sanford, Ethan Paquette hit a ringing RBI double to right-center to score Michael Nesbitt and make it a 5-4 score. However, the Mainers would punch back with some insurance in the ninth. D’Alfonso singled off of Alan Oaks to start the frame. Klint Reed tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but the first baseman Paquette threw high and wide to second allowing D’Alfonso to travel to third and Reed to get to second. D’Alfonso then came in to score on a wild pitch. Groth Walked. With runners at the corners and still nobody out, Corey Hunt singled on a groundball through the right side of the infield, scoring Reed. Steve Brooks delivered a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Groth. After a stolen base and with Hunt now on third, Oaks tossed yet another wild pitch allowing Hunt to score and give the Mainers their 9-4 advantage.

Vermont would get their first three runs early in the contest. The Mountaineers tallied one in the second on a RBI single off the bat of Greg Sherry. Vermont would add two more in the third on a two-run double by Nick Harris. Sanford scored their first run in the third when Groth came home on a wild pitch. The Mainers would tie the game in the fourth on run-scoring singles by D’Alfonso and Groth.

Phil Negus started for the Mainers. The right-hander lasted five and a third innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits. Davis picked up win number two on the 2008 campaign. He gave up one run in two and a third innings of work. Cole allowed a walk and a hit in his inning and a third, striking out the side in the ninth. Greenwood dropped to 2-2 on the year for Vermont. The southpaw went five and two-thirds frames and gave up five runs on 10 Mainer hits.

***Box scores available at necbl.com


Notes…Sanford is 3-0 against Vermont this summer… Sanford is now 16-1 when holding opponents to four runs or less… The Mainers are back at Goodall Park Wednesday night to conclude their five-game homestand against North Adams First pitch is slated for 6:30. Audio and video streaming are both available at sanfordmainers.com