Mainers Shut Down Twisters, 6-1
Sanford heads to Vermont Friday after day off on Thursday

Sanford, ME – Behind a four-run third inning and stellar starting pitching by Nick Cenatiempo, the Sanford Mainers topped the Torrington Twisters 6-1 Wednesday night at Goodall Park. Sanford swept the two-game season series against the Twisters after a wild 17-16 win at Torrington last Thursday.

Both pitchers were breezing along until the bottom of the third. Corey Hunt reached on an infield single to start the inning. Greg Hopkins blooped a single to center. Kevin Reimer tried to sacrifice the two runners over, but ended up reaching base himself with a bunt single. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Will Greenberg hit a bouncing ball to first. Chase Austin came charging in but saw the ball bounce over his glove allowing two runs to score. After a Matt Nandin groundout and with runners at second and third, Anthony D’Alfonso shot a single to left, plating Reimer. Branson Joseph capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center with Greenberg coming in to score to make it 4-0 Sanford.

Torrington would get their lone run in the seventh. After recording just one hit through the first six innings, the Twisters would tally four consecutive singles off Cenatiempo with Joe DePinto scoring on a Jimmy Rivas base-hit. Tony Chisman came on in relief and inherited a bases-loaded jam with a three-run cushion and a 1-0 count Josh Chasse. The Twisters’ center fielder hit a foul pop caught by the catcher Kevin Reimer. Austin Christensen then hit a little flair to shallow left ran down by Hunt to end the threat.

Sanford would tack on a couple of insurance runs in the eighth. Greenberg roped a double down the right field line. After a Klint Reed sacrifice bunt, D’Alfonso came through with his second RBI single of the night, a liner to right-center. Brian Harris, who pinch hit for Joseph one at-bat earlier, came to the plate and watched D’Alfonso steal second base. Harris then delivered a sharp, line-drive single to left to score D’Alfonso and give the Mainers a 6-1 advantage. Torrington would strand two more in the eighth and would threaten again in the ninth, but the fourth double play turned by the Mainers’ defense eliminated any chance of the Twisters coming back in this one.

Cenatiempo improved to 3-3 on the year. The right-hander lasted six and a third innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking one and striking out three. Chisman struck out two in his two and a third scoreless innings of relief, and Ryan Cole allowed only an infield single in the ninth. Clay Caulfield was draped with the loss in his Twisters’ debut. The righty went five innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits.

***Box scores available at necbl.com

Notes…The Mainers concluded their regular season schedule against the Southern Division, going 10-2… The four double plays turned by the Sanford defense was a season-high... Attendance Wednesday night was 587…The Mainers have Thursday off before traveling to Vermont to take on the Mountaineers on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30. Audio and video streaming are both available at sanfordmainers.com