Twice is Nice! Mainers Top Gulls to Earn 2nd-Ever NECBL Crown
Sanford defeats Gulls 4-1, win six straight to cap the season.

Newport, RI – In an era where power and flash have somewhat taken over the baseball landscape, Joe Brown’s 2008 Mainers have displayed what baseball and winning is really all about as Sanford won its second ever NECBL Championship, defeating the Newport Gulls 4-1 in game two of the NECBL Championship series Sunday night at Cardines Field. This year’s Mainers’ club summed up their whole season in one game, showing brilliance at times at the plate, on the mound and in the field of play in their final game of the summer. For the manager Brown, he finished what he came here for two summers ago, when the Mainers bid for an NECBL crown came up a bit short. After a 3-5 start, the Mainers finished the entire season with an all-time high 34 wins, and also made Brown the winningest manager in club history.

The Mainers were leading 3-1 in game two heading into the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Rhoad doubled to down the left field line to start the frame. After a Mike Melillo flyout to left, Mike Tamsin smoked a single to right to move Rhoad to third and chase starter Phil Negus from the game, who turned in his finest pitching performance of the summer. Nick Cenatiempo, despite being used almost exclusively as a starter, came in from the bullpen to face Alex Gregory. Gregory, who led the NECBL in homers and RBIs during the regular season, grounded one sharply to short. And a Mainers’ defense that led the league in double plays in the regular season, saved their best for last, turning a 6-4-3 double play from Harris to Nandin to Groth to end the inning.

Sanford would get one more insurance run in the top of the ninth on a strikeout-passed ball with Anthony D’Alfonso at the plate and Brian Harris coming in to score. In the bottom of the ninth, Cenatiempo retired the first two hitters before Newport posed one final threat. Nick Santomauro doubled and David Poutier singled. However, with a 3-2 count and in the most dramatic situation a pitcher could find himself in, Cenatiempo painted a fastball on the outside corner to punch out Cody Grisham and earn the Mainers the title.
With the score tied 1-1 heading to the top of the fourth, Sanford would jump on top of the Gulls for good. Kyle Groth smacked a single to lead off the inning. Devin Harris followed that up with a line single of his own. Corey Hunt came to the plate. The left-handed hitting third basemen bunted one back to the mound. Jared Prince fielded the ball but threw high to first and into right field. Groth scored, Devin Harris moved to third and Hunt ended up at second base. After Brian Harris was called out on strikes, Kevin Reimer yanked a single through the right side of the infield to plate Devin Harris and give the Mainers a 3-1 cushion. Sanford really looked like a team of destiny when Reimer threw out Rhoad trying to steal second to end the fifth with the tying run at the plate. It was the first time Rhoad was caught stealing all summer, going 25-26 in stolen base attempts

The Mainers picked up where they left off in game one, taking advantage of some shaky defense by the Gulls to put a run on the board. Will Greenberg led off with a routine grounder to short. The throw by Cody Grisham went well wide of first and Greenberg ended up at second base. Matt Nandin laid down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt down the third base line, allowing Greenberg to advance to third. D’Alfonso then delivered an RBI groundout to short as the Mainers grabbed a 1-0 lead. The Gulls would even the game up in the bottom of the first. With Rhoad at second base, Melillo just missed a homer, launching a ball off the wall in right for a double. Rhoad scored to make it a 1-1 score.

Negus picked up his first win in his second postseason appearance. The right-hander struck out seven in his seven and a thirds innings of work. Cenatiempo earned his second save of the summer, bookending it with a save in first appearance of the season. Prince earned his only loss of the postseason, hurling seven innings and allowed three runs, two of them earned, while striking out seven.