Sanford Mainers fall in Game 2 of NECBL divisional round
The Sanford Mainers trailed by six runs in the second inning and couldn’t comeback, losing Game 2 of their New England Collegiate Baseball League divisional round series to the Bristol Blues, 11-6, on Thursday night in Bristol, Connecticut.
Game 3 of the best-of-three series takes place at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Goodall Park in Sanford. The winner advances to the NECBL championship series.
Bristol scored two runs on an error to take the lead in the first. The Blues tacked on four more in the second on RBI singles by Antonio Ducatelli and Cal Chance, sacrifice flies by Evan Menzel and Thomas Zwirecki, and an RBI ground out by Nicholas Francuzenko.
Bristol tacked on a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth, but Sanford scored four in the sixth and two more in the seventh to pull within four. Brian Connolly and Brennan Staubley each had an RBI single in the sixth.
The Mainers loaded the bases in the ninth, but James Mulvaney struck out Connolly end it.
Connolly went 3 for 6, while Antonio Morales added two hits. Starter Michael Bradshaw lasted just 1 1/3 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits.
Colin Crowley had three hits, including two doubles, for Bristol. Ducatelli and Christopher DiPrima each added two hits.
On Friday, Sanford will try to earn its fifth trip overall and first since 2016 to the NECBL championship series. The Mainers won the title in 2004 and 2008.
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Tagged: Sanford Mainers
Dave Dyer is in his second stint with the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. Dave was previously with the company from 2012-2015 and returned in late 2016. He spent most of 2016 doing freelance sports. More by Dave Dyer
