Mainers 4

Newport 1

Four years ago, the upstart Sanford Mainers took their first New England Collegiate Baseball League championship with a win over the Newport Gulls. On Sunday night, the Mainers traveled to Newport, R.I. where history repeated itself and the Mainers earned a 4-1 win over the Gulls for their second NECBL title.

The Mainers did everything right in the second game of the best of three series. Phil Negus pitched into the eighth inning and allowed just one run. The bats came through when Sanford needed them and the defense was sharp as well.

In the top of the first, Sanford got on the scoreboard thanks to some shaky defense by Newport. Will Greenberg led off the game with a ground ball to short, but the throw to first was off the mark and Greenberg found himself standing at second. Matt Nandin laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Greenberg to third with just one out. Anthony D’Alfonso knocked Greenberg in from third with an RBI groundout to short and the Mainers led 1-0.

The Gulls drew even in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Rhoad was on second when Mike Melillo narrowly missed a home run with a shot off the wall. Rhoad scored on the play to tie the game at one. But that would prove to be the only run the Gulls would get.

The Mainers took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Kyle Groth led off the inning with a single. Devin Harris then lined another single to give Sanford a pair of runners. Corey Hunt dropped down a bunt that went back to the pitcher. The throw was high, allowing Groth to score the go-ahead run. Harris took third on the play and Hunt ended up at second.

Two batters later, Kevin Reimer provided the Mainers with an insurance run when he snuck one through the right side to drive in Harris and give the Mainers a 3-1 lead.

The Gulls threatened a few times over the course of the rest of the game. In the fifth, they got the tying run to the plate only to see Rhoad thrown out trying to steal second. It was the first time Rhoad was thrown out trying to steal all season.

The Gulls had another great chance in the eighth. Rhoad doubled to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Mike Tamsin singled to move Rhoad to third and give Newport some life. The single also chased Negus from the game and forced the Mainers to bring in Nick Cenatiempo to face the NECBL’s home runs and RBI leader, Alex Gregory. Cenatiempo got Gregory to ground into an inning-ending double play to preserve the lead.

The Mainers tacked on another insurance run in the top of the ninth when Harris scored on a strikeout passed ball. That gave Sanford a 4-1 lead and a bigger cushion heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Cenatiempo got the first two batters in order in the ninth before the Gulls threatened again. Nick Santomauro lashed a deep double to keep Newport’s season alive. David Poutier then singled and the tying run was at the plate again. Cenatiempo fell behind 3-1 before getting the count full. Cenatiempo then painted the corner with a 3-2 pitch to strike out Cody Grisham looking and give the Mainers their second NECBL title.

The Mainers were able to take the NECBL title in two games thanks to a come from behind win in game one at Goodall Park Saturday night.

Everything went right for the Gulls early in game one. Rhoad led off the game with a single and quickly stole second. Melillo then singled to drive in Rhoad and just like that, the Gulls led 1-0.

Newport added another run in the second inning when Kyle Conley took a pitch the other way and homered over the wall in right for a 2-0 Gulls lead. In the third, they would make it 3-0. Rhoad singled again and stole second again. Conley came to bat with the bases full of Gulls and walked to drive in Rhoad.

Sanford finally put together a threat in the bottom of the third. Hunt singled to start the inning and Harris bunted him over to second. Klint Reed then reached on an error that allowed Hunt to move to third. Greenberg then flied to right for a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-1 game. Nandin then singled and Reed was waved around but was thrown out to end the rally.

But the Mainers managed to tie the game with a run in both the fourth and sixth innings. Hunt drove in Branson Joseph in the fourth and Groth drove in Joseph in the sixth on a ground out.

Sanford took the lead with three runs in the seventh. They only managed one hit in the inning but thanks to an error, they managed to take the lead and tack on some insurance runs.

Newport would mount a charge in the eighth with a pair of runs but Sanford held on to take game one, 6-5.