KEENE, N.H. — The Mainers traveled to Keene on Tuesday looking to start a new winning streak after their previous two-game winning streak was halted by Vermont. Both Keene and Sanford were slow to get going, held back by stellar pitching from both the Swamp Bats’ Michael Dunnigan (0-1) and Sanford hurler Rich Vrana (1-0), who each pitched scoreless baseball into the bottom of the sixtth. The Swamp Bats struck first, but the Mainers struck last, as they rallied for a 2-1 victory.

Vrana was the first to allow a run, as Connor Fitzsimmons led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to center field, followed by Taylor Perez reaching on an error and Ryan Summers laying down a perfectly placed bunt to load the bases. Caden Bailey came up firing from third but the throw was not in time. Brady Sheetz flew out to right field for the first out, with the runners failing to advance. Brett Dennis slugged a high fly ball to deep center field and Fitzsimmons tagged at third and scored making it 1-0 Keene.

The Mainers received help from the bullpen, as Tyler Barss was brought in and retired the final out of the inning. The Mainers immediately responded in the top of the seventh against Dunnigan. Cory Raley started the rally with a one-out infield single. Matt Rabbito then drove a ball to right field that escaped the glove of Zach Lauricella, allowing Raley to charge around from first to score tying it up at 1-1.

Rabbito advanced to second on an error by Lauricella, then Drake Parker singled to knock in Rabitto for an RBI, making it 2-1 Mainers. The next two Mainers batters walked, but the inning came to an end with a fly-out to right field by Dan Hetzel.

Barss worked a scoreless two innings with 5 strikeouts and Mike Bunal was called upon to work the final two outs of the ninth inning for the save. The Swamp Bats threatened in the final frame, loading the bases. Bunal induced a fly-out by Patrick McGrath to left-center that was not deep enough to bring home a run, and the final out of a save by Bunal was recorded on a groundout, as third baseman Bailey fielded a slow ground ball cleanly, took two steps to the bag, and finalized a 2-1 victory.

The Mainers improve to 3-2 on the season and the Swamp Bats fall to 1-2. Next up for the Mainers is a home date against the Laconia Muskrats on Friday at 6:30 p.m.



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