SANFORD — North Adams SteepleCats (7-5) starter Dakota Edwards debuted in grand fashion, no-hitting the Sanford Mainers (6-6) for the 11th no-hitter in NECBL history in a 1-0 win Saturday night at Goodall Park.
The Mainers entered the contest leading the circuit with a .295 team batting average but was stymied by the masterful pitching from Edwards, a member of the 2014 Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide team. The game brewed into a tight pitching duel between Edwards and Mainers starter Ben Wessel through the first six innings as the two exchanged scoreless innings.
The SteepleCats had runners in scoring position in both the first and fourth innings but Wessel wiggled his way out, looking crisp through his six innings of work. In the seventh, a throwing error by shortstop Dave Schanz set the inning, allowing a runner to reach second base with no outs. Dan Shea followed with an RBI triple to deep center field to score the only run, chasing Wessel who fell to 0-3 with the tough-luck loss.
Edwards retired the last 16 batters he faced, closing the game facing just two batters over the minimum, tossing perfect frames from the fifth inning on. His only blemishes were a hit batter in the first and a two-out walks in the second and fifth.
The Mainers bullpen was effective again, featuring Cody Dube, who stranded Shea at third base with no outs in the seventh to keep it a 1-0 game for the Mainers. Vinny Whitenight followed with a scoreless 1 1/3 innings of work, and struck out three. The loss snapped the Mainers’ three-game winning streak and four-game double-digit hit streak.
Sanford hosts the SteepleCats for the second time in three days tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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