KEENE, N.H. — Four runs in the first inning and an additional three in the second made sure the Keene Swamp Bats (16-23) never caught up to the division-leading Sanford Mainers (23-14) in their 10-3 win Tuesday night.

Sanford’s four-spot formed quickly, as Johnny Slater (Michigan) led-off the game with a single, with Shaine Hughes (Monmouth) and Todd Czinege (Villanova) joining him aboard with a walk and single respectively. Mike Landestoy (Texas Christian) grounded out to bring the first run, before Chris Gaetano’s (Monmouth) three-run home run to make it 4-0 early.

Sanford loaded the bases on three consecutive batters in the first. Zach Jancarski (Maryland) singled in a run, which was followed by a fielder’s choice to knock in another. Czinege hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the seventh run, making it an early and insurmountable Mainers lead.

Sanford tacked on three more in the fourth when Hughes drove in a run on a double play ball and was followed by a Czinege RBI-single and a Landestoy RBIdouble to give the Mainers their final total. Despite two errors, the Mainers helped themselves out through some excellent defensive plays. Sanford turned a 5-4-3 double play to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth, but the golden standard was set by the center fielder Jancarski. The Maryland Terrapin robbed Patrick Sullivan (Georgia) of what would have been a two-run home run with a leaping grab, and stole an extra-base hit from Aubrey McCarty (Florida A&M) as he crashed into the outfield fence. Both stunning catches ended Keene’s respective innings, in the fifth and the seventh.