News

Written by Director of Broadcasting and Media

Joe Skinner

SANFORD, Maine – The Sanford Mainers took on the Upper Valley Nighthawks at Goodall Park on Tuesday night, and used an early outburst and shutdown pitching to win the game 10-1.

Matt Aronson (UMass) earned the start for Sanford and turned in his best start of the season. Aronson’s best stretch came between the third and fourth innings, where he struck out five batters in a row. He finished after five innings, one hit, one earned run, one walk and striking out eight.

After suffering an early blow on a home run in the top of the first, the Mainers responded with one in the bottom of the inning. Cal Hewett (Vanderbilt) walked to lead off the inning, and then scored when Dayne Leonard (West Virginia) legged out a fielder’s choice to tie the game at one.

Sanford exploded in the second inning as it scored four runs on four hits to jump to a 5-1 lead. The first three batters reached to load the bases with a walk and two hits, then Hewett drove two home on a single. Two batters later Leonard doubled down the right field line to bring home another pair.

Sanford added on to the lead in the sixth inning with another big frame. The inning was marked by an RBI triple from Mitch Moralez (Utah Valley), and a two-run homer by Freddy Rojas Jr. (UT-Rio Grande Valley) that helped the team score five more and take a 10-1 lead.  

The bullpen shut down the Nighthawks order in relief of Aronson. Jacob Ciccone (Lafayette) threw a clean inning in the sixth, then Brian Craven (Davidson) took over in the seventh and struck out three. Trevor LaBonte (Maryland) pitched the eighth and faced the minimum after allowing a hit then getting a double play. Joe Joe Rodriguez (St. John’s) finished it in the ninth with a strikeout for the 10-1 win.

The Sanford Mainers are back at home on Wednesday for a game against the Winnipesaukee Muskrats at 6:30 PM.

Photo Courtesy of Jessica Ciminelli Photography

About the Sanford Mainers:
Sanford Mainers Baseball is Southern Maine's Premier Baseball Experience located in Sanford, Maine and is one of 13 members of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, as well as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001, playing its first season in 2002. The Sanford Mainers are committed to providing an outlet for collegiate baseball players from across the country to assist in skill development, while also acting as a community partner to the Southern Maine region in regard to youth activities, internships, volunteerism, and more. The Mainers are two-time league champions, taking home the title in 2004 and 2008. For more information on the Sanford Mainers, please visit our website at www.sanfordmainers.com or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/sanfordmainers or on Twitter and Instagram at @sanford_mainers.

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