By: Shannon Bickert
The Schooners lost a 3-2 heart-breaker against the Sanford Mainers on Wednesday, June 24. The Schooners move to 10-5 on the summer with the loss as Sanford stays a top of the NECBL North standings with an 11-5 record. Mystic stranded 10 runners on the basepaths in the loss.
Troy Carpenter (Maine) ripped an opposite field solo-shot to give Sanford the lead in the first off Dominic Pontbriant (USF).
Sanford’s starter, Charlie Hendrix (Georgetown) allowed a leadoff walk to Jack Harley (Stetson) and an infield single comebacker to Casey Wensley (Bryant) but tossed a scoreless frame courtesy of a double play and caught stealing.
The Mainers scored two in the second inning on five straight singles. Albert De La Rosa (Maine) , Brennan Staubley (CSSU), Sam Miller (Binghamton), Jake Harring (Salve Regina) and Nick Zampieron (SBU) strung together five base hits to plate two runs and give Stanford a 3-0 lead.
The Schooners chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the second. Cam Righi (UConn) doubled into the left-center field gap and Anthony Belisario (Portal) followed with an RBI double to score Righi.
Pontbriant dealt two walks and allowed a single but escaped the third inning unscathed. The catcher, Devin Russell (UNC), caught a runner stealing second to close the top of the third.
Hendrix worked himself in and out of trouble in the bottom of the third. Harley dropped a single into shallow left field, and in his return, Gabe Natividad (Xavier) wore a pitch, but both baserunners were stranded.
Zev Salsberg (Bryant) made his fifth relief appearance in the top of the fourth for Mystic. Salsberg dealt a walk to Harring but tossed a scoreless inning.
The Mainers were unable to add to their tally in the fifth on two hits, as Salsberg delivered his second inning of scoreless ball.
Jake Dally (Binghamton) took the ball for the Mainers in the fifth and tossed a scoreless frame, dealing a walk to Russell.
Tristian Aasland (UConn) tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning for Mystic.
Dally allowed two walks and Righi stole his 10th bag of the season, but Dally worked out of the jam in the sixth.
Aasland dealt his second straight three-up, three-down inning in the seventh.
Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) ripped a two-out double deep to the right-center field fence, but the shortstop was left on the basepaths in the bottom of the seventh frame.
Nater Watcher (UConn) knocked a single off Connor Shaw (SDSU) in the eighth, but the ballgame remained 3-1 in favor of the Mainers.
Scott Penney (URI) ripped a pinch-hit single up the middle to lead off the eighth off the fresh arm, Samuel Young (Richmond). Wensley followed with a knock through the left side. Detwiler drew a walk to load the bases for the Schooners with no outs. Penney came in to score on a two-out balk to cut the deficit to one. Young got out of trouble with his third straight strikeout.
Liam Chamberlin (Portal) took the ball for Mystic in the ninth. Chamberlin allowed back-to-back singles but a good pickoff at second of Harring and a lineout got the Schooners out of trouble.
The Schooners did not have a rally in their bones as Young retired Mystic in order in the ninth.
Mystic continues their homestand on Thursday, June 25 against the Bristol Blues. The Schooners lead the season series 1-0 against Bristol. First pitch from Ed Harvey Field is set for 6:30 pm.
