Photography by Remi Frisby

Written by Ryan Zimmerman
Director of Broadcasting and Media

MONTPELIER – Mother Nature did not work in the Mainers’ favor once again. This time, it was heavy fog over Recreation Field that abbreviated today’s game against the Vermont Mountaineers, a 4-1 loss in six innings.

Although the Mainers out-hit the Mountaineers four to three, the hosts made theirs count by scoring in three straight innings, propelling them to their eighth straight victory.

After being held scoreless in the first inning, the Mountaineers drew first blood in the second. A leadoff walk, base hit, and wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out for Matt McDermott to record an RBI groundout, giving his team a 1-0 edge.

They doubled their advantage an inning later without putting the ball in play. A walk and hit batsmen placed runners on first and second once again with one out, and a perfectly executed double steal drew a throwing error, allowing both runners to advance an extra 90 feet, extending the Mountaineer lead to two.

The Mainers responded right away in the fourth. On the very first pitch of the inning, Drew DeMartino (Pittsfield, Mass./Hartford) got every stitch of an inside fastball, sending a no-doubt home run over the left field fence and cutting their deficit in half.

Unhappy with giving up the run, the Mountaineers looked for revenge in their next turn at bat. With one out, a dropped third strike and a walk had runners on first and second yet again. A big strikeout put the Mainers in prime position to hold their opposition scoreless, but Evan Giordano got a 2-0 pitch he liked and missed a home run by mere inches, hitting the wall on the fly with a two-run double, delivering insurance to the first-base dugout.

Nick Laster (Atlanta, Ga./Eastern Kentucky) took over on the mound in the fifth inning, and like he’s done all season long, he held Mountaineer bats in check. In his two innings of work, he allowed just one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings, striking out two in the process.

The Mainers had a chance to tie the game in the sixth inning as a two-out rally put the tying run at the plate. A Connor Tate (Bishop, Ga./Georgia) single and Nick Howie (Oakville, Ontario, Canada/Eastern Kentucky) walk sent panic into Vermont minds. However, a pitching change got Mountaineers out of trouble. It took reliever Beau Keathley two needed just two pitches to work a fielder’s choice, keeping his team on top.

As the home team took the field for the seventh inning, a heavy fog came in from beyond the center field fences, causing the umpires to suspend play. Following a twenty-minute delay, the game was called, ending in a 4-1 defeat.

The loss marks the Moose’s third loss in games going six innings or fewer. They remain in sixth place in the ultra-competitive Northern Division.

They’ll look to recover tomorrow when they return home to face the Winnipesaukee Muskrats for Military Appreciation Night at Goodall Park. Be sure to follow all the action on the Patriot Subaru Mainers Radio Network powered by the NECBL Broadcast Network and starting at 6:30 PM. Until then, you can stay connected to all things Mainers baseball by heading over to sanfordmainers.com and following the team on social media.

To watch the game highlights, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWbSvQbFq_w