The Sanford Mainers beat the SwampBats 15-8 on Tuesday night, and are now responsible for five of Keene’s nine losses. 

The SwampBats got off to a hot start, with a Jake Koonin (Princeton) double and a Nick Romano (Florida Atlantic) single producing a run in the first inning. They had leadoff singles by Penn State’s Bryce Molinaro and Indiana’s Andrew Wiggins which both bounced through the infield in the second. With one out, Wake Forest’s Austin Hawke hit an RBI single to the warning track. Sam Biller (Connecticut) lined a single to load the bases, and Koonin drove in another run with a base hit. With the momentum brewing and the SwampBats looking to run away with it, they hit a comebacker to the pitcher, who threw home. The return throw to first deflected off the batter and into foul territory, apparently scoring two runs. Instead, the umpire called interference resulting in a double play. This would prove to be the turning point in the game.

Sanford scored twice on two hit-by-pitches, a single, and a groundout to make it 3-2 in the third. The Mainers then scored on two walks and a single in the top of the fourth. Another walk loaded the bases and chased the SwampBats’ starter from the game. Sanford scored again on an infield single even though Romano made a great sliding backhand stop to keep it on the infield. After a bases-loaded walk, the Mainers’ three-hitter drilled a bases-clearing double into the right field corner to make it 8-3 Sanford. The Mainers tacked on a run in the sixth on a single but Louisville’s Braxton Stewart impressively picked off a runner at second base to help get out of the inning. Stewart came out of the game after a run scoring error in the seventh but finished with four strikeouts and just one earned run over two and two-thirds innings. Sanford then scored twice more on a wild pitch and then a solo home run to make it 12-3. Kent State’s Ripken Reese pulled a run back with a double in the seventh before, preluding some more offensive excitement in the next inning. The Mainers walked the bases loaded for Romano, and he drilled the SwampBats’ third grand slam of the season to make the score 12-8. In the ninth, a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Sanford, and the batter screamed directly at the SwampBats’ dugout, resulting in warnings being issued to both teams. Sanford went on to score three runs in the inning. The SwampBats outhit Sanford 15-12, including four from Koonin. 

Keene (17-9) is home again on Wednesday against North Adams for All Faith Night.