Photo Courtesy of Abby Harris 

Written by Jackson Walsh

Director of Broadcasting & Media

LYNN, Mass. – The Sanford Mainers hit the road to take on the North Shore Navigators for the first time this season, in a North division matchup. First pitch was at 11 a.m in front of a packed house on education day at Fraser Field. The Navigators came out on top in a 6-3 come from behind victory. The Mainers fell to 0-3 on the year while North Shore improved to 2-5.

In the third consecutive loss to open the season, Sanford once again had a multiple run lead before seeing it slip away and not being able to complete a comeback. “It was another game given away,” said Mainers manager Nic Lops. “The frustrating part is that we’re striking early, and we’re just not able to finish it off.” The Mainers took a two run lead into the bottom of the seventh before North Shore put up six runs in the seventh and eventually prevailed, 6-3. 

Sanford saw their best starting pitching performance of the year so far from Alfredo Mucciarone (UMass Lowell). The Massachusetts native got the start in his home state and hurled six scoreless innings, while only allowing three hits and striking out six. “The biggest thing that jumped out to me about Mucciarone was his ability to get ahead and stay ahead in counts,” said Lops. The righty exited the game throwing just 68 pitches.

North Shore got a quality start from John Whitney (Samford). Whitney chucked four innings of one run ball before turning it over to the bullpen. 

The Mainers tacked on their runs in the 1st and 7th innings. Zack Kent (Binghamton) had his first of two hits on the day on an infield single in the first, Kent later scored on an RBI single from Jack Toomey (Boston College). It was a pitchers duel from the second through six innings, with neither staff yielding runs. In the top of the seventh Luke Jenkins (UNC Greensboro) worked a full count and singled up the middle to score Blake Schaff (Georgetown) from second to add another run.

North Shore was able to manufacture a six-run seventh inning after Mucciarone’s stellar outing came to a close. The Navigators were walked three times and collected five hits in the seventh as the Mainers bullpen struggled to get out of the inning. Brendan Scanlon (Holy Cross) led North Shore at the plate, going 3-4 with three singles on the day.  

The North Shore pitching staff was able to strikeout a struggling Mainers lineup fifteen times in the matinee game. 

The Mainers will be back in action tomorrow as they welcome in the Keene SwampBats for the first game of the summer at Goodall park. First pitch 6:30 p.m.

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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