SANFORD, Maine –  Sanford evened the season series with Vermont at two apiece in Sunday evening’s 3-1 Mountaineers’ loss.

Vermont led 1-0 entering the sixth, but a game-tying homer and a two-run seventh put the game out of reach.

Box Score

The Basics

Score: Vermont 1, Sanford 3

Records: Vermont 11-20, Sanford 15-15

Location: Goodall Park

Rapid Recap

Oliver Ellison started the game on the mound for Vermont and tossed 5.2 innings in a quality start. He allowed just one run on seven hits, a walk and five strikeouts.

Vermont’s defense recorded double plays in each of the first two innings. A 5-4-3 double play on the ground in the first and a lineout to Jaylen Hernandez at first with a runner leading off of first helped Ellison escape the early frames unscathed. 

The Mountaineers plated the game's first run in the fourth with a one-out Sam Gates walk and a base hit from Joey Pagano to set up David Alvarez’s opposite field RBI single to score Gates from second.

Ellison struck out his fourth and fifth hitters of the contest to record a 1-2-3 fifth inning.

Vermont loaded the bases in the sixth with a hit by pitch, a walk and an error, but they left the runners stranded.

Sanford’s Brendan Sencaj led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer to tie the game at one.

A plethora of self-inflicted mistakes by Vermont yielded two Sanford runs in the seventh. The first four batters reached via a walk, two hit batters, and an error that scored the go-ahead run. The next run scored on a wild pitch that also resulted in a strikeout with the bases loaded. Sanford left the inning with a 3-1 lead and never looked back.

Vermont went down in order in the final two innings.

Game Notes
WP: Nic Melton (4-1) | LP: Ryan VanDeWater (1-1) | SV: Sam Mitchell (3)
Sanford’s starter, Alfred Mucciarone, tossed five innings. It marks the sixth game in the last eight that the opponent’s starting pitcher went five innings or more.
Conlan Daniel extended his on-base streak to 25 games.
Hernandez has a four-game hitting streak and an eight-game on-base streak.
Pagano has nine hits in his last eight games.
Alvarez drove in his fourth run of the season. All eight of hits have come against right handed pitching.
Matthew Minckler was Vermont’s only stolen bag for the second-straight night. They have been held to one stolen base in three consecutive games. The Mountaineers have 121 stolen bags and are averaging 3.9 per game. They are 24 away from breaking the NECBL record with 13 games remaining.
Vermont is three games back of the fourth and final playoff spot with 13 to play. North Adams is in fourth place with a 3-0 series lead over the Mountaineers.

Up Next

Vermont sees the aforementioned North Adams SteepleCats at 6:30 p.m. Monday night in Montpelier as they look to claw their way back into the playoff picture.

Photo credit: Molly Smith, Broadcast Director and Photography Intern 

Photo Description: The Mountaineers bench on July 9th

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