Photo Courtesy of Abby Harris

Written by Jackson Walsh

Director of Broadcasting & Media

SANFORD, Maine–  The Sanford Mainers dropped the first game back from the All-Star break 4-3 to the Keene SwampBats. Sanford dips below .500 at 18-19, while Keene moves to a league-best 27-11 to clinch first place in the North division.

The first half of the game was a pitchers duel. Evan Chaffee (St. Johns) got the start for Keene, the lefty worked five innings and allowed just one run without surrendering a hit. Chaffee was countered by Sanford’s Connor Ball (Stetson), who also tossed five innings. Ball allowed six hits but no SwampBats touched home with Ball on the mound. “We got a great start out of Ball, he had his stuff tonight,” said Mainers manager Nic Lops. 

Sanford had a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth when Luke Jenkins (UNC Greensboro) came to the plate with a runner on. Jenkins sent a ball to deep right that cleared the wall to give Sanford a 3-0 lead. Keene wasted no time to respond. The Bats were able to produce four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead and never look back. 

Sanford heads to Newport tomorrow night for a rematch of the 2024 NECBL championship series. 

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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