Logan Poteet hit a game winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning on Tuesday night, propelling the Sanford Mainers to a 2-1 comeback victory over the Mystic Schooners in game two of a Eastern Collegiate Baseball League (ECBL) quarterfinal playoff series at Goodall Park in Sanford. The Mainers now advance to the semifinal round by winning the best of three series 2-0.
Mystic out of Connecticut, who dropped game one to Sanford in their home park 11-6 on Monday, got a great start on the mound by Anthony Defabbia who was helping to hold a 1-0 lead for his team into the seventh inning. Poteet (Vanderbilt) led off that seventh frame for the Mainers with a double, ending the night for Defabbia. With two outs the hosts would tie it when Devan Bade (Binghamton) would reach on an error by the Schooners first baseman Maddix Dalena, allowing Poteet to score unearned. The game winning run in the eighth was set up by a leadoff walk by Matthew Miceli (Stony Brook). Matthew Polk (Vanderbilt) was walked intentionally with two outs, and then Poteet came through with a single to score Miceli. Mystic had two runners on base in the ninth inning against Sanford reliever Cody Bowker (Georgetown) with two outs, but the game ended when Schooners centerfielder Drew Kron popped out to second base.
Poteet led the way with two hits including the clutch two out game winner for Sanford in the victory. Cam Gallagher (Wright State) was credited with the win in relief on the hill, with Bowker picking up the save. Seamus Barrett (Loyola-Marymount) went the first 7.0 innings and allowed one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Colton Shaw lost in relief for Mystic and Danny Melnick had two hits. The Schooners end their season with a record of 26-20, after finishing the regular year second in the Coastal Division. Sanford is now 26-19, and also finished the regular season in second place in the North Division. They will now play a best of three series in the semifinal round, two wins away from advancing to the league championship series. The opponent will be the Bristol Blues (23-19), the second place team out of the West Division. Game one is Thursday night at 6:30 in Sanford. Bristol won all three regular season meetings between the two teams. The Mainers, who have been in the ECBL since 2002, won league titles in both 2004 and 2008.
Story by Chris Lessner/Photos by Chris Lessner during a Sanford regular season game against the Keene Swampbats at Goodall Park
