After a 15-4 loss in Keene, New Hampshire to the Swamp Bats on Tuesday night to finish the regular season, the Sanford Mainers are now preparing to host that same Keene team in a best of three first round Northeast Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) playoff series at Goodall Park on Thursday night.
Sanford (26-18) will have the home field advantage over Keene as they are the #4 seed in the postseason, and the Swamp Bats (26-18) finished #5. The loss Tuesday night snapped the 11-game win streak for the Mainers.
The games in the series are all a 6:30 p.m. start time, beginning Thursday in Sanford. Game 2 Friday is in Keene, with an if necessary Game 3 back at Goodall Park on Saturday. Here are all the first round matchups. All series are a best of three with three total rounds:
#1 Vermont vs #8 Martha’s Vineyard
#2 Newport (Rhode Island) vs #7 Valley (Massachusetts)
#3 Bristol (Connecticut) vs #6 Mystic (Connecticut)
#4 Sanford vs #5 Keene
Sanford pitcher Connor Ball (University of Alabama) fires a pitch in a Northeast Collegiate Baseball League game earlier this season. Ball is expected to start, as the Mainers open postseason play on Thursday night at home against the Keene Swamp Bats. Photo courtesy of Ethan Snow
