Albert De La Rosa (University of Maine) had four hits and five RBI including a homerun and Jack Tate (St. John’s University) homered twice and drove in four on Sunday night, as the Sanford Mainers finished off the Valley Blue Sox in the first round of the New England Collegiate Baseball League playoffs with a 14-5 win in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The Mainers win the best of the three series 2-0.
Valley got off to a 5-0 lead on a three-run homerun by Joshua Toole (George Mason University) in the second inning, and a two-run shot by Nick Spaventa (Penn) in the third. It was all Sanford after that, pounding out 20 hits and scoring the final 14 runs of the game. Tate put the Mainers ahead to stay with a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Nater Wachter (UConn) added four hits and two RBI, while Steven Kraus (University of Binghamton) also drove in two with a solo homerun and a RBI single. Bryson Thacker (Florida International University) earned the pitching win in relief allowing no runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in three innings. Sanford will now await their opponent for a best of three second round series that begins Tuesday night at 6:30 at Goodall Park. The Mainers (28-15) will face either the Bristol Blues or Newport Gulls, whom are playing a decisive Game 3 of their first round series on Monday night. The Valley Blue Sox end their season with a record of 21-22-1.
Photo of Albert De La Rosa from Brady Corson (Sanford Mainers staff photographer)
