The Sanford Mainers couldn’t hold a 7-2 seventh inning lead in Connecticut on Tuesday night, as the Danbury Westerners ended up hitting two solo homeruns in the ninth to cap an 8-7 comeback walkoff victory in Game 2 of the New England Collegiate Baseball League Championship Series. The best of three is now even 1-1, with the decisive game to be played in Sanford on Wednesday night to see who winds up with the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup as league champion.
Brian Connolly (University of Rhode Island) led the Mainers with three hits and one RBI, while Albert De La Rosa (University of Maine) added two hits and knocked in two runs. After Charlie Hale (UConn) fired a solid six innings on the mound to start allowing two runs and striking out seven, the Westerners got to Matt Mahoney (Northeastern) in the seventh. Mahoney was roughed up for a total of four runs in just 1/3 of an inning. Samuel Young (University of Richmond) would eventually take the loss when he allowed the game tying one out solo homer to Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart) in the ninth, and with two outs the walkoff solo shot to Garrett McGovern (Merrimack College). Game 3 at Goodall Park on Wednesday begins at 6:35 p.m. The Mainers are seeking their third league title.
Image from Brady Corson (Sanford Mainers staff photographer)
