KEMP SETS NECBL RECORD, DEMKO
THROWS THREE-HITTER;
MAINERS DOWN SWAMP BATS 5-3
SANFORD
– Brian Kemp’s fourth-inning infield single was his third of the
game and 61st of the season, setting a new New England
Collegiate Baseball League record. Kemp finished the evening
4-for-4 with three runs scored and a stolen base as the Sanford
Mainer defeated the Keene Swamp Bats 5-3 in NECBL play at
Goodall Park on Tuesday night. Luke Demko pitched a
complete-game three-hitter and worked around four errors behind
him on the mound for Sanford (14-22). Mike Freeman had an RBI
single in the defeat for Keene (21-16).
The Mainers got the scoring started with two runs in the bottom
of the first inning. Brian Kemp (St. John’s/East Rockaway, N.Y.)
led off with a double down the left-field line and moved to
third base on Noah Lankford’s (Central Michigan/Cincinnati,
Ohio) bunt single up the third-base line. Kemp came in to score
the first run of the game when Tyler Stovall (Central
Michigan/Cincinnati, Ohio) picked up an RBI by bouncing into a
fielder’s choice. However, no out was recorded on the play, as
Lankford was safe at second on an error by Keene shortstop Tyler
Cannon. After a sacrifice bunt by Bubba Ruddy (Cypress
CC/Orange, Calif.) and a walk to Max Most (Marist/Port
Washington, N.Y.), Lankford would come in to score an unearned
run to make it 2-0 when Scott Guillerault (Wheaton/South
Portland, Maine) was hit by a pitch.
The Swamp Bats took the lead with three unearned runs in the top
of the second inning. With one out, A.J. Wirnsburger reached on
a fielding error by Tim Keene (Massachusetts Lowell/Berlin, N.H.)
at first base. After a single to centerfield by Justin Robichaux,
Jared Humphreys laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at
second and third base with two outs. Cannon then reached second
base on a throwing error by third baseman Guillerault which
allowed both runners to score to tie the game 2-2. After a walk
to Matt den Dekker, Mike Freeman hit a single up the middle to
drive home Cannon and give Keene a 3-2 lead.
The lead was short-lived, as the Mainers tied things up at 3-3
with a run in the bottom half of the second inning. With one
out, Kemp singled to center field and then stole second base,
his league-leading 30th steal of the season. After Lankford was
hit by a pitch, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and
third, and then Ruddy was hit by a pitch to load the bases with
two outs. Jeff Grantham (St. John’s/Randolf, N.J.) then reached
on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop to drive in
Kemp with the tying run.
From there, Sanford starter Luke Demko (Rhode Island/Gilford,
N.H.) allowed the Swamp Bats offense to get next-to-nothing
going. Demko did not allow a hit after Robichaux’s third-inning
single, and allowed only one runner to reach base on a Stovall
error in right field over the final 20 Keene hitters he faced.
The Mainers got Demko the lead for good in the bottom of the
sixth inning. With two-outs Kemp picked up his fourth hit of the
ballgame, an infield single to the shortstop behind second base.
Kemp moved to second base on Lankford’s single through the left
side and then came in to score on Stovall’s single through the
right side. For Stovall, it was his second run batted in of the
game, as well as his team-leading 20th run batted in of the
season.
Sanford picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth
inning. Guillerault led off with a single through the left side
and moved to second base on Tim Kalczynski’s
(Michigan/Farmington Hills, Mich.). Guillerault then moved to
third base on a groundout to first base by pinch-hitter Jeff
Helps (Central Michigan/Wyoming, Ontario). After an intentional
walk to Kemp, Keene reliever Ryan Cole threw a wild pitch to
allow Guillerault to score from third to create the final 5-3
score.
Demko started on the mound and went the distance to earn the
victory (2-3) for the Mainers. He scattered three hits and two
walks over nine innings, gave up three unearned runs and struck
out eight.
Alan Morrison started on the hill and took the loss (2-4) for
Keene. Over six innings of work, he gave up four runs (three
earned) on eight hits, walked one, hit three batters, threw a
wild pitch and struck out two.
The Mainers return to action on Wednesday, July 25 when they
visit the Vermont Mountaineers. First pitch is scheduled for
6:30 p.m. at Montpelier Recreation Field in Montpelier, Vt. Matt
Janik and Paul Roper will have all the action at http://www.sanfordmainers.com.
A complete box score of tonight’s game will be available via
http://www.necbl.com.
Founded in 2002, the Sanford Mainers are a non-profit
organization and the premier collegiate baseball team in the
state of Maine, playing their home games at historic Goodall
Park. A proud member of the NECBL, the Mainers annually aid in
progressing the careers of the future stars of professional
baseball, in addition to bringing top-notch collegiate baseball
to the Sanford area. For more information visit http://www.sanfordmainers.com
or call the Mainers front office at (207) 324-0010.
