LYNN — The Sanford Mainers have been a thorn in North Shore's side all summer. It's a thorn the Navs would certainly like to extract before the NECBL playoff start next week, but as of last night that wound continues to throb.
Sanford took home a 5-1 decision at Fraser Field last night, ultimately taking five of the six meetings with the Navs this summer.
The Mainers' win pulled Newport into a tie with the Navigators (22-16) on top of the East Division. Sanford is just a half game back, so with just a few days left in the regular season it's anybody's division.
Helped by two North Shore errors, Sanford scored three runs in the fifth at Fraser Field last night to take control of the game. Doug Elliot's two-run double gave Sanford the lead for good.
North Shore pitcher Crayton Bare was tagged with his first loss of the summer after surrendering the three runs in the fifth. All together, the Baylor pitcher threw five innings, allowed four runs (three earned), fanned three and walked three.
Lynnfield's Jason Banos, the Navs' leftfielder, went 2 for 4 to help his cause in the race for the NECBL batting title (he entered the day fourth in the league). The Columbia senior-to-be singled to lead off the sixth, but Sanford starting pitcher Michael Augliera retired the next three Navs in order to quell the threat.
Augliera tossed six excellent innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run.
North Shore run came in the second, when first baseman Ben Waldrip left off with a single. He moved to second on Dario Pizzano's walk, stole third and then came home on Braxton Graven's RBI single. The knock extended Graven's hitting streak to nine games.
Sanford reliever Alex Caravella was spotless in the seventh and the eighth inning as North Shore couldn't rally. Anthony Melchionda led off the bottom of the ninth with a single but Caravella retired three straight to nail down the rare three inning save.
Masconomet grad Dan Duval pitched a perfect eighth — the Navs' only spotless defensive inning. The RPI pitcher needed only ten pitches to retire the side and fanned one.
The Navs are back in action tonight at Fraser, hosting the New Bedford Bay Sox. Kevin Kyle is expected to toe the rubber for North Shore.
