SANFORD — One pitch, even a well placed one, can have the effect of a wrecking ball.
Such as the one thrown by Sanford starter A.J. Bazdanes and slugged for a three-run double by Vermont Mountaineers’ designated hitter Jeff Cammans, which helped send the Mainers to a 6-2 defeat before 501 at Goodall Park, Monday.
Cammans’ blow came on an 0-2 curveball with two out and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning, and undid what had been a 2-1 Mainers lead.
“It was a great pitch,” said Matt Verrier, Bazdanes’ batterymate both in Sanford and at UMaine. “The kid just put the bat on the ball.
“He went curveball the time before, and it was a strike. We went at it again, and the kid just got the wood on it.”
Such is how the best laid pitch can go astray.
“You can’t fault A.J. for what he’s done,” said Mainers’ manager Aaron Izaryk. “That 0-2 pitch. He’d be the first one to tell you it was the right pitch. He missed his spot a little bit. It wasn’t a tremendously hit ball, but he barreled it.”
Bazdanes nursed a 2-0 lead into the top of the sixth, helped in part by Paul Kronenfeld’s solo homer in the bottom of the second off Vermont starter Ryan Fasano.
Some stellar outfield defense didn’t hurt, either, beginning with center fielder Nick LaCroix’s sensational diving catch on a sure gapper by Vermont’s Dan Kemp.
Right fielder Ryan Coppinger chipped in with two eye-popping plays, one of them a perfect strike to catcher Verrier that nailed Mountaineer Rob Griffith at the plate, choking off the tying run.
“It was a good throw,” said Verrier. “A one-hopper right to me. And I was right in position to make the tag. That was pretty exciting. Anything to get an out.”
Then in the fifth, Coppinger made a shoestring catch on a dying liner by Cammans.
“I thought it was our night early,” said Verrier, whose fifth inning sacrifice fly upped the Mainers’ lead to two runs.
However, Bazdanes came unglued in the sixth, when he got into a bases loaded jam with one away, and didn’t escape until after giving up four runs.
“I think he just got a little bit tired towards the end,” said Verrier. “He threw a great game. We just kind of fell into a little bit of trouble.”
That Orono to Sanford connection continues to buzz. The latest crackle comes from OF/1B Justin Leisenheimer, who has made a strong impact on the Mainers line up since hitting town five games ago.
Leisenheimer, who will be a senior at UMaine in the fall, stepped into the Sanford line up swinging, with five hits and four RBI in his first 10 trips to the plate.
Three of those RBI came with one swing on a shot over The Ballpark wall during Saturday’s 7-2 win at Old Orchard Beach.
One of four Black Bears on the Sanford roster, Leisenheimer, who grew up in Queens in the shadow of Shea Stadium, hasn’t been idle since Maine’s season ended with a trip to the NCAA tournament.
He spent June in the Cape Cod League on a temporary contract, but was available when Izaryk, a former UMaine assistant coach, rang him up last week.
“I was home,” said Leisenheimer, “and I wasn’t really doing anything. So I figured I’d come back and play another half a season of baseball. I was glad to help him out.”
By the way, Leisenheimer’s identical twin brother Ian is an infielder at Maine.
“Any time you can play on a team with your brother,” Leisenheimer said, “it’s special. We’ve had nothing but great experiences up at Maine. This is the first time I haven’t been playing on a team with him.”
The Mainers’ playoff quest will continue tonight in Danbury, when they’ll face the Western Division leading Westerners. RHP Eric Stevens (1-2, 3.76) will get the start for Sanford.
— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com or follow on Twitter @DanHickling.
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