Mainers collect first win in pitchers’ duel

SANFORD — If you’re a fan of pitching, this game was for you.

The Sanford Mainers won their first game of the season on Monday night in a 1-0 decision over the Mystic Schooners in front of 384 fans at Goodall Park.

Hits, and the lone run, came at a premium, as pitchers from both teams combined for 22 strikeouts in the contest.

On the hill for Sanford (1-1) was Boston College product Eric Stevens, who allowed three hits while striking out five batters in six innings of work.

“I just wanted to throw strikes, use my two-seam [fastball],” Stevens said. “This is a big ballpark, and I’ve got a good defense behind me. I just wanted to throw some ground balls and let the guys work.”

Virginia Tech pitcher Colin O’Keefe got the start for Mystic (0-2). Though O’Keefe allowed just one hit, he struggled with his command, walking four batters. He was lifted from the game for Mike Bordonaro after throwing 63 pitches in two innings of work.

Bordonaro tossed three innings of relief for the Schooners, striking out seven batters.

The lone run for the Mainers came in the seventh inning when first baseman and Georgia Tech product, Paul Kronenfeld, plated Ryan Coppinger on an RBI single to left field off of Schooners pitcher Ricky Hodges, who relieved Bordonaro in the inning.

“My swing had been real long, I just needed to make the adjustment,” Kronenfeld said. “[Hodges] started out with a fastball for a ball, then he threw a slider that I swung and missed at. My approach was that I was going to take the same pitch and hit it the other way. I was able to drive it through the six hole and get us a win.”

For Kronenfeld, the RBI was a bout of redemption after he made an error earlier in the contest when he dropped a throw from Mainers second baseman Jose Torralba.

Sanford head coach Aaron Izaryk said he was happy with his team keeping its nose to the grindstone offensively.

“You never want to strike out that much in a game,” Izaryk said. “We want to put the ball in play, but they threw some pretty good arms at us today who were strikeout guys, and with pitchers against hitters, sometimes pitchers are going to win. But Paul Kronenfeld came up big for us tonight, and sometimes that’s what you need. One guy, big spot, and it’s game over.”

Mainers reliever Vincent DePierro earned the win after tossing two innings of scoreless relief, striking out four batters. Jason Patten collected the save, striking out one batter in the ninth.

“It’s good to get the first win of season, and to win at home,” Izaryk said. “You’ve got to win at home in this league. Everybody gets off the bus wanting to play, and you can’t give the home games away. I was happy with the way we played.”

Sanford is back in action on Wednesday, hosting the defending NECBL champion North Shore Navigators.

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