Fans show their support at a Sanford Mainers watch party.
By Dave Ouellette
In the 25 years since elite college baseball players began spending their summers in Sanford, fans have regularly filled the stands at Goodall Park, hoping to see their Sanford Mainers play their way to the top of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, fans and players got their wish.
The Mainers’ convincing 12-5 victory over the Danbury Westerners brought home the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup. The team had won the coveted trophy in 2004 and 2008, but this is the first time the victory took place at Goodall Park.
The capacity crowd was on its feet after the second out against Danbury during the ninth inning. When that final batter struck out, the cheers were deafening. The entire herd of Moose and coaching staff charged the infield, jumping for joy, ending up in a huge pile of celebrating bodies. Fans’ applause was a constant roar.
Most of the crowd remained as NECBL Commissioner Sean McGrath presented the coveted cup, his congratulatory words barely heard over the crowd’s roar. Players, organization staff, and several fans who entered the field area shared hugs, many shedding tears of joy.
As gratifying as the end results were, the road leading to victory included much anxiety. The Mainers managed to weave their way through the first two rounds of the playoffs by first eliminating the Valley Blue Sox with two straight wins. It was a good start for the North Division champs, seeded number two overall for the tournament.
The semifinal round was a different scenario. In the first game at Goodall, the Moose resoundingly defeated the Bristol Blues, 17-2. The hometown crowd left the game with confidence, hoping the team would clinch the second round when they visited Bristol the next night. That was not the case, though, as the Blues handed the Mainers a humbling 11-6 loss to even the series.
The semifinal round returned to Sanford for the deciding game 3. This contest may have been the ugliest of the year to witness as the two teams combined for nine errors. The Moose persevered to earn a 9-7 victory that sent them into the finals. At this point, they had to wait another day to determine who their opponent would be as the semifinal game between the Mystic Schooners and Danbury Westerners was postponed due to rain. The next day, the Westerners punched their ticket with a victory that sent them into the finals to battle the Mainers.
On Sunday, Aug. 9, our Moose prevailed in a pitcher’s duel 3-1 to take game 1 of the best two out of three series against the Westerners. Another boisterous crowd cheered the team in this first step to bringing the league trophy home. They then had two chances to get one more win.
Spearheaded by the organization, a fan bus was filled with hardy Mainers fans willing to endure the 4 ½-hour trip to Connecticut to cheer on our heroes. Their goal was to witness a championship victory in the event the clinching game 2 occurred that night.
Chairman of the Board Jacob Ouellette, Coach Nic Lops, General Manager Aaron Izaryk
At home, dozens of fans gathered at two local pubs to see the game on ESPN+. But attendees were greeted with the ominous notice, “rain delay.” The rain eventually stopped, but field conditions wouldn’t permit the game to happen that night. (Pictures and videos showed fans what they’d suspected, that Sanford’s Parks and Rec grounds crew are superior in the league at maintaining and prepping the playing surfaces at home.)
Disappointed fans in Danbury boarded the bus for the long trek home, watch party attendees made plans to gather again the next evening, and Coach Nic Lops and Mainers Chairman Jacob Ouellette worked with local officials to secure overnight accommodations for the players.
Game 2 began with a see-saw battle. The Mainers jumped ahead 5-0 in the second inning. Danbury battled back and after seven frames, Sanford was ahead by the slim margin of 7-6. This lead held as the Westerners went up to bat one final time in the ninth inning. Unfortunately, two solo home runs sealed the win for the home team, 8-7.
Although disappointed, the team and fans remained optimistic. And there was a bright side to the defeat: It meant the possibility of a championship victory on the Mainers’ home turf.
What made last Wednesday’s win even more special was that it came at the end of the team’s 25th anniversary year. Special events were featured, including an Alumni night featuring some returning “Meese,” as they are often called. Sanford celebrated the 12 players who have risen to major leagues from our team as well as the several dozen former players who were drafted into the minors and other professional leagues.
Another major spotlight was our community hosting the NECBL All-Star game with the top players of the North Division competing against their Southern foes. The Mainers proudly introduced 10 players from the North from a roster of 35. As the Mainers were the top team in the North for most of the season, Sanford Coach Lops was selected to manage the Northern all-stars to a 5-0 victory. During an all-star game, the attempt is to rotate all players on the roster and allow each player to be featured. The Mainers’ contingency proudly contributed to the victory.
The Fay Vincent Cup will remain on display in Sanford through the 2027 season. The Mainers board of directors has already started working on plans to keep the trophy here longer.
The post How Sweet it Was: Mainers Clinch Trophy on Home Turf appeared first on Sanford Springvale News.
