Nighthawks Host Mainers at the Max for Third Matchup

By Thaddeus Sawyer

The Sanford Mainers (9-3) have been the most productive offense in the NECBL so far this season, leading the NECBL with 77 runs scored on the season.

It took the Mainers until the eighth inning on Opening Day to demonstrate that offensive prowess against the Nighthawks (5-6-1), but they haven’t stopped since. In 12 innings played against the two teams since, the Mainers have posted 17 runs against Upper Valley and won a pair of games.

The Nighthawks will get their third chance to earn their first win against the Mainers on Friday night as they return to the Maxfield Sports Complex to host the Mainers and begin a two-game homestand.

Mainers projected starter Andrew Middleton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will look to make things difficult on the Nighthawks, especially after throwing four hitless innings in his first start of the summer last week against the Keene SwampBats (6-4-1).

If Middleton can get even close to that success for a second straight outing, it will be up to the Nighthawks to focus on improved run prevention.

Step No. 1 toward that goal will be improved defense. Thursday’s 4-2 loss against North Shore marked the first time in five games that the Nighthawks did not commit an error. Upper Valley is tied for third in the league with 19 errors.

Step No. 2 will be another strong outing from Dartmouth pitcher Trey Sejnoha (0-0, 1.04 ERA). In two starts, the right-hander has allowed just one run while striking out 11.42 batters per nine innings.

The biggest threats to Sejnoha and the rest of the Upper Valley pitching staff will be shortstop Albert De La Rosa, center fielder Nick Zampieron and left fielder Nater Wachter.

De La Rosa has been Sanford’s most complete hitter, boasting a team-best .910 OPS and being one of only two Mainers with both an on-base and slugging percentage over .400.

Zampieron has reached base in four of his first 10 plate appearances against the Nighthawks this season. The Stony Brook outfielder’s .510 on-base percentage ranks second on the team.

Wachter leads the Mainers with a .500 slugging percentage and two home runs. One of those long balls came in Sanford’s first game in the Upper Valley, a three-run shot into the forest beyond the left field fence in the fifth inning of the Nighthawks’ 12-4 loss.

For the Nighthawks, the bulk of the production continues to come from third baseman James Love and shortstop Frank Kelly, though catcher Nick Quagliato is starting to get back in the mix after a slow start to the season.

Love and Quagliato combined for the Nighthawks’ only two hits on Thursday, while Kelly manufactured a run by stealing home.

The Nighthawks will likely need more production out of the bottom of the lineup to outscore the Mainers on Friday.

Also at the Max on Friday, the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry’s pizza truck and beer garden will be set up behind home plate, featuring an oven imported from Italy. 

The Nighthawks will wear their “Greener Mind” uniforms.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will stream live on ESPN+.