Blue Sox bounce back with 15‑hit 8-2 win over Sanford

By Kate Endres

SANFORD– The Valley Blue Sox put together a full showing in an 8-2 victory over the Sanford Mainers on Sunday. Despite sitting atop the North Division, the Mainers (10-5) couldn’t keep up with Valley’s (8-5-1) onslaught of offense. The Blue Sox piled up 15 hits on the afternoon and never let the pressure ease.

The Blue Sox came out early, setting the tone for a day full of hard contact. Brett Rogers (Murray State), who had already scored in the first, stepped in for his second at‑bat and launched a two‑run shot into the Sanford foliage. With Chris Cancel (UConn) aboard after a throwing error at third, Rogers’ blast pushed Valley’s lead to 3-0.

“It just felt good,” Rogers said. “I’m just staying on my legs and sticking with my approach.”

Through nine appearances, the Chattanooga, Tenn. native has been one of Valley’s steadiest bats. He entered Sunday with a hit in four straight games, a perfect fielding percentage and a .340 average over his last five outings.

Rogers’ homer cracked the inning open and ignited a barrage of swings across the lineup. With two outs, Gabriel Cavazzoni (Seton Hall) legged out a dribbler to first, then stole second off lefty Kevin Brown (Wesleyan). DH Eddison Esquivel (San Francisco) followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee) ripped a line drive to left to score Cavazzoni for Valley’s fourth run.

“We talked about … just about getting back to basics and simplifying, not trying to do too much and just play the game,” head coach John Raiola said. “Take what the game gives you, and don't try to force it.” 

The Mainers attempted a response directly after the Blue Sox retired their side. Jack Tate’s (Saint Johns)  harmless pop‑up looked like the start of another quiet inning, but Brian Connolly (University of Rhode Island) worked a walk, stole second and suddenly the Mainers started pushing back. Nick Zampieron (Stony Brook)  jumped on the moment with a clean RBI single to right‑center, and Jackson Sirois (Maryland, College Park) followed by dropping another hit into left to keep the inning rolling.

A deep flyout nudged Zampieron to third, and Sanford squeezed out one more when Albert De La Rosa’s (Maine) routine grounder turned chaotic on a throwing error, letting the run score. Will Cowan’s (Saint Johns) walk threatened to turn it into something bigger, but Domenico Tozzi’s (Coastal Carolina) strikeout put a lid on the rally. 

Both teams entered the matchup coming off drastically different results. The Blue Sox arrived at Goodall Park after a deflating 10-0 loss to Newport on Saturday, a game in which they were nearly no‑hit until a Lucas Alberti (George Mason) single in the eighth. Sanford, meanwhile, was riding the momentum of a walk‑off win over Vermont, scoring twice in the ninth after back‑to‑back errors to steal a 4-3 victory.

“We talked [Saturday] about just kind of hitting the reset button on our season,” Raiola said. “I don't care what the numbers are from the first 13 games … I care about what they are from now moving forward.”

Valley’s offense started stacking runs early, beginning in the second when Jack Myers (Georgia Southern) punched a RBI infield single to short. The play moved Cavazzoni to third and brought Rogers home, giving the Valley an early cushion and setting the tone for a night where putting the ball in play paid dividends.

That theme resurfaced in the ninth, when the Blue Sox capitalized on back‑to‑back throwing errors to break the game open. Cancel reached on a fielder’s choice and came all the way around after a misfire from third, with Lucas Alberti scoring as well. Moments later, another errant throw allowed both Cancel and Chris Carson (Stony Brook) to score, stretching the lead and giving Valley the insurance they needed to close out the win.

“[The game] went pretty much the way we drew it up, and it makes my job a lot easier,” Raiola said.

The Blue Sox return to Mackenzie Field on Monday, June 22, to host the Mystic Schooners. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with the game streaming live on ESPN+.