LYNN, Mass. — They’re not going to win every game.

That much was settled Thursday for the Sanford Mainers, who dropped their 2009 season opener to the North Shore Navigators, 9-5, before 950 patrons at Fraser Field.

But if one game is any indication, the Mainers are likely to make matters interesting nearly nightly.

They demonstrated a talent for that by hauling themselves from eight runs down in the top of the ninth back to within arm’s reach — albeit a long one — of the Navigators.

“We’re having fun playing baseball,” said Sanford hurler Will Clinard, who was pressed into service in center field because a large chunk of the Mainers have yet to join the team. “We’re obviously waiting for some players to get back. It didn’t show on the scoreboard. But I think we’re coming together. I think we’ll be fine.”

Most teams get to play just one season opener.

The Mainers and Navs played what seemed to be a triple-header.

The first saw North Shore starting pitcher Jared  set down the first 12 Mainers in order, seven by strikeout.

The second saw the Navigators strafe Sanford hurlers for nine runs, five of them in the seventh inning.

For the Mainers, the best came last in the form of five unanswered runs, and the promise — although ultimately unfulfilled — of more.

“I’m happy,” said Sanford’s Aaron Izaryk, who was making his managerial debut. “Not with the outcome, but by the way the guys played.”

Sanford struggled to get its bearings in the early innings.

Mainers starter Kenny Monteith walked two hitters in the first frame, but slipped out of trouble largely because of a double play turned by the Mainers’ patchwork infield.

However, in the second inning, he was nicked for a run by the Navigators, after issuing a two-out walk to Ben Benigno.

Benigno swiped second base, then scampered home on Mike Foley’s looper over the head of first baseman Bob Stumpo.

Monteith gave up another run scoring single to Foley in the fourth, to make it 2-0, before giving way to reliever Eric Carmichael.

Carmichael worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam, but in the fifth inning, served up a towering two run homer to Navigators’ second baseman Patrick Brady, which upped the margin to 4-0.

Sanford got its first base runner when Bob Stumpo, a catcher turned first baseman, singled to open the fifth.

The Mainers offense sputtered to life, but it took them until the top of the eighth before they mustered up a run.

“These kids come from their colleges,” said Izaryk. “Some of them haven’t swung a bat for months. You can’t ask for more from these kids.”

But he received a little more from them anyway, thanks largely to two run hits by Dylan Pratt and Stumpo.

“We were down 9-1 going into the last inning,” said Clinard, “and we were just having fun.”

CHIN MUSIC: Monteith hails from Morriston, N.J.  and plays for Division II Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. Like the rest of the Mainers, Monteith is hoping to use the summer ball experience to add to his set of tools. In his case, he’s hoping to add a slider to a repertoire that already includes a fastball, curveball, and changeup. “I’d love to get the slider going,” Monteith said. “Throw it for a first strike anytime I want to. And then bring it back to school in the fall.”

With several of his position players still tied up by their college commitments,  Izaryk was forced to use some creativity to complete his starting lineup card.

Five of the 10 spots were occupied by pitchers, one of them (Chad O’Connor) at designated hitter, two of them in the infield, and one (Clinard) in center field.

For good measure, he played both of his catchers, with Stumpo manning first base.

“They could have been selfish,” said Izaryk, “and said they didn’t want to do it. But we’ve already come together as a team on the first night.”

Clinard, by the way, is a teammate at Vanderbilt of North Shore right fielder Matt Marquis. Naturally enough in his first at-bat, Clinard flew out to Marquis. “He”˜s a good friend of mine,” said Clinard. “I just hit it right to him. I looked at him and said ”˜Matt, you”˜ve got to get me a hit. I”˜m not a hitter. You know I”˜m not.””¦Tonight the Mainers will visit the Newport Gulls in a rematch of last year’s league championship series. Sanford will return home Saturday for its Goodall Park opener. RHP Dustin Ramey (2-4, 3.17 this year for UMass-Lowell) will get the start.

— Contact Dan Hickling at 282-1535 ext. 315 or dhickling@journaltribune.com.