SANFORD — The closeout was there for the taking. Instead, if the Sanford Mainers’ NECBL title defense is to continue, they’ll have to topple the Newport Gulls in their own quirky park with its madcap corps of Gulligans.

The one game winner-take-all showdown for the East Division crown was made necessary Thursday, when the Mainers were hammered by Newport, 8-2, in Game 2 of their best of three series, before 617 at Goodall Park.

Sanford had surprised the Gulls, 4-3, in Tuesday’s Game 1, at Newport’s venerable Cardines Field, where, by the way, the Mainers captured the 2008 NECBL crown.

Having beaten them there once already, Sanford players, despite the lopsided loss, said they feel they can do so once more.

“I think the pressure is on them (the Gulls),” said Sanford third baseman Matt Marra. “They’re the No. 1 team. They’re going to have the fans (nearly 3,000 strong). They have the pressure of winning. We’re going to play our hardest. We have the advantage.”

Still, the Gulls have momentum on their side.

It came their way in the first inning, arriving in full force before the first out was recorded.

Sanford right hander Dustin Ramey, who hadn’t started since July 23, was strafed by the Gulls for five runs in that frame after finding himself neck-deep in a bases-loaded jam with no one out.

“It’s been the story of my summer, so far,” said Ramey. “I can’t get out of the first inning without giving up runs. They did come out really aggressive in the beginning and I left a couple pitches over the plate.”

Sanford chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the first, although the run the Mainers managed to score came at a price, namely the loss of speedy outfielder Chris Spatkowski.

With one away, Spatkowski reached first on an infield error, then legged it around on Marra’s triple into the left-field corner.

However, Spatkowski pulled a thigh muscle half way between second and third, and after scoring, had to be pulled from the game.

“It just felt like someone shot me in the back of my leg,” said Spatkowski. “I almost thought I was going to fall down. But I knew the ball was in the corner, and I had to come around to score. So I sucked it up and just hobbled to home.”

The Mainers managed to get the lead off man in both the second and third innings. However, neither made it to second base.

Meanwhile, Ramey shrugged off his early struggles and kept plugging away for six bullpen-saving innings.

“I think Dustin pitched his tail off,” said Marra. “I give him a lot of credit, because he pitched well.”

Ramey said he was prepared to hang tough, no matter which direction the game was lurching.

“All I kept thinking,” Ramey said, “is that I’ve got to go out there and keep battling. That’s what I tried to do.”

Newport made matters academic in the top of the fourth, when two more Mainer errors paved the way for three more runs.

CHIN MUSIC: Spatkowski hopes to be ready to suit up for tonight’s pivotal tilt with the Gulls. “I’m going to stretch and keep icing it,” Spatkowski said. “I’m going to give it the best effort I’ve got.” Even so, the final decision will be made by Sanford manager Aaron Izaryk, whose MO in injury matters is to err on the side of caution. “The worst thing you can do,” said Izaryk, “is to send these kids back to their school unhealthy. It’s very important to me to send them back healthy, with a good summer experience. And hopefully a winning experience.””¦Izaryk was already playing with a shortened bench before Spatkowski went down, after losing four players ”“ including OF Dylan Pratt and INF Adam DuVall ”“ to health and personal reasons”¦Swingman Kyle Davis will get tonight’s start for Sanford. He’ll be opposed by the Gulls’ Dean Wolosiansky.

— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.