SANFORD — After playing 14 innings the night before, and facing back-to-back doubleheaders just a few days before the start of the playoffs, it was an all hands-on-deck approach for the Sanford Mainers against Vermont on Thursday night.

With its place in the NECBL playoffs already clinched, Sanford beat Vermont 3-2 in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader before falling behind early and eventually dropping a 6-4 decision in the nightcap at Goodall Park.

With second place in the Northern Division ”“ meaning home field advantage in the opening round of the postseason ”“ already locked up for Sanford (22-17), but Vermont (27-14) too far out in front at the head of the division to catch, Thursday’s pair and the three remaining games today and tomorrow mean little for the Mainers, standings wise.

And accordingly, after winning the first game Thursday ”“ a continuation of Monday’s postponed game ”“ Sanford made some changes for game two, resting several regulars in the starting lineup and using three pitchers who are normally starters for a couple of innings a piece, while also sending Michael Rescigno, who previously had pitched three total innings all season, to the mound for 3.2 innings of work.

In all, it was part of the plan put in place by Sanford manager Aaron Izaryk to get his team ready for the playoffs, which will start on Monday.

“Down the stretch here and having a game where Vermont’s clinched and we’ve clinched, you just have to be smart and keep people healthy,” Izaryk said. “You’ve got to play the game hard, play the game right, but you can’t do it at the expense of guys, so we shuffled some things around.”

Vermont took an early lead in game two off Sanford starter Bobby Ruse, scoring one run apiece in the first and second innings. Following a 10-minute rain delay between the second and third innings, Vermont scored another run off Sanford pitcher Christian Lavoie in the third to go up 3-0.

After burning off nearly the entire bullpen in a 3-2, 14-inning loss to Plymouth on Wednesday, and with another doubleheader against Valley on the cards for Sanford today, Ruse and Lavoie both pitched two innings apiece for the Mainers in game two, while fellow starter Brett Adcock came on to get the final four outs.

Not only did using the three starters give the bullpen a rest, Izaryk said, but it also gave them some work ahead of the playoffs, when all three could play a major part in the opening three-game series.

“We’ve got to get these guys some mental breaks, physical breaks and have them ready to play Monday,” Izaryk said. “We’ve never been in this situation where we have multiple games at our disposal to give some guys a break, so hopefully it will keep us healthy. Hopefully, we can take the intensity down a notch, still play clean, play hungry, but get ready for Monday.”

Sanford did rally, getting one run back in the fourth as walks to Caden Bailey and Stevie Berman followed by a Matt Pagano sacrifice allowed Dan Hetzel’s groundout to score Bailey.

The Mainers then took the lead in the fifth as they got to Vermont starter Ty Wiest for three runs, all with two outs. Nick Lovullo started the charge with a single, and scored when Sam Dexter lined a double down the left field line.

That set the stage for Bailey, who worked a 3-1 count before pounding an off-speed pitch over the wall in right to give Sanford a 4-3 edge.

“That was a good job of Nick getting on with a walk and Dex was all day. A 3-1 count I’m just looking for something I can hit, and he left the changeup in,” Bailey said. “I knew he was definitely going to try to give me something to hit after giving up two base runners, so I was just looking for something up.”

But the Mountaineers came right back with a run off Rescigno ”“ listed as an infielder on the Sanford roster ”“ in the sixth, and took the lead back in the seventh when Colin Lyman blasted a Rescigno pitch over the fence in right.

Lyman ”“ who finished the second game at 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI’s ”“ then completed the scoring in the eighth as he singled in Ben Hall, with Nick Miceli pitching the final two of his four scoreless innings to pick up the win.

The first game of the day was the completion of Monday’s seven-inning game, which had been postponed by rain with Sanford leading 3-1 after three innings thanks to a sacrifice fly by Matt Harris and a two-RBI single off the bat of Cory Raley.

Sanford’s Cody Dube took over for original starter Nick Poore when the game resumed and allowed one run in three innings to pick up the win.

Closer Cam Hatch then entered in the seventh and picked up his eighth save of the season, but not without some trouble. Hatch walked Evan Harasta to lead off the inning and Adam Picard followed with a single to give Vermont runners at first and second with no outs.

Brett Charbanneau then seemed to have laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, but first baseman Harris made a fantastic play, charging in and throwing to third to nab Harasta.

Hatch did the rest, striking out Mike Vigliarolo looking and then Nick Solak swinging to seal the victory.

“Matt made a huge play there for us. If he doesn’t make the right play and execute the throw well, then it’s a whole different inning,” Izaryk said. “He knew what he was doing, came in and hard charged the ball and threw a strike. That’s exactly what we needed there defensively.”

MOOSE TRACKS: After being hit by a Miceli pitch in the opening game, his 13th plunk of the season, Sanford’s Kendall Patrick is just one behind Marlon Calibi’s all-time single-season record of 14 set during the 2011 season”¦ Hatch is also one short of tying a single-season Mainers record. With eight saves on the season, the junior out of St. Edward’s University is one behind the mark set by current San Francisco Giants prospect Tyler Mizenko in 2009”¦ Sanford will make its last road trip of the regular season today when it heads to Holyoke, Massachusetts to take on the Valley Blue Sox, who with a 13-26 record have been eliminated from playoff contention. Ben Wessel (0-3, 3.72) will get the start for the Mainers in game one. Sanford will then finish the regular season on Saturday night when it hosts the Keene Swamp Bats at 6:30 p.m.

— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or cdunbar@journaltribune.com.