GROTON, C.T. — It was a tight one throughout, but the Mystic Schooners pushed through in the later innings to take Game 1 of the NECBL Championship Series over the Sanford Mainers 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Mystic scored the go-ahead run in the seventh, when Brett Bond (Missouri) doubled off of the top of the fence to centerfield, despite an almost leaping stab by Mainers centerfielder Zach Jancarski (Maryland). Two batters later, Nick Masceli (Wagner) singled to center, just dropping a base hit in front of a diving Jancarski, to score Bond from second.

Sanford trailed 1-0 early in the game, after the bottom of the first when Mascelli homered to left field as the first batter of the game for the Schooners. Still down in the third inning, Tristan Chari (Vanderbilt) hit a homerun to right field, his first of the entire NECBL season, to knot things up at 1-1.

The game stayed low scoring throughout, as both starters turned in impressive performances. Mainers starter Cole Whitney (St. Johns) started his second game of the postseason, throwing six innings, as he allowed two hits, one run, earned, four walks and struck out seven Schooners.

Opposite Whitney was Mystic starter John Signore (Fairfield), who went 6 1/3, allowed five hits, one run, earned, one walk and picked up nine strikeouts.

Sanford threatened in the third, fourth and fifth innings when they stranded a combined seven runners on base. After the fifth inning, Sanford only managed one hit in the rest of the game.

The Mainers play Mystic again, tonight, at Goodall Park with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. With the Schooners win, Mystic is now one win from a championship, while Sanford will need a win tonight to force a decisive Game 3.