SANFORD — After a 17-2 drubbing at the hands of the Winnipesaukee Muskrats Monday night at Goodall Park in Sanford, Mainers second baseman Drew DeMartino didn’t mince words with how he felt after the game. 

“We embarrassed ourselves,” DeMartino said.

Sam Cochrane had four hits and four RBIs, Jonathan Crimmin hit a three-run homer during a nine-run first inning and the Muskrats pounded out 18 hits en route to a dominating win over the Mainers in an NECBL baseball game.

Winnipesaukee (3-13) sent 15 men to the plate in the first, taking advantage of two Sanford errors, and got to starter Trevor LaBonte for nine runs in two-thirds of an inning. Only two of LaBonte’s runs were earned. Chad Minato and Sam Cochrane each added RBI doubles in the frame. The Muskrats gave starter Alex Schwartz plenty of room for error. Schwartz pitched six scoreless innings, striking out seven while allowing four hits to pick up the win.

“We have to realize how poorly we played (tonight),” said DeMartino. “We need to take this game as a source of energy and come back (ready to play) next game.”

The Mainers committed four errors, which led to seven unearned runs. 

Jake Coro finished 3-for-5 with five runs scored and two RBI for the Muskrats, and smashed a solo home run to right field to extend the lead to 12-0. Winnipesaukee continued to pour it on in the seventh, tacking on three runs off reliever Jared Siracusa behind an RBI double from Sam Cochrane to take a 15-0 lead. Brayden Cooney added an RBI single in the inning.

Sanford (7-12) broke into the scoring column in the eighth when Connor Tate drove in Jack Van Remorter with a double to left field. Elliot Curtis added a solo home run in the ninth. Even though the Mainers were able to gain some momentum in the final innings, right fielder Nick Howie said the team is done with moral victories, and needs to start being more consistent if they hope to turn the season around. 

“It’s getting to the point where we really need to turn the corner,” said right fielder Nick Howie. “We’ve had a slow start to the season … There’s no question about that. It’s coming to a time where we win a few games here and turn our season around in July.”

UP NEXT: Sanford has a day off today before traveling to Hartford, Connecticut, to play a doubleheader against the Upper Valley NIghthawks (11-7) at Maxfield Sports Complex on Wednesday. The first game starts at 4 p.m.