ORONO – The University of Maine baseball team proved over the weekend it is capable of challenging for the America East title.

The Black Bears took a significant step toward clinching a postseason berth, splitting a four-game series against league-leading Delaware at Mahaney Diamond.

Maine won Sunday’s opener 7-2 before absorbing a 17-3 beating in Game 2. On Saturday, the Bears eked out a 4-3 victory in the first game, snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Blue Hens, who won the nightcap 3-2.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ 25-23 Bears hold onto fourth place in America East at 12-12. Maine would clinch the final playoff spot by winning three of four games against Vermont next weekend in Orono.

Any combination of Maine wins or Hofstra (11-13) losses totaling three would send the Bears to the America East Championship May 20-22 in Wilmington, Del.

“Looking at it from a four-game perspective, it was a successful weekend,” Kostacopoulos said.

Delaware (29-19) improved to 18-6 in the league and holds a 1 1/2-game edge over Towson (16-7).

The split provided positive reinforcement for the improving Bears. Maine got complete-game pitching performances from Kris Ehmke, Rusty Tucker and Jim Bailin, banged out clutch hits, and made several key defensive plays.

“We pretty much played three really good games this weekend,” said Maine’s Julian Bracali, who went 7-for-11 in the series. “They’re a really good team, but we know that we can hang with them, and I’m sure that’s a good confidence booster for everybody knowing there’s a possibility we can face them in the first game of the playoffs.”

In Sunday’s opener, the Bears played errorless defense behind Bailin (6-2), who gave up nine hits.

Delaware’s shaky defense (three errors) led to five unearned runs as Maine cashed in with timely hits.

Maine snapped a 2-2 tie with a three-run fifth inning. Brian Poire lined a leadoff double, moved up on Bracali’s infield hit, and scored on a single to right by Ross. Quin Peel reached on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop when Peter Maestrales’ throw went wide of second and allowed a run to score.

The third run scored on a passed ball with two outs.

The Bears, who had scored on a Bracali RBI single in the first and Brett Ouellette’s RBI double in the second, got a two-run single from Peel in the seventh.

“Sure, that last game got away, but we’ve got to look at the whole weekend and we know we can play with the best of them,” Peel said. “This weekend was an example of how the team’s gelled.”

Bailin kept the Hens off-balance with a mix of curves and changeups, and snuck in an occasional fastball. He struck out five and walked only one.

“They gave us some breaks and we took advantage of them,” Kostacopoulos said. “That was an outstanding performance by Bailin. He was really hitting his spots.”

Poire led Maine with a double and two singles and Mike Ross singled twice (1 RBI). Catcher Kregg Jarvais was sharp defensively.

Brian Weingart singled three times (1 RBI) and Ryan Preziosi hit a double and an RBI single.

Sunday’s second game was all Delaware, which pounded four Maine pitchers for 18 hits.

Leading 2-1, the Hens ended the suspense in the second inning, scoring eight hits on eight runs. Ken Giles’ two-run home run and a two-run double by Frank DiMaggio were the big blows against loser Rob Worcester (3-5).

Reliever Tom Morelli surrendered RBI singles to Matt Voltz, Vince Vukovich and Giles.

The Bears never recovered, as Delaware lefthander Tim Lorito pitched a five-hitter.

Voltz stroked four hits, including a double, with three RBIs, while Giles finished with the homer, three singles and four RBIs. Seven Hens had at least two hits.

Maine mustered little offense, but Poire singled twice.

In Saturday’s first game, 986 fans – the largest crowd since 1993 – watched a thriller.

With the game tied 2-2, the Bears won in dramatic fashion in the seventh inning. After Dave Mullin walked Maine’s Jarvais, pinch hitter Bryan Harvie twice failed to drop down a sacrifice bunt.

Harvie then took a ball and fouled off a pitch, before lacing a single to center field.

“I knew pretty much they were going to come at me with fastballs,” Harvie said. “[Mullin] gave me the pitch exactly where I like it, so I was able to take advantage of that.”

Keith Genest came up and laid down a bunt. First baseman Ken Giles fielded it, but bounced the throw past third base, allowing the tying and winning runs to score.

Ehmke (5-3) scattered seven hits to earn the win. He surrendered a two-run homer to Delaware masher Kevin Mench and an RBI double to DiMaggio.

“Once we pulled out that first game in dramatic fashion, it gave us confidence,” Harvie said.

The Bears scored in the first on Poire’s infield hit, a walk and one-out RBI single to left by Peel. Maine tied it in the sixth when Poire drilled a solo home run.

In Saturday’s second game, Mench’s towering two-run homer to left-center in the sixth inning was the difference.

Tucker (5-6) held Delaware scoreless on three hits going into the sixth, when Ryan Preziosi cranked a leadoff home run. Chris Kolodsey followed with a single and rode home on the Mench blast.

Bracali gave Maine a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first. The Bears put runners at second and third with one out in the fourth, but failed to convert. Jon Hambelton had an RBI single in the sixth.

Black Bears 4, Blue Hens 3

(Saturday’s First Game)

Delaware Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Giles, 1b 3 0 0 0 Poire, 3b 3 2 2 1

Maestrales, ss 4 1 1 0 Ouellette, cf 3 0 0 0

Salvo, 2b 3 1 1 0 Ross, lf 2 0 0 0

Mench, rf 3 1 1 2 Peel, ss 3 0 2 1

DiMaggio, 3b 4 0 1 1 Hambelton, 1b 3 0 0 0

McSherry, c 3 0 0 0 Bracali, 2b 3 0 2 0

Kolodsey, cf 3 0 2 0 Jarvais, c 1 1 0 0

Voltz, dh 3 0 0 0 Brewer, rf 2 0 0 0

Vukovich, lf 1 0 0 0 a-Harvie 1 1 1 0

Genest, dh 2 0 0 0

Totals 27 3 6 3 Totals 23 4 7 2

a – singled for Brewer in seventh

Delaware 200 010 0 – 3

Maine 100 010 2 – 4

E – Giles; Poire, Jarvais 2B – Maestrales HR – Mench; Poire LOB – Delaware 8, Maine 5 DP – Giles unassisted; SB – Salvo, Kolodsey; Bracali S – Genest PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Delaware

Mullin (L, 7-5) 6 7 4 2 3 3

Maine

Ehmke (W, 5-3) 7 6 3 3 4 5

HBP – Giles by Ehmke WP – Mullin TIME – 1:50

Blue Hens 3, Black Bears 2

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Delaware Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Kolodsey, cf 4 1 1 0 Poire, 3b 4 0 0 0

Salvo, 2b 3 0 2 0 Ouellette, cf 4 0 0 0

Mench, rf 3 1 1 2 Ross, lf 3 1 1 0

DiMaggio, 3b 3 0 0 0 Peel, ss 1 1 0 0

McSherry, c 2 0 0 0 Bracali, 2b 3 0 3 1

Giles, 1b 2 0 0 0 Jarvais, c 3 0 0 0

Maestrales, ss 2 0 1 0 Hambleton, 1b 3 0 1 1

Weingart, dh 3 0 0 0 Genest, dh 2 0 0 0

Preziosi, lf 3 1 1 1 Brewer, rf 2 0 0 0

McCurdy, rf 0 0 0 0

a-Harvie 1 0 0 0

Totals 25 3 6 3 Totals 26 2 5 2

a – grounded out for McCurdy in seventh

Delaware 000 003 0 – 3

Maine 100 001 0 – 2

E – Maestrales; Bracali 2B – Maestrales HR – Mench (16), Preziosi (3) LOB – Delaware 4, Maine 6 DP – Maestrales to Giles

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Delaware

Porcelli (W, 8-2) 7 5 2 1 3 5

Maine

Tucker (L, 5-6) 7 6 3 3 3 9

TIME – 1:55 ATTENDANCE – 986

Black Bears 7, Blue Hens 2

(Sunday’s First Game)

Delaware Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Kolodsey, cf 4 0 0 0 Poire, 3b 4 2 3 0

Salvo, 2b 4 0 1 0 Bracali, 2b 4 2 2 1

Mench, rf 4 0 2 0 Ross, lf 3 1 2 1

DiMaggio, 3b 3 0 0 0 Peel, ss 4 0 1 2

McSherry, c 3 1 1 0 Hambelton, 1b 4 1 1 0

Maestrales, ss 3 0 0 0 Jarvais, c 3 0 0 0

Oiles, 1b 2 1 0 0 Ouellette, cf 3 0 1 1

Weingart, dh 3 0 3 1 Genest, dh 3 1 1 0

Preziosi, lf 3 0 2 1 Tucker, rf 3 0 0 0

Totals 29 2 9 2 Totals 31 7 11 5

Delaware 000 200 0 – 2

Maine 110 032 x – 7

E – Salvo, Maestrales 2 2B – Mench 2, Preziosi; Poire, Ouellette LOB – Delaware 7, Maine 7 DP – Salvo to Maestrales to Giles; SB – Hambelton

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Delaware

McGuire (L, 6-2) 6 11 7 2 0 7

Maine

Bailin (W, 6-2) 7 9 2 2 1 5

HBP – Ross by McGuire WP – McGuire PB – McSherry TIME – 1:51

Blue Hens 17, Black Bears 3

Sunday’s Second Game

Delaware (30-19) Maine (25-23)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Giles, 1b 5 1 2 4 Poire, 3b 4 1 2 0

a-Lofink 1 0 0 0 Bracali, 2b 1 0 0 0

Maestrales, ss 4 3 2 0 b-Contreraz 0 1 0 0

Salvo, 2b 4 1 0 0 Ross, lf 3 0 0 1

Mench, rf 2 2 2 2 c-Gobel, ph 0 0 0 0

DiMaggio, 3b 5 2 2 2 Peel, ss 2 0 0 0

McSherry, c 3 1 1 1 Harvie, ss 2 1 0 1

Kincaid, 1b 1 1 1 1 Hambelton, 1b 3 0 1 0

Kolodsey, cf 4 3 2 0 d-McCurdy, ph 0 0 0 0

Voltz, dh-c 5 3 4 3 Ouellette, cf 2 0 0 1

Vukovich, lf 5 0 2 3 Tucker, rf 4 0 1 0

Hewey, dh 2 0 0 0

Pantazis, c 1 0 1 0

Totals 39 17 18 16 Totals 24 3 5 3

a – flied out for Giles in the seventh

b – hit by pitch for Bracali in the seventh

c – walked for Ross in the seventh

d – walked for Hambelton in seventh

Delaware 280 012 4 – 17

Maine 100 000 2 – 3

E – Maestrales, DiMaggio, Hambelton 2B – Mench, DiMaggio, Voltz HR – Giles LOB – Delaware 8, Maine 10 DP – Maestrales to Salvo to Giles SF – Ouellette

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Delaware

Lorito (W, 4-4) 7 5 3 1 7 4

Maine

Worcester (L, 3-5) 1 2/3 7 8 2 2 0

Morelli 3 1/3 4 3 1 4 2

Truman 1 2 2 2 0 1

Dickinson 1 5 4 4 1 0

HBP – Bracali by Lorito, Contreraz by Lorito WP – Lorito 4, Morelli PB – Pantazis TIME – 2:29 ATTENDANCE – 138