WILMINGTON, Del. – All season, the University of Maine baseball team failed to consistently come up with clutch hits. The Black Bears’ inability to pick up runners in scoring position helped seal their fate Friday night.

Maine pounded out hits against Blue Hens righthander Rich Maguire, but Delaware’s clutch hitting helped the Hens eliminate the Bears 5-3 in the second day of the America East Championship at Frawley Stadium.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ team finishes the season at 28-28, its first .500 or better season since 1993. Delaware advances to Saturday’s final round, where it must beat Towson twice to prevail.

Maine had staved off elimination in the first game of the day, scoring three runs in the ninth inning without benefit of a hit while beating Northeastern 7-5. The Blue Hens were forced into the losers’ bracket after losing 4-1 to Towson on Friday afternoon.

The Hens jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Tucker walked Jamie McSherry and Ken Giles, both of whom moved up on Peter Maestrales’ sacrifice bunt and Ryan Preziosi delivered the runs with a line-drive double to center.

Delaware made it 3-0 in the fifth, starting with a one-out walk to Chris Kolodzey, who stole second after the second out and moved to third on a wild pitch. Frank DiMaggio made it hurt with a sharp RBI single to left.

Maine got on the board in the fifth, but played itself out of a potentially big inning. Kregg Jarvais led off with a rope double to left-center, only to get picked off second when Bryan Harvie failed to make contact on a sacrifice bunt attempt.

Harvie wound up blooping a single to shallow center and Brett Ouellette followed with a single to right-center. Brian Poire plated a run with a hot single past first base, but Julian Bracali got fooled and grounded into an inning-ending 6-3 double play.

Delaware pushed the lead back to three runs, scoring in the sixth. Ken Giles drew a leadoff walk, then rode home on Peter Maestrales’ long double to right-center. Shortstop Harvie helped snuff out the rally, making a diving stab on Brian Weingart’s grounder to the hole, then throwing out Maestrales, who got caught off second.

Tucker then rolled a 6-4-3 double play grounder to end the inning.

Maine squandered another opportunity in the sixth as Ross led off with a double past first base and Jon Hambelton stroked a single to right. Rich Maguire battled back, getting Quin Peel to pop out, then striking out Keith Genest and Jarvais.

The Bears trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the seventh, scoring twice after two were out. Poire grounded a single to right, Bracali spanked a single to right-center and Ross slammed a high, two-run double to the warning track in right-center.

Undaunted, the Hens got one of the runs back in the eighth off reliever Rick Hewey. Jamie McSherry beat out a chopper behind the mound, advanced on Ken Giles’ sacrifice bunt, and scored on a hard single to left-center by Maestrales.

Maine threatened, but stranded two runners in the eighth. Genest and Jarvais stroked one-out singles, but Maguire struck out pinch hitter Brandon Brewer and induced Ouellette to foul out to first.

In Friday’s tense first game, Northeastern right fielder Todd Korchin misplayed Mike Ross’ high fly ball into a brilliant sun with two out in the ninth inning, allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to score and keeping Maine’s season alive, though only temporarily.

Maine demonstrated patience and resilience after handing Northeastern three runs in the third inning when Ross dropped a routine fly ball to shallow left field.

Rob Worcester (4-5), earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

Friday’s victory was Maine’s first in six postseason tries dating back to 1996 and was its first win in six games at Frawley. The Bears also are guaranteed a .500 season for the first time since 1993.

“We talked about playing hard, because I don’t think we did (Thursday) and I don’t think the players thought we did,” Kostacopoulos said. “We needed to win a game in a tournament. I think for a young team to get over the hump and win a game like this, it’s very valuable.”

Northeastern closer Matt Keating came on in the ninth and got two quick outs, then walked Brian Poire, Rusty Tucker and Julian Bracali to load the bases. After Ross’ fortuitous fly and a walk to Quin Peel, Keith Genest drew a bases-loaded walk.

Worcester, Maine’s No. 4 starter, allowed four hits after taking over for starter Jim Bailin to start the sixth. Matt Truman got the final out for his league-leading fifth save of the season.

Poire stroked a two-run single in the seventh for Maine.

Blue Hens 5, Black Bears 3

(Second Game)

Delaware (33-23) Maine (28-28)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Kolodzey, cf 4 1 1 0 Poire, 3b 5 1 2 1

Salvo, 2b 5 0 2 0 Bracali, 2b-ss 5 1 3 0

Mench, rf 3 0 1 0 Ross, lf 5 0 2 2

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

McSherry, c 3 2 1 0 Peel, dh 4 0 0 0

Giles, 1b 1 2 0 0 Genest, rf 4 0 1 0

Maestrales, ss 3 0 2 2 Jarvais, c 4 0 2 0

Weingart, dh 3 0 0 0 Harvie, ss 3 1 1 0

Voltz, dh 1 0 0 0 a-Brewer 1 0 0 0

Preziosi, lf 4 0 1 2 Contreraz, 2b 0 0 0 0

Ouellette, cf 4 0 1 0

Totals 31 5 9 5 Totals 39 3 13 3

a-Brewer struck out for Harvie in eighth

Delaware 020 011 010 – 5

Maine 000 010 200 – 3

E – DiMaggio 2B – Macstrales, Preziosi; Bracali, Jarvais, Ross 2 LOB – Delaware 6; Maine 9 DP – Maestrales to Giles; Harvie to Bracali to Hambelton SB – Kolodzey, Mench S – Giles, Maestrales

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Delaware

McGuire 9 13 3 3 0 5

Maine

Tucker 6 6 4 4 5 3

Hewey 2 3 1 1 0 0

Truman 1 0 0 0 0 2

WP – Tucker TIME – 2:16 ATTENDANCE – 378