ORONO – The University of Maine Black Bears went into the weekend hoping to challenge Delaware for the top spot in the America East baseball standings.

UMaine got the next best thing, clinching a spot in the conference tournament. The Bears rode their stellar pitching while taking three of four games from Vermont at Mahaney Diamond.

UMaine swept Saturday’s twinbill 2-0 and 3-2, then won Sunday’s opener 2-0 and lost the nightcap 4-2.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ 33-12 Bears are 17-7 in America East and are headed for the May 17-20 tourney at Wilmington, Del. Delaware swept four games from Drexel, giving the Hens a two-game edge over UMaine with four to play.

“It would be nice to get first place, but our goal is to get in the playoffs and do well there,” said senior Jon Hambelton, who lauded Vermont’s effective pitching.

“Every at bat was tough this weekend,” he said.

UMaine was held in check by the Catamounts (21-21, 8-16), but received gems from junior lefthander Rusty Tucker and freshman righty Mike Collar of Scarborough and strong outings from Simon Stoner and Mike MacDonald of Camden to win three games.

“I can’t give any more respect to our pitching staff,” said UMaine senior co-captain Keith Genest of Augusta. “All four of [the weekend starters] have come out and pitched [well] every single day.”

In Sunday’s opener, Collar posted his second shutout with a six-hitter. He struck out seven, pushing his perfect record to 7-0.

UMaine scored twice in the second. Jon Hambelton, who appeared to have been hit by a Brian Robinson pitch, didn’t get the call. He responded by jacking a high solo home run to right field. Singles by Quin Peel, Simon Williams of Portland and Augusta’s Aaron Young plate the second run.

Collar, who outdueled former Cape Elizabeth ace Robinson, had escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second inning.

“I think that was my best game since the [March 17] Iowa game,” Collar said. “I had pretty much everything working. I think my changeup was the most effective.”

Robinson allowed four of his five hits in the second.

In Sunday’s nightcap, Mike Livulpi lined out to left-center with the bases loaded in the seventh as the Cats and Jeff Dixon held on. The 6-foot-8 righty held UMaine to four hits, striking out nine.

“It didn’t happen today in the second game but everybody on the bench thinks we can win,” Kostacopoulos said. “You can’t manufacture that. It’s something that has to be felt. It was that close.”

Vermont scored two in the second, one unearned, with Mark Denzine’s RBI single the big blow. The Bears tallied two in the third, including Livulpi’s RBI triple.

Dan Ruane’s solo homer in the sixth helped the Cats beat MacDonald (5-2), who pitched a four-hitter. The Bears couldn’t convert after Mike Ross’ one-out, pinch-hit double in the sixth and came up short after loading the bases with two out in the seventh.

In Saturday’s opener, Tucker (7-1) dominated, pitching a three-hit shutout. He didn’t have pinpoint control, but pitched his sixth straight complete game while lowering his league-best earned run average to 1.09.

The Bears snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth. Matt Reynolds punched a triple down the right-field line and No. 9 hitter Mark Reichley singled to right. He rode home on Young’s opposite-field double to left-center.

“The No. 9 hitter, coming up with a big hit, that’s what we needed,” Tucker said.

In Saturday’s second game, Genest grounded an RBI single to right field with two out in the sixth, lifting the Bears to victory.

“That last at-bat, I just fought a couple pitches off,” Genest said. “I knew I wanted to be aggressive. I got a curveball down and I just snuck one through the infield. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it did the job.”

Senior righthander Stoner (6-2) scattered seven hits through six innings before Matt Truman of Otisfield picked up his fourth save with a scoreless inning of relief.

“We gave up one earned run in 14 innings [Saturday]. That says it all,” Kostacopoulos said.

The Bears scored two unearned runs in the second with Pat Tobin’s RBI double and Reichley’s RBI groundout the key plays.

Vermont scored an unearned run in the third, then tied it in the sixth on Ruane’s RBI single. Tough-luck loser Andy Kumming (2-5) allowed only four hits.

Black Bears 2, Catamounts 0

(Saturday’s First Game)

Vermont Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rikert, rf 2 0 1 0 Livulpi, cf 1 0 0

Bourhill, ss 2 0 0 0 Young, rf 3 0 1

Cole, dh 3 0 0 0 Drapeau, c 3 0 0

Tarigo, c 3 0 1 0 Hambelton, 1b 2 0 0

Barry, cf 2 0 0 0 a-Saunders 0 0 0

Denzine, 3b 3 0 0 0 Tobin, 1b 0 0 0

Ruane, 1b 3 0 1 0 Peel, 2b 3 0 0

Montanez, 2b 3 0 0 0 Picard, dh 3 0 0

Grzywacz, lf 3 0 0 0 Ross, lf 2 0 0

Reynolds, 3b 2 1 1 0

Reichley, ss 2 1 1 1

Totals 24 0 3 0 Totals 21 2 6 2

a-ran and was picked off for Hambelton in the sixth

Vermont 000 000 0 ? 0

Maine 000 020 x ? 2

E?Hambelton, Reynolds; LOB?Vermont 8, Maine 4; 2B?Young; 3B?Reynolds; DP?Bourhill-Montanez-Ruane; SB?Rikert (18), Bourhill (11)

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Marcotte (L,2-4) 6 6 2 2 2 8

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Tucker (W,7-1) 7 3 0 0 4 6

WP?Marcotte, Tucker; T?1:57

Black Bears 3, Catamounts 2

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Vermont (20-20) Maine (32-11)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rikert, lf 4 1 1 0 Livulpi, cf 3 0 0

Bourhill, ss 4 0 1 0 Young, rf 3 0 0

Cole, dh 3 0 2 0 Drapeau, c 3 0 0

a-Grzywacz 0 1 0 0 Hambelton, dh 3 0 0

Tarigo, c 3 0 1 0 b-Saunders 0 1 0

Barry, cf 1 0 0 0 Peel, 2b 2 1 0

Ruane, 1b 3 0 1 1 Tobin, 1b 3 1 1

Moser, rf 3 0 0 0 Genest, lf 2 0 1

Denzine, 2b 3 0 1 0 Reynolds, 3b 1 0 0

c-Clough 0 0 0 0 Reichley, ss 2 0 1

Montanez, 3b 2 0 0 0

Totals 26 2 7 1 Totals 22 3 4 3

a-ran and scored for Cole in the sixth; b-ran and scored for Hambelton in the sixth; c-ran for Denzine in the seventh

Vermont 001 001 0 ? 2

Maine 020 001 x ? 3

E?Bourhill, Ruane; Drapeau; LOB?Vermont 6, Maine 4; 2B?Hambelton 2, Tobin; DP?Livulpi-Hambelton; SB?Rikert (19), Bourhill (12), Grzywacz (12), Barry (20)

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Kumming (L,2-5) 6 4 3 1 1 5

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Stoner (W,6-2) 6* 7 2 1 2 6

Truman (S,4) 1 0 0 0 0 0

*-faced one batter in the seventh

HBP?Reynolds by Kumming; WP?Kumming; T?1:52; ATT?424

Black Bears 3, Catamounts 2

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Vermont (20-20) Maine (32-11)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rikert, lf 4 1 1 0 Livulpi, cf 3 0 0

Bourhill, ss 4 0 1 0 Young, rf 3 0 0

Cole, dh 3 0 2 0 Drapeau, c 3 0 0

a-Grzywacz 0 1 0 0 Hambelton, dh 3 0 0

Tarigo, c 3 0 1 0 b-Saunders 0 1 0

Barry, cf 1 0 0 0 Peel, 2b 2 1 0

Ruane, 1b 3 0 1 1 Tobin, 1b 3 1 1

Moser, rf 3 0 0 0 Genest, lf 2 0 1

Denzine, 2b 3 0 1 0 Reynolds, 3b 1 0 0

c-Clough 0 0 0 0 Reichley, ss 2 0 1

Montanez, 3b 2 0 0 0

Totals 26 2 7 1 Totals 22 3 4 3

a-ran and scored for Cole in the sixth; b-ran and scored for Hambelton in the sixth; c-ran for Denzine in the seventh

Vermont 001 001 0 ? 2

Maine 020 001 x ? 3

E?Bourhill, Ruane; Drapeau; LOB?Vermont 6, Maine 4; 2B?Hambelton 2, Tobin; DP?Livulpi-Hambelton; SB?Rikert (19), Bourhill (12), Grzywacz (12), Barry (20)

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Kumming (L,2-5) 6 4 3 1 1 5

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Stoner (W,6-2) 6* 7 2 1 2 6

Truman (S,4) 1 0 0 0 0 0

*-faced one batter in the seventh

HBP?Reynolds by Kumming; WP?Kumming; T?1:52; ATT?424

Black Bears 2, Catamounts 0

(Sunday’s First Game)

Vermont Maine

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rikert, rf 3 0 0 0 Livulpi, cf 2 0 0

Bourhill, ss 3 0 0 0 Tucker, dh 3 0 0

Cole, dh 3 0 1 0 Drapeau, c 2 0 0

Tarigo, c 3 0 0 0 Hambelton, 1b 2 1 1

Barry, cf 3 0 2 0 b-Genest 0 0 0

Ruane, 1b 3 0 0 0 Tobin, 1b 0 0 0

Denzine, 2b 3 0 2 0 Peel, 2b 2 1 0

Montanez, 3b 3 0 1 0 Reynolds, 3b 3 0 0

Grzywacz, lf 2 0 0 0 Williams, lf 3 0 0

a-Root 1 0 0 0 Reichley, ss 2 0 0

Young, rf 2 0 1 1

Totals 27 0 6 0 Totals 21 2 5 2

a-struck out for Grzywacz in the seventh; b-ran for Hambelton in the seventh

Vermont 000 000 0 ? 0

Maine 020 000 x ? 2

E?Tarigo; Reichley; LOB?Vermont 6, Maine 5; 2B?Barry, Denzine; HR?Hambelton (11); DP?Denzine-Bourhill-Ruane 2; SB?Livulpi (12)

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Robinson (L,3-4) 6 5 2 2 3 4

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Collar (W,7-0) 6 0 0 0 0 7

HBP?Drapeau by Robinson; WP?Robinson; T?1:52

Catamounts 4, Black Bears 2

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Vermont (21-21) Maine (33-12)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rikert, lf 3 0 0 0 Livulpi, cf 4 0 1

Grzywacz, lf 1 0 0 0 Young, rf 2 0 0

Bourhill, ss 2 1 2 0 Ross, lf 1 0 0

Cole, rf 3 0 0 0 Drapeau, dh 3 0 0

Barry, cf 3 0 0 1 Hambelton, 1b 3 0 0

Ruane, 1b 2 2 1 1 Peel, 2b 2 0 0

Tarigo, c 2 0 0 0 Tobin, c 2 0 0

Miller, dh 3 1 0 0 a-Picard 1 0 0

Denzine, 2b 3 0 1 1 Reynolds, 3b 3 1 0

Montanez, 3b 3 0 0 0 Genest, lf-rf 2 1 0

Reichley, ss 1 0 0 0

b-Williams 1 0 0 0

Totals 25 4 4 3 Totals 25 2 4 1

a-grounded into fielder’s choice for Tobin in the seventh; b-reached on an error for Reichley in the seventh

Vermont 021 000 0 ? 4

Maine 002 000 0 ? 2

E?Ruane; Reichley; LOB?Vermont 3, Maine 5; 2B?Ross; 3B?Livulpi; HR?Ruane (3); SB?Bourhill (13)

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Dixon (W,5-2) 7 4 2 2 2 9

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

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

HBP?Tarigo by MacDonald; WP?Dixon; MacDonald 2; T?1:55; ATT?522

Catamounts 4, Black Bears 2

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Vermont (21-21) Maine (33-12)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Rikert, lf 3 0 0 0 Livulpi, cf 4 0 1

Grzywacz, lf 1 0 0 0 Young, rf 2 0 0

Bourhill, ss 2 1 2 0 Ross, lf 1 0 0

Cole, rf 3 0 0 0 Drapeau, dh 3 0 0

Barry, cf 3 0 0 1 Hambelton, 1b 3 0 0

Ruane, 1b 2 2 1 1 Peel, 2b 2 0 0

Tarigo, c 2 0 0 0 Tobin, c 2 0 0

Miller, dh 3 1 0 0 a-Picard 1 0 0

Denzine, 2b 3 0 1 1 Reynolds, 3b 3 1 0

Montanez, 3b 3 0 0 0 Genest, lf-rf 2 1 0

Reichley, ss 1 0 0 0

b-Williams 1 0 0 0

Totals 25 4 4 3 Totals 25 2 4 1

a-grounded into fielder’s choice for Tobin in the seventh; b-reached on an error for Reichley in the seventh

Vermont 021 000 0 ? 4

Maine 002 000 0 ? 2

E?Ruane; Reichley; LOB?Vermont 3, Maine 5; 2B?Ross; 3B?Livulpi; HR?Ruane (3); SB?Bourhill (13)

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Dixon (W,5-2) 7 4 2 2 2 9

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

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

HBP?Tarigo by MacDonald; WP?Dixon; MacDonald 2; T?1:55; ATT?522