ORONO – On a Tuesday night when skies were foreboding and lightning flashed in the distance, the North Shore Spirit’s offense was as continually threatening as the weather, but Bangor came out on top, both score-wise and atmospherically.

Working on three days’ rest, pitcher-pitching coach Kevin Pincavitch turned in six innings of four-hit shutout ball and his bullpen blanked the visitors the rest of the way for a 2-0 Lumberjacks’ victory at Mahaney Diamond.

“I was just trying to get it across and let the defense take the rest of it because I haven’t gone on three days in two years,” said Pincavitch, who said he “popped” his groin a little bit before leaving in the sixth. “It’s not a big deal. I get a little pull there every once in awhile.”

Pincavitch and relievers Donnie Thomas, Santiago Henry, and Jeff Sparks combined for a Northeast League-leading seventh shutout. Sparks worked the final two innings for his second save.

Bangor scored first with a run in the bottom of the first. A two-out walk to Todd Brock got things started. After stealing second, Brock scored on Lorenzo de la Cruz’s single to left field.

De la Cruz, who has been struggling this year after an MVP 2002 season, and Barry Paulk each had two singles to lead Bangor’s eight-hit output.

“I’m starting to be a little more patient at the plate. My wife told me to take it easy,” said de la Cruz. “And I’d better listen to her because the other way, I’d be in trouble.”

The Lumberjacks added some insurance in the seventh. Leadoff hitter Benji Solano was hit by a pitch and, one out later, Schuyler Doakes walked. A Paulk single later, Sandy Martinez scored Solano with a groundout. Brock walked, but reliever Nathaniel Beucler worked out of further damage with a fielder’s choice groundout.

“We have to execute, move runners, bunt … We ran ourselves out of some innings and missed some signs tonight, which we have to address,” said Bangor manager Kash Beauchamp. “If we’re going to be a team that manufactures runs, we can’t be giving outs away on the basepaths.”

Despite the loss, Lynn, Mass.,-based North Shore clinched the NEL Northern Division’s first-half title courtesy of a loss by second-place Brockton. The 20-24 Lumberjacks and 25-18 Spirit will conclude the first half Wednesday night. Records will revert back to 0-0 when Bangor hits the road on Friday.

“We don’t want anybody celebrating on our field and that’s what I told them before the game,” Beauchamp said. “We want momentum going into the second half and that’s why these games are still important.”

LUMBERJACKS 2, SPIRIT 0

North Shore (25-18) Bangor (20-24)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Agramonte, 2b 5 0 2 0 Paulk, cf 4 0

Startari, 3b 5 0 1 0 Martinez, ss 4 0 1

Tejada, dh 3 0 2 0 Brock, 3b 2 1 0

Fisher, dh 1 0 0 0 de la Cruz, dh 3 0 1

Sepulveda, cf 2 0 0 0 Britt, 1b 2 0

Charles, c 3 0 1 0 Ross, 1b 2 0 0

Muth, lf-cf 3 0 0 0 Thompson, rf 4 0 0

Germaine, lf 1 0 0 0 Tindell, rf 0 0 0

Riordan, 1b 4 0 1 0 Solano, 2b 3 1 0

Castellanos, rf 3 0 0 0 Hargreaves, c 3 0

Sanchez, ss 2 0 1 0 Doakes, lf 2 0 0

Totals 32 0 8 0 Totals 29 2 8 2

North Shore 000 000 000 ? 0

Bangor 100 000 10x? 2

E? Martinez; LOB? North Shore 11, Lumberjacks 8; 2B? Agramonte, Sanchez; DP?Britt unassisted; SB? Brock

North Shore IP H R ER BB SO

Crawford (L, 2-1) 5 2/3 6 1 1 2 9

Beucler 2 1/3 2 1 1 2 1

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Pincavitch (W, 4-1) 6 4 0 0 4 2

Thomas 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Henry 2/3 2 0 0 0 0

Sparks (S, 2) 2 2 0 0 2 3

HBP? Solano by Beucler;T? 2:54; ATT? 960