ORONO – This season has been something of a struggle for Bangor slugger Lorenzo de la Cruz, but he made Friday night’s game at Mahaney Diamond look like anything but.

De la Cruz, who was the team’s cleanup hitter for the entire first half of the Northeast League season and some of the second, has slipped down to sixth in the order, but he showed signs of rebounding with a 4-for-4 effort at the plate. He drove in what proved to be the winning run in a 4-2 Lumberjacks victory over Berkshire.

“I’ve struggled to hit the ball after one of the best years in my career,” said the 2002 league MVP. “But every time I go to the plate, I still feel like I’m the best hitter, and I just try to put the ball in play.”

After fanning at the first pitch he saw with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, he did put the ball in play by scalding a two-run single up the middle and providing the final margin of victory for the 11-13 ‘Jacks.

Starting pitcher Kevin Pincavitch (7-3) allowed four hits in six innings and struck out six batters, but allowed an uncharacteristic five walks.

“I haven’t walked five people since maybe my second year of pro ball,” Pincavitch said. “I had a good [changeup] and located some of my fastballs. I guess you’ve just got to find a way to get ’em out even when you don’t feel the best.”

Santiago Henry relieved Pincavitch in the seventh and threw three innings of one-hit ball while striking out six batters and walking only one for his fifth save.

“My fastball and my slider were working real good,” Henry said. “And the more I pitch, the more I get comfortable.”

The Lumberjacks scored the first run of the game after Mark Burke and de la Cruz hit back-to-back, one-out singles. Todd Brock roped a sacrifice fly to right field to score Burke.

Berkshire (12-12) tied the game in the third with a leadoff single by Jose Mateo, a one-out walk, and an RBI fielder’s choice grounder by Manny Crespo.

Pincavitch pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fourth, getting leadoff man Mateo on a flyout and P.J. Johnston on a groundout.

Bangor took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on a de la Cruz one-out single to left, a Todd Brock single down the third base line, and a fielder’s choice grounder by Edwin Thompson.

Bangor doubled its output in the fifth after Brad Hargreaves and Donnie Ross hit back-to-back, one-out singles. A wild pitch moved them up to third and second, but Courtney Hall then retired Juan LeBron on an infield flyout. Burke was intentionally walked to bring up de la Cruz, who was 2-for-2, and de la Cruz delivered.

LUMBERJACKS 4, BLACKBEARS 2

BERKSHIRE (12-12) BANGOR (11-13)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Mateo, ss 4 2 1 0 Doakes, 2b 2 0 0

Johnston, 2b 5 0 0 0 Hargreaves, c 3 1 0

Hopper, cf 3 0 1 0 Ross, 1b 3 1 0

Crespo, dh 3 0 0 1 LeBron, lf 4 0 0

Paciorek, 1b 3 0 0 0 Burke, dh 3 1 0

Jones, lf 4 0 1 0 de la Cruz, rf 4 1 2

Williams, 3b 3 0 0 0 Brock, 3b 3 0 1

Forbes, rf 4 0 1 0 Thompson, cf 4 0 1

Briones, c 3 0 0 0 Martinez, ss 4 0 0

Totals 32 2 4 1 Totals 30 4 9 4

Berkshire 001 000 100 ? 2

Bangor 010 120 00x ? 4

E?Pincavitch 2; LOB?Black Bears 9, Lumberjacks 8; 2B?Forbes; SF?Doakes, Brock; SB?Crespo

Berkshire IP H R ER BB SO

Hall (L, 2-9) 5 2/3 8 4 4 3 1

Waroff 2 1/3 1 0 0 0 3

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Pincavitch (W, 7-3) 6 3 1 0 5 6

Henry 3 1 1 1 1 7

HBP?Doakes; T?2:56; ATT?1,576