BROOKLINE, Mass. – Winning tight ballgames comes down to clutch hits, defensive execution and pitching poise.

Northeastern University took care of those three aspects Saturday afternoon at sunny, windy Friedman Diamond.

Senior Brad Czarnowski lashed a two-run double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Huskies rallied for a 3-2 America East baseball victory over the University of Maine.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ 14-14 Black Bears, 4-6 this season in one-run games, slipped to 1-2 in league play with the disappointing defeat.

“We did a lot of good things from the standpoint of getting to the 2-1 spot, but you’ve got to play a complete game to win,” Kostacopoulos said. “This was definitely a winnable game today and we can’t let the winnable games get away.”

Northeastern (11-9, 2-1 AE) outlasted UMaine behind the steady pitching of Devin Monds (2-2). The junior right-hander afforded the Bears only seven singles and worked his way out of a ninth-inning jam. He struck out two, walked one, and was backed by errorless defense.

“Every pitch was really going for the first time this year. I felt strong,” said Monds, who featured a fastball, a curve and a changeup. “We’re slowly becoming the type of team that can capitalize when the other team makes a mistake.”

Reliever Jamie Grattelo (1-4), the Bears’ third pitcher of the game, worked a scoreless eighth inning but ran into trouble in the ninth.

Leadoff hitter Tim Bush reached when third baseman Mark Reichley, who had just entered the game, threw wide of first on a tough slow roller toward shortstop. Matt Morizio bunted, but UMaine catcher Aaron Izaryk alertly picked up the ball in fair territory and threw out pinch runner Garrett Chin at second base.

Grattelo walked No. 9 batter Eric Murray, then hit Mike Steinberg with a 1-2 breaking pitch to load the bases. Czarnowski worked a 2-2 count before lacing a fastball down the line in right to plate the tying and winning runs.

“He threw me a fastball over the inner half of the plate,” Czarnowski said. “Fortunately, he gave me a pitch to hit.”

Prior to that, the Huskies had gone 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“Everybody had a contribution into making that inning a bad inning,” Kostacopoulos said of Grattelo’s struggles and the inability of Reichley to make the play on Bush’s grounder.

Freshman righty Steve Richard was outstanding in relief for the Bears. He allowed only two hits, struck out three and walked two in 4 2/3 innings after starter Troy Martin left the game in the third inning with a large blister on the middle finger of his right hand.

“[Richard] really did a nice job and I think the big thing about what he did, he proved to himself that he can pitch in this league and that will be a good boost for him,” Kostacopoulos said.

NU jumped in front when Steinberg led off the game with a home run to right-center.

UMaine took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a little help from Monds. Greg Creek (two singles) led off with a hit to right and Joel Barrett followed with a run-and-hit single to right, putting runners at the corners.

Matt McGraw hit a sacrifice fly to left, then a walk, a balk and a wild pitch allowed Barrett to score. However, Monds induced two ground balls to get out of further trouble.

“We’re just not hitting the baseball,” Kostacopoulos said.

The Bears threatened to extend their lead in the ninth when Barrett stroked a single to center, but McGraw grounded into a double play. Izaryk followed with a single, then Joe Hough grounded into a fielder’s choice.

“It just comes down to learning how to win the close game,” Izaryk said. “Every close game you lose is a step closer to winning the next close game.”

HUSKIES 3, BLACK BEARS 2

(Saturday Afternoon)

Maine (14-14) Northeastern (12-9)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Williams, cf 3 0 0 0 Steinberg, dh 3 1 1

Quintal, lf 4 0 0 0 Czarnowski, lf 4 0 2

Creek, 1b 4 1 2 0 Emanuele, rf 3 0 0

Barrett, dh 4 1 2 0 Heriot, cf 3 0 0

b-Saunders 0 0 0 0 Paquette, 1b 3 0 0

McGraw, 3b 3 0 0 1 a-Chin 0 0 0 0

Reichley, 3b 0 0 0 0 Koslowski, 1b 0 0 0

Izaryk, c 3 0 1 0 Sidhu, ss 4 0 0

Hough, rf 4 0 0 0 Bush, 3b 4 0 0

Ferriggi, 2b 3 0 0 0 c-Nutting 0 0 0

Harvey, ss 3 0 1 0 Morizio, c 4 1 0

Murray, 2b 3 1 0 0

Totals 31 2 6 1 Totals 31 3 5 3

a-ran for Paquette in the 8th, b-ran for Barrett in the 9th, c-ran for Bush in the 9th

Maine 000 200 000 ? 2

Northeastern 100 000 002 ? 3

E?Richard (1); Bush (4); LOB?Maine 5, Northeastern 10; HR?Steinberg (1); DP?Paquette-Sidhu-Paquette, Bush-Murray-Paquette; SF?McGraw; SB?Williams (12); Steinberg (2), Emanuele (8), Heriot (4)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Martin 2 1/3 1 1 1 2 3

Richard 4 2/3 2 0 0 2 3

Grattelo (L,1-4) 1 1/3 2 2 2 2 0

Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO

Monds (W,2-2) 9 6 2 2 1 2

HBP?Williams by Monds, Steinberg by Gratello; WP?Monds; BK?Monds; PB?Izaryk; T?2:32; ATT?130 (est.)