BANGOR – Another standout starting pitching performance coupled with a mix of long-ball and small-ball offense helped the Bangor Lumberjacks get back to .500 Tuesday night.

The 16-16 Lumberjacks defeated the Aces 5-1 in Northeast League action on a clear, crisp night at Winkin Complex behind a five-hitter by Adam Thomas.

Bangor’s 25-year-old righthander (4-3) threw 76 of his 114 pitches for strikes, but even more impressive was the 23 first-pitch strikes he threw to the 33 batters he faced.

“The key is just trusting your stuff and getting ahead of hitters and that’s what I’ve been concentrating better on,” Thomas said. “My fastball worked really good. My changeup wasn’t there tonight.”

The Miami native walked two batters and struck out six, five of which came in the last four innings.

“As the game went on, I got a little stronger and started bearing down more,” Thomas said. “Once a starter gets into the ninth, he gets that third boost of energy and wants to finish the game.”

Thomas’ complete-game effort was the sixth thrown by the Lumberjacks and the third thrown in the last seven games.

“Everyone talks about how hitting’s contagious, but so is pitching,” Bangor pitching coach Kevin Pincavitch said. “I think our young staff has gotten a little bit older.”

Bangor slugging left fielder Derry Hammond kept on slugging ’em out. The reigning Northeast League batter of the week, and Bangor’s third in the last three weeks, belted his league-leading 11th of the season, singled, and had two RBIs.

The Aces scored first with a run in the third. J.P. Schmidt hit a leadoff single, went to third on Dalmiro Quezada’s double down the left-field line, and scored on Coby Smith’s one-out single to left.

Bangor answered in the third on a leadoff walk, fielder’s choice grounder, Shin Uchino’s bunt single, and Jake Whitesides’ sacrifice fly to center. The Lumberjacks added two more in the fourth on Hammond’s two-run home run to left center after Donnie Ross’ leadoff infield single.

Two more runs came across the plate for Bangor in the fifth, this time courtesy of a leadoff walk to Paul Powell, a one-out RBI double by Whitesides, and a two-out double steal by Ross, who drew a walk, and Whitesides, who stole home.

“I love that play,” said Bangor manager Kash Beauchamp. “That was the perfect time to put that on. It’s a momentum-shifter and when you score like that, it deflates the other team.”

Bangor thwarted a potentially big Aces inning in the third, after they scored with one out and had runners at the corners with one out. Catcher Brad Hargreaves rifled a pickoff throw to first and Ross tagged out Coby Smith.

“That’s part of the game Beach really stresses and that’s going to help us out in those close ballgames,” Hargreaves said. “In this league, that’s even more important because you have some players coaching first base, not paying attention, and hitters just happy to be on base.”

Yohanny Valera led the 5-25 Aces with two of their five hits, both singles.

LUMBERJACKS 5, ACES 1

Bangor (16-16) Aces (5-25)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Whitesides, cf 4 1 2 2 Smith, cf 4 1

Hargreaves, c 5 0 0 0 Hileman, rf 4 0

Ross, 1b 3 1 1 0 G.Schmidt, lf 4 0 0

Hammond, lf 4 1 2 2 Corbeil, c 4 0 0

Burke, dh 4 0 0 0 Valera, 1b 4 0 0

J.Garcia, rf 3 0 1 0 E.Garcia, ss 4 0 0

Bello, 2b 3 0 0 0 J.P.Schmidt, 3b 2 1 0

Powell, 3b 3 2 1 0 Quezada, 2b 2 0 0

Uchino, ss 3 0 1 0 Doakes, dh 3 0 0

Totals 32 5 8 4 Totals 31 1 5 1

Bangor 001 220 000 ? 5

Aces 001 000 000 ? 1

E?Powell; J.P. Scmidt, E. Garcia, Mendoza; LOB?Bangor 6, Aces 5; 2B?Whitesides; Quezada; HR?Hammond (11); DP?Aces; S?Uchino; Doakes; SF?Whitesides; SB?Whitesides 2, J. Garcia 2, Uchino, Ross

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Thomas (W,4-3) 9 5 1 1 2 6

Aces IP H R ER BB SO

Mendoza (L,0-7) 4 2/3 4 5 4 3 5

Rivera 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 0

Bowe 1 1 0 0 0 1

Emmerthal 1 2 0 0 0 1

Strickland 1 0 0 0 0 0

T?2:45; ATT?831