BANGOR – The Bangor Lumberjacks refused to be swept in their first-ever playoff appearance as they rebounded for a win Saturday, but they couldn’t overcome New Jersey’s offensive onslaught on Sunday.

The Jackals piled up 15 hits on Bangor pitching en route to a 15-3 series-clinching victory on a chilly Sunday night at Mansfield Stadium in the Northeast League semifinals.

Bangor finished the 2004 season 8-8 in head-to-head competition with the Jackals, but it’s the postseason records that count most, and on that count, the Lumberjacks were 1-2.

“They’re a very tough team and we didn’t want to go to game five,” said New Jersey manager Joe Calfapietra. “We’re just very grateful to move on right now. The big thing in this game was keeping getting out of jams and keeping them away from big innings.”

Moving on means the Jackals (56-40 overall) will take on North Division first-half champs North Shore in a best-of-five series starting Tuesday in Lynn, Mass. Bangor finishes the season 57-39.

“It was hard to figure out. We’ve overcome a lot, but we just ran out of bullets,” said Bangor manager Kash Beauchamp, who has led a team into the playoffs five times in his seven seasons. “We had a chance to steal either one of the games in New Jersey, but ultimately we let them get away.”

New Jersey reversed the start of Saturday’s game by scoring three in the top of the first. Zack Smithlin led the game off with a single, Craig Conway doubled down the right-field line, Kevin Grijak hit an RBI double to the right corner, and Wady Almonte hit a one-out RBI double to left.

The Lumberjacks got one run back in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit. Jose Garcia reached base despite striking out, thanks to a passed ball. Brad Hargreaves then drew a walk and both runners moved up on Kazuhiro Kohno’s bunt. Third baseman Wilton Veras then robbed Derry Hammond of a potential extra-base hit by making a sliding stop of a sharp grounder and throwing him out at first.

Bangor added another run in the fourth. Mark Burke broke up Jackson Crowther’s no-hit bid with a sharp one-out single to left center, Brian Baker followed with a walk, and Rolando Bello singled to right for an RBI one out later.

“They just beat us. If you’re going to win a series, this is the way to do it,” said Bello. “At least you don’t have to second-guess a lot of stuff.”

The Jackals scored three more runs in the fifth to give themselves a 6-2 lead. Scott Goodman hit a 380-foot, bases-loaded RBI single that grazed the wall in left center and Jay LaFlair had an RBI groundout.

Bangor got one run back with a Hargreaves double to left center and an RBI single by Josh Tranum, who replaced Kohno, who was ejected by home plate Glenn Guerriero in the bottom of the third after being called out on a 2-2 pitch. Kohno took his bat and pointed at the spot (low and outside) in the dirt of the batters’ box and was immediately given the heave-ho. One out later, Burke doubled to the right field corner, but Tranum held up at third and a groundout to second ended the threat.

Two more runs came via homers by Rowan and Goodman in the seventh.

New Jersey put the game out of reach in the sixth with seven runs and seven hits – six runs and five hits off reliever John Mangieri. Things got so bad, even team owner Chip Hutchins left the stadium in the seventh inning.

Saturday night, the Lumberjacks started quickly with three runs in the first inning off Jackals starter Josh Miller.

Bangor had another three-run inning in the fifth as Burke delivered a two-run double. Burke went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs and two doubles and a single.

Lance Calmus entered the game in the ninth with one out and the tying run at first, but notched the save with a game-ending double play.

LUMBERJACKS 7, JACKALS 5

(Saturday Night)

New Jersey Bangor

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Smithlin, cf 5 0 1 0 Garcia, rf 4 1 0

Conway, 2b 5 2 2 0 Hargreaves, c 5 2 0

Anderson, pr 0 0 0 0 Kohno, cf 2 0 0

Grijak, 1b 3 1 1 0 Hammond, lf 4 2 2

Veras, 3b 5 0 3 3 Burke, 1b 4 2 3

Almonte, dh 4 0 1 0 Tranum, dh 3 0 0

Rowan, ss 4 1 1 1 Baker, dh 1 0 0

Ciraco, rf 3 0 0 0 Powell, ss 3 0 0

Goodman, lf 4 0 0 0 Bello, 2b 4 0 0

LaFlair, c 4 1 1 0 Uchino, 3b 3 0 0

Davis, 3b 1 0 1 1

Totals 37 5 10 4 Totals 34 7 12 6

New Jersey 002 100 200 ? 5

Bangor 300 030 01x ? 7

E?Grijak, Rowan 2; Uchino; LOB?New Jersey 8; Bangor 7; 2B?Veras, Almonte; Kohno, Burke 2; HR?Rowan (1); DP?New Jersey 1, Bangor 1; SB?Hammond

New Jersey IP H R ER BB SO

Miller (L,0-1) 7 10 6 3 1 6

Whitworth 2/3 2 1 1 1 1

Neiser 1/3 0 0 0 1 0

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Scheuing 4 1/3 6 3 1 2 3

Rohlfing (W,1-0) 1 2/3 1 2 2 1 4

Boker 1 2/3 3 0 0 0 1

Pavlik 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Calmus (S,1) 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

HBP?Kohno by Miller; WP?Scheuing; T?3:08; ATT?353

JACKALS 15, LUMBERJACKS 3

(Sunday Night)

New Jersey (56-40) Bangor (57-39)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Smithlin, cf 5 1 2 0 Garcia, rf-cf 4 1 0

Conway, 2b 3 2 2 2 Hargreaves, c 4 1 0

Grijak, 1b 5 2 1 2 Kohno, cf 1 0 0

Veras, 3b 5 2 1 0 Tranum, 1b 2 0 1

Almonte, dh 3 2 2 3 Hammond, lf 4 0 1

Anderson, dh 2 0 0 0 Burke, 1b-rf 4 1 0

Rowan, ss 4 3 2 3 Baker, dh 2 0 0

Infante, ss 1 0 0 0 Powell, ss 4 0 0

Ciraco, rf 6 0 2 1 Bello, 2b 3 0 1

Goodman, lf 2 2 2 3 Uchino, 3b 4 0 0

LaFlair, c 5 1 1 1

Vasquez 0 0 0 0

Totals 41 15 15 15 Totals 32 3 6 3

New Jersey 300 037 200 ? 15

Bangor 100 110 000 ? 3

E?Rowan; Huguet, Uhl; LOB?New Jersey 10; Lumberjacks 11; 2B?Conway, Grijak, Amonte 2; Hargreaves, Tranum, Burke; HR?Rowan (24), Goodman (8); DP?New Jersey 2; S?Smithlin, Rowan; Kohno; SF?Goodman

New Jersey IP H R ER BB SO

Crowther (W,1-0) 7 6 3 2 4 5

Therneau 1 0 0 0 0 2

Weiben 1 0 0 0 3 1

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Huguet (L,0-1) 4 5 4 4 4 2

*Uhl 0 1 2 1 0 0

Mangieri 1 5 7 7 2 1

Rohlfing 1 2 0 0 0 0

Fox 1 2 2 2 0 1

Pavlik 2 0 0 0 1 1

* Uhl faced three batters in the fifth

HBP?Almonte by Uhl, Baker by Crowther; WP?Uhl; PB?LaFlair; T?3:40; ATT?285