BRISTOL, Conn. – The University of Maine baseball team demonstrated its resilience during Sunday’s America East doubleheader against Hartford. The Black Bears still only managed a split at Muzzy Field.

Joe Hough’s two-run home run highlighted a four-run, ninth-inning rally in the Bears’ 8-5 victory in the first game, but UMaine left the potential winning run on third base in the seventh inning and fell 3-2 in the nightcap.

“Every conference game’s a close game, but we try to stay away from the late-inning comebacks,” said UMaine co-captain Aaron Izaryk, who went 5-for-7 with a double on the day. “It’s tough to pull out two wins when you’re playing from behind the whole time.”

The 21-11 Bears improved to 5-3 in conference play heading into today’s rubber game at noon. Hartford won just its second conference game (2-6) and is 5-15 overall.

“I told the players [Monday’s] a huge game for us, the biggest game of the season,” said coach Paul Kostacopoulos, whose team is trying to remain high in the league standings.

In Game 1, the Bears overcame five errors, overcoming a 5-4 deficit in the ninth against relievera C.J. Browne (0-1) and Pete Moraski.

Steve Gambale walked and scored when Hough launched an 0-1 fastball over the fence in right field.

“I was actually trying to get a base-hit bunt [the previous pitch] and he threw one up in the zone to me and I got a good piece of it,” Hough said.

Greg Creek walked and scored on Joel Barrett’s RBI double to the gap in right-center to make it 8-5.

Steve Richard allowed only two earned runs and seven hits in seven innings, striking out seven. Troy Martin (4-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.

Hough also singled for the Bears, while Ryan Quintal doubled and singled with two RBIs. Izaryk doubled and singled with an RBI.

“It’s a testament to us that we were able to win that game, because that was a game that we easily could have lost,” Kostacopoulos said, referring to the errors.

UMaine had overcome a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the seventh. The Bears finally solved Hartford righthander Tony Cekovsky, who allowed five hits through six.

Pinch hitter Matt McGraw stroked a one-out single and advanced on an error, then pinch hitter Frank Pesanello walked and Hough was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Hough scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Creek when the catcher dropped the throw from third base. Quintal laced a two-run double to right-center that gave the Bears a 4-3 lead.

Hartford, which also made five errors, tied it in the seventh on Adam Bowser’s RBI double and regained the lead in the eighth thanks to two UMaine miscues.

The Hawks had taken a 1-0 lead on Ryan Cuscovitch’s first-inning home run, but the Bears tied it on Izaryk’s two-out RBI double in the second.

Hartford scored twice in the second, helped by two errors. Jeff Cipolla had a run-scoring single.

In Game 2, Bowser grounded an RBI single to left off Bears closer Scott Robinson with two out in the seventh to lift Hartford to victory.

Steve Moyer and Josh Topp had chased UMaine starter Greg Norton (6-2) with consecutive one-out singles. Robinson struck out Kyle O’Neill, but Bowser jumped on a 1-0 pitch.

“They got one more extra hit than us to win that second game,” Kostacopoulos said.

Trailing 2-0, UMaine was two outs away from defeat in the seventh when it rallied.

Pesanello worked a pinch-hit walk, then Hough ripped a single to left. Creek’s pop-fly single loaded the bases.

Quintal hit a sacrifice fly, on which Hough took third. Hough scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-2, but Hawks reliever Adam Flaherty struck out Smith.

“Fortunately, we’ve been winning a lot of those close games. Today it didn’t go our way,” Kostacopoulos said. “We needed one more hit to get ahead 3-2 and we just weren’t able to do that.”

Hartford starter Jason Krajeski outdueled Norton through six innings, allowing only five hits.

The Hawks went ahead in the fourth when Bowser drew a leadoff walk and trotted home when Ryan Crowley jacked an 0-2 pitch for a home run.

Norton scattered seven hits, striking out eight and walking only one.

The Bears threatened twice, but left the bases loaded in the fifth and had runners at first and second in the sixth.

Izaryk singled three times and Hough doubled and singled to lead UMaine.

BLACK BEARS 8, HAWKS 5

(Sunday’s First Game)

Maine (21-10) Hartford (4-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hough, cf 4 2 2 2 Cipolla, 2b 4 0 1

Creek, dh 4 1 0 0 Bowser, 3b 5 0 1

Quintal, lf 5 0 2 2 Cuscovitch, 1b 5 1 1

Barrett, 1b 5 1 1 1 Trahan, dh 3 0 0

Cantara, rf 4 0 0 0 Crowley, c 4 0 0

Ostrander, rf 1 0 0 0 Perry, ss 4 0

Smith, 3b 5 1 1 0 Topp, lf 4 1 0

Izaryk, c 4 0 2 1 Moyer, rf 4 1 0

Ferriggi, 2b 1 0 0 0 O’Neill, cf 2 1 0

McGraw, ph 2 1 1 0

Vallee, ss 2 0 0 0

Pesanello, ph 0 0 0 0

Gambale, pr 0 2 0 0

Totals 37 8 9 6 Totals 35 5 7 3

Maine 010 000 304 – 8 9 5

Hartford 120 000 100 – 5 7 5

E-Barrett (6), Cantara (4), McGraw (5), Vallee (6), Richard (1); Cipolla (2), Crowley (6), Perry (10), O’Neill (3), Cerovsky (1); LOB-Maine 7, Hartford 7; 2B-Quintal, Barrett, Izaryk; Bowser; HR-Hough (3); Cusvocitch (3); DP-Cipolla-Perry-Cuskovitch; SH-Cipolla; SB-Perry (5)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Richard 7 6 4 2 3 7

Martin 2 1 1 0 0 2

Hartford IP H R ER BB SO

Cerovsky 6 1/3 7 4 3 2 5

Browne 1 2/3 1 3 3 2 1

Moraski 1 1 1 0 0 0

HBP-Hough, by Cerkovsky; T-2:50; ATT-95

HAWKS 3, BLACK BEARS 2

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Maine (21-11) Hartford (5-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hough, cf 3 1 2 0 Bowser, 3b 3 1 1

Creek, dh 4 0 1 0 Perry, ss 2 0 0

Quintal, lf 3 0 1 1 Cuscovitch, 1b 3 0 0

Barrett, 1b 3 0 0 0 Crowley, c 3 1 2

Smith, 3b 4 0 0 0 Cipolla, 2b 3 0 0

Izaryk, c 3 0 3 0 Trahan, dh 3 0 0

Ostrander, rf 1 0 0 0 Moyer, rf 3 0

Cantara, ph 2 0 0 0 Cicchetti, pr 0 1 0

Ferriggi, 2b 3 0 0 0 Topp, lf 3 0 0

Vallee, ss 1 0 0 0 O’Neill, cf 3 0 0

McGraw, ph 1 0 0 0

Gambale, ss 0 0 0 0

Pesanello, ph 0 0 0 0

Rivera, ph 0 1 0 0

Totals 28 2 7 1 Totals 26 3 8 3

Maine 000 000 2 – 2 7 0

Hartford 000 200 1 – 3 8 1

E-Cipolla (3); LOB-Maine 9, Hartford 5; 2B-Hough; HR-Crowley (2); DP-Izaryk-Ferriggi; SH-Perry; SF-Quintal;

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Norton 6 1/3 7 3 3 1 8

Robinson 1/3 1 0 0 0 1

Hartford IP H R ER BB SO

Krajeski 6 2/3 7 2 2 3 1

Flaherty 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

WP-Krajeski; T-2:15; ATT-95