SANFORD – Scott Robinson carved his niche with the University of Maine baseball program as a relief specialist and closer.

Wednesday evening, the senior righthander played that role one more time in relief of a young man who could well become his successor in the Black Bears’ bullpen.

Robinson set the UMaine record for appearances by a pitcher with his 78th and tied the school’s career saves mark with 19 in helping the Bears earn a 4-3 non-conference victory over Holy Cross at Goodall Park.

Robinson allowed a run on no hits in the ninth inning as UMaine improved to 24-11-1.

“I’ve never been nervous before, pitching. Tonight, I was a little bit nervous,” admitted Robinson, who was scheduled to throw 25 pitches on the side Wednesday. “It’s pretty neat [to get both records].”

When the save situation arose, UMaine coach Steve Trimper was more than happy to give Robinson the nod.

“I wanted to get Robby that save,” Trimper said. “He’s starting this weekend, but he’s got a rubber arm, so I said, this is it Robby, let’s go out and get this thing done.”

One of the main reasons Robinson got the opportunity was righthander A.J. Balsinde. The freshman from Miami was a settling influence coming out of the bullpen.

He came on in a tight spot in the fifth inning and got UMaine out of trouble, then worked two more hitless innings. Balsinde (1-1) retired all eight batters he faced, striking out five.

“He got the strikeout and the fly ball and then he cruised,” Trimper said. “He gave us the momentum swing and any team gets confidence when you have that going on.”

Senior Ryan Quintal sparked the UMaine offense. He scorched a 420-foot double and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth, then hit a pop-fly RBI single for the eventual winning run in the eighth.

Matt McGraw and Joe Hough each stroked a double and a single for the Bears, while Kevin McAvoy added two singles in a 10-hit attack.

Tyler Stampone doubled and singled for Holy Cross (15-23-1), while Tucker Frawley singled twice.

The Crusaders threatened to break a 2-2 tie in the fifth when Frawley and Kyle Lister ripped back-to-back singles and advanced on Stampone’s sacrifice bunt. UMaine starter Jose Mendoza was lifted in favor of Balsinde, who recorded the strikeout and inning-ending flyout.

“From his first appearance in Florida to now, he’s gotten better every time he’s gone out there,” Robinson said. “Today, that slider was almost to the point where it was unhittable.”

UMaine regained the lead in the sixth. Quintal led off with a rope double high off the fence in center field and scored on McAvoy’s infield single, a chopper down the third-base line.

“I definitely didn’t think it was going to be out because the wind was blowing in,” Quintal said. “I was just thinking, stay back, and he threw me a changeup. He left it belt high, so I put a pretty good swing on it.”

Holy Cross managed a baserunner against reliever Troy Martin in the eighth when Stampone led off with a cue-shot infield single. However, freshman catcher Sean Parker later gunned out Stampone trying to steal.

The Bears scored the game-winner in the eighth on McGraw’s leadoff single, a stolen base, and a one-out, pop single down the left field line by Quintal.

He was glad to see Robinson get the records.

“That’s good for him,” Quintal said. “He’s been our workhorse for years now. He’s always working hard.”

UMaine took a 1-0 lead in the first when Hough and McGraw ripped back-to-back doubles.

The Bears added a run in the third on a leadoff single to left by Parker, a walk to Hough, McGraw’s sacrifice bunt, and a run-producing groundout to shortstop by Joel Barrett.

Holy Cross tied it with two runs in the fourth. Stampone led off with a line double to left, moved up on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Tom Potvin’s infield single. Tim Hughes kept the rally going with a single to left and, one out later, scored when Jamie Aldrich stroked a double down the line in right.

The Crusaders scored in the ninth on a walk, a wild pitch, and two groundouts.

BLACK BEARS 4, CRUSADERS 3

Holy Cross (15-23-1) Maine (24-11-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Aldrich, lf 4 0 1 2 Hough, cf 3 1 0

Roth, rf 5 0 1 0 McGraw, dh 3 1 1

Frawley, 2b 4 0 2 0 Barrett, 1b 4 0 1

Lister, 1b 3 0 1 0 Quintal, lf 4 1 1

Stampone, 3b 3 1 2 0 Ostrander, lf 0 0 0

Simard, dh 4 0 0 0 Smith, ss 4 0 0

Potvin, cf 4 1 1 1 McAvoy, 3b 4 0 1

Hughes, c 3 0 1 0 Menendez, 2b 4 0 0

Moore, pr 0 1 0 0 Brown, cf 2 0 0

Sweeney, ss 3 0 0 0 Parker, c 3 1 0

Gorman, ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 34 3 9 3 Totals 31 4 10 4

Holy Cross 000 200 001 – 3

Maine 101 001 01x – 4

E-Stampone (10), Hughes (1), Beglane (3); LOB-Holy Cross 8, Maine 6; 2B-Aldrich, Stampone; Hough, McGraw, Quintal; DP-Stampone-Frawley-Lister; S-Stampone; McGraw; SB-McGraw (11)

Holy Cross IP H R ER BB SO

Seip 4 5 2 2 2 4

Beglane (L, 0-5) 3 4 2 1 0 1

Thran 1 1 0 0 0 1

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Mendoza 4 1/3 8 2 2 2 1

Balsinde (W, 1-1) 2 2/3 0 0 0 0 5

Martin 1 1 0 0 0 1

Robinson (S, 4) 1 0 1 1 1 0

WP-Robinson; T-2:40; ATT-324