VESTAL, N.Y. – Kevin Jackson and Myckie Lugbauer hit back-to-back sacrifice flies in the sixth inning, lifting the University of Maine to a 7-6 victory over Binghamton in the first game of Saturday’s America East baseball doubleheader at Varsity Field.

The Bearcats, who clinched the top seed for this week’s conference tournament, won the first game 6-5 in 10 innings. Sunday’s game was canceled.

Coach Steve Trimper’s UMaine squad closed out the season 20-28-1, 8-15 in America East play. The Bears failed to qualify for postseason for the first time since 2000.

In Saturday’s second game, Justin Latta (2-1) pitched 2 1/3 innings of two-hit, shutout relief and struck out four to help UMaine end the season on a winning note.

The Bears trailed 4-1 entering the top of the fifth inning, when they struck for four runs against starter Murphy Smith.

Senior Curt Smith led off with an infield single, then Jackson was hit by a pitch. One out later, Kevin McAvoy of Brewer walked to load the bases. Senior Mark Ostrander delivered, drilling a grand slam to left field.

Binghamton (27-25, 15-8 AE) regained the lead briefly in the bottom of the inning. With two out, Brian Ivan singled and Ken Jacobi was hit by a pitch, then Corey Taylor provided an RBI single up the middle. The second run scored on a wild pitch by UMaine starter Matt Jebb.

Smith added a single for the Bears, while Tony Patane singled twice.

Joe Charron and Jacobi hit solo home runs for the Bearcats, while Ryan James singled twice.

In the opener, Tom Baileys singled in Peter Bregartner (single) with two out in the bottom of the 10th against reliever Jimmy Cox of Bangor (1-1) to give Binghamton the victory.

Three times in the game, the Bearcats answered in the bottom of an inning after UMaine had just taken the lead.

McAvoy sparked the Bears with a triple, a double, a single and two RBIs. Smith doubled and singled. His fifth-inning single was the 300th hit of his career.

Bregartner, Charron and Taylor had two singles apiece for the Bearcats.

Joe Mercurio belted a two-run homer in the eighth to give UMaine a 5-3 lead, but the hosts bounced back with two runs with the aid of two walks and an error.

BEARCATS 6, BLACK BEARS 5

(Saturday’s First Game, 10 innings)

Maine Binghamton

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Cather, cf 5 0 0 0 Bregartner, rf 4 3 0

Patane, ss 5 1 1 0 James, 2b 4 0 1

Smith, 1b 4 1 2 0 Charron, lf 5 1 1

Lugbauer, dh 5 0 0 0 Klee, ss 3 0 1

McAvoy, lf-rf 4 0 3 2 Holley, 1b 5 0

Lukas, 3b 4 1 0 0 Baileys, dh 5 0 1

Ostrander, rf 3 1 1 0 Ivan, 3b 5 1

Hasenfus, lf-cf 2 0 0 0 Skelhorne, c 4 0

Howard, lf 0 0 0 0 Taylor, cf 4 1 0

Mercurio, c 4 1 1 2

Menendez, 2b 2 0 1 1

Totals 38 5 9 5 Totals 37 6 0 5

Maine 000 020 120 0 – 5

Binghamton 000 110 120 1 – 6

E-Patane 2; Ivan; LOB-Maine 8, Binghamton 16; 2B-Smith, McAvoy, Ostrander; Kelee; 3B-McAvoy; HR-Mercurio (2); DP-Binghamton 1; S-Bregartner, James 2, Taylor; SF-Menendez; SB-McAvoy (4)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Scanlan 6 1/3 5 3 2 1 4

Benoit 1 3 2 1 3 1

Cox (L, 1-1) 2 1/3 2 1 1 3 3

Binghamton IP H R ER BB SO

Dennis 7 4 3 2 2 5

Lane 1 2 2 2 1 1

Giulietti (W, 4-2) 2 3 0 0 1 1

HBP-Charron, Baileys (by Scanlan), Klee (by Cox); WP-Cox; T-3:00; ATT-130

BLACK BEARS 7, BEARCATS 6

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Maine (20-28-1) Binghamton (27-25)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Smith, 1b 2 3 2 0 Bregartner, rf 2 1 0

Jackson, dh 2 1 0 1 James, 2b 4 1 0

Lugbauer, c 2 0 0 1 Charron, lf 3 1 1

McAvoy, rf 3 1 0 0 Klee, ss 4 0 2

Ostrander, cf 4 1 1 4 Holley, 1b 3 0

Patane, ss 4 0 2 0 Baileys, c 4 0 0

Lukas, 3b 4 0 1 0 Ivan, 3b 3 1 0

Howard, lf 3 0 0 0 Jacobi, dh 3 2 1

Menendez, 2b 3 1 1 0 Taylor, cf 4 0 1

Totals 27 7 7 6 Totals 30 6 9 5

Maine 100 042 0 – 7

Binghamton 102 120 0 – 6

E-Lukas; Klee; LOB-Maine 6, Binghamton 10; 2B-Lukas; Holley; HR-Ostrander (5); Charron (8), Jacobi (2); SF-Jackson, Lugbauer; SB-Smith (12), Patane (4)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Jebb 4 2/3 7 6 6 8 3

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

Binghamton IP H R ER BB SO

Mu. Smith 5 6 5 5 4 3

Mo. Smith (W, 2-2) 0 1 2 2 1 0

Afify 2 0 0 0 0 0

Mo. Smith faced two batters in the sixth

HBP-Jackson (by Mu. Smith), Jacobi (by Jebb); WP-Jebb; Afify; T-2:10; ATT-130