BRADENTON, Fla. – Eric Smith’s two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Mount Saint Mary’s a 7-5 baseball win over the University of Maine in the season opener for the Black Bears Monday morning.

Maine jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third. Mike Ferriggi led off the inning with a double to right field and Joe Hough singled him in. Hough stole second base and advanced to third when Aaron Izaryk singled to right field. Hough scored on a Joel Barrett sacrifice fly, and Curt Smith drove home Izaryk with a single.

The Mountaineers of Emmitsburg, Md., answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead.

The Black Bears tied the game in the top of the fifth. Izaryk walked and scored when Smith reached on an error. Mount St. Mary’s regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth on Jim Serafin’s RBI single.

Maine tied the game in the top of the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Izaryk and Barrett.

Barrett sparked the Bears with three hits and two RBIs. Hough, Izaryk, and Smith each added two hits.

Izaryk went 2-for-3 with three runs scored for the Black Bears. Barrett had three hits and drove in two for Maine.

Maine returns to action today against Seton Hall at 2:30 p.m.

MOUNTAINEERS 7, BLACK BEARS 5

Maine (0-1) Mt. St. Mary’s (1-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hough, cf 5 1 2 1 Serafin, cf 5 0 1

Izaryk, 2b 3 3 2 0 Hayes, lf 3 0 1

Barrett, 1b 5 0 3 2 Yocum, lf 0 1 0

Creek, rf 1 0 0 0 Kotula, 3b 5 0 0

Cantara, rf 2 0 0 0 E. Smith, 1b 5 2 2

Ostrander, rf 0 0 0 0 Schlenoff, dh 4 0

C. Smith, 3b 4 0 2 2 Vittek, rf 4 1 1

McGraw, c 4 0 1 0 Eiden, pr 0 0 0

Pesanello, dh 4 0 1 0 Murray, rf 0 0

Ferriggi, ss 4 1 1 0 Fay, c 3 2 1 0

Quintal, lf 4 0 0 0 Fowler, 2b 3 0 1

Gioioso, ss 4 0 1 1

Totals 36 5 12 5 Totals 36 7 8 7

Maine 003 101 100 – 5

Mount St. Mary’s 000 401 002 – 7

E-Barrett, C. Smith, Ferriggi; LOB-Maine 8, MSM 7; 2B-Izaryk, Barrett, Ferriggi; Vittek; HR-E. Smith; DP-Maine 2, MSM 1; S-Izaryk; SF-Barrett; SB-Hough; Fay

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Richard 6 5 5 0 3 4

Brown (L, 0-1) 2 2/3 3 2 2 1 1

Mount St. Mary’s IP H R ER BB SO

Perkins 4 1/3 8 4 4 1 2

Kosky 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 3

Pease (W, 1-0) 3 3 1 1 0 1

HBP-Creek by Perkins 2; T-2:45; ATT-70