PORTLAND – The University of Southern Maine had the go-ahead run on third base with 1 out in the bottom of the eighth inning when rains postponed the winner’s bracket game of the NCAA Division III Regional Championship tournament at Hadlock Field here Friday.

Southern Maine is tied with Bridgewater State College 4-4 with pinch runner J.J. O’Connell on third base and Jim Broughton batting with a 1-0 count.

The game will be resumed with that scenerio Saturday at 11 a.m.

Jeff George had a 1-out double in the eighth before O’Connell ran for him. O’Connell moved to third on a wild pitch before the game was halted.

In the loser’s bracket contest, Basilio Ortiz went 4-for-5 with a triple and 3 RBIs as Eastern Connecticut State University eliminated Southeastern Massachusetts 12-8.

Ortiz, ECSU’s center fielder, had run-producing hits in the first, fourth, and sixth innings as his team pulled out to a 10-5 lead.

Todd Hennessey added 2 doubles and a single in five at bats while Pablo Melendez, Dennis Kelley, and Dave Shafter each posted a double and a single. Dave Valliere had 2 singles.

Joe Genovese (6-1) earned the win with 6 2/3 innings of relief for ECSU.

Southeastern Mass. was paced by John Graffam and Ron Andrade, who had 3 hits each. Andrade had 2 doubles.

Eastern Connecticut will face the loser of the Southern Maine-Bridgewater State game at 1 p.m.

The championship game would be held 30 minutes after the 1 p.m.

An if neccessary title game will be held Sunday at 12:05 p.m.

(Loser’s bracket game) Southeastern Mass. 003 101 003 – 8 14 4 Eastern Connecticut 100 504 20x – 12 17 3

Kitchen, Beaulieu (4), Dreher (5), Permatteo (7) and Ashton; MacDonald, Genovese (3) and Moon, Selmer