ORONO – Mike Collar had trouble finding umpire Dan Deshaies’ strike zone Friday night. But even after a career-high seven walks and 137 pitches, the University of Maine’s ace righthander found a way to win.

Aided by an unconventional seventh-inning double play, Collar caught Ed Kull looking at a called third strike as UMaine escaped with a 3-2 America East baseball victory over Stony Brook at Mahaney Diamond.

Collar (7-2) allowed five hits and struck out eight, tying a school record held by Billy Swift by pitching his seventh consecutive complete game.

“I thought he threw very well. He competed,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos, whose team improved to 33-12, 13-4 in league play, with its 10th straight win. “A pitcher has to get certain outs and he got every out that he needed to get [tonight].”

Collar, who had walked only 10 batters all season prior to Friday, was unfazed by his outing.

“You only get a chance to pitch once a week and if your stuff’s not there, you’ve just got to try to stay in the game,” said the sophomore from Scarborough. “I had to battle a lot.”

Trailing 3-2, the Seawolves (23-20, 8-9) got their first two batters on via errors to open the seventh. Lee Lipschutz followed with a hard single to left field and Matt Devins was waved around third.

“I think he was right at the bag or a little bit after it, so I thought I had a pretty good shot at him,” said Mike Ross, who started in left for only the second time this season.

Ross scooped up the ball and rifled a strike to the plate for the first out. Despite a collision, catcher Alain Picard alertly threw back to second base, where Rob Sandora had taken too wide a turn.

Sandora tried to take third, but was gunned out by Brett Ouellette, completing the double play.

“If there’s a guy out there I wanted to have the ball hit to, it’s [Ross], because he’s a guy that’s gonna make plays,” said Collar, who then struck out Kull.

UMaine broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth against Stony Brook righty Kevin Willi (3-6), who limited the Bears to three singles.

Mike Ferriggi punched a one-out single to center and moved up on Aaron Young’s bunt groundout. Ferriggi scored when Mike Livulpi beat out an infield hit to shortstop Devins, who made an errant throw past first base.

Collar patiently pitched out of jams in the final four innings, stranding nine Stony Brook baserunners in that stretch.

“He’s got heart,” Picard said. “He never lets an opponent get on him. He’s one of the calmest pitchers I’ve ever played with and he’s very strong mentally.”

The Bears grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning with the aid of three Willi walks. With the bases loaded and two out, Young bounced a two-run single up the middle.

Stony Brook tied it in the fourth. Dwayne Whitaker reached on a fielding error by shortstop Ferriggi, then Matt Devins singled. Both scored when Rob Sandora lashed a double past first base.

UMaine was without starting left fielder Simon Williams, who will miss this series with a left shoulder injury he suffered taking a swing Wednesday at Colby.

BLACK BEARS 3, SEAWOLVES 2

Stony Brook (23-20) Maine (33-12)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Graham, 3b 2 0 1 0 Livulpi, cf 3 0 0

Whitaker, lf 4 1 0 0 Reynolds, dh 3 0 0

Devins, ss 3 1 1 0 Picard, c 3 0 0

Sandora, 3b 3 0 1 2 Ross, lf 2 1 0

Lipschutz, rf 4 0 1 0 Drapeau, 3b 3 0

Kull, c 3 0 1 0 Tobin, 1b 2 1 0

Larsen, cf 3 0 0 0 Ouellette, 2b 1 0 0

Juarez, dh 1 0 0 0 Ferriggi, ss 2 1 0

a-Taormina 0 0 0 0 Young, rf 2 0 2

Etzel, 1b 2 0 0 0

Johnson, 1b 1 0 0 0

Totals 26 2 5 2 Totals 21 3 3 2

a-ran for Juarez in the sixth

Stony Brook 000 200 0 ? 2

Maine 020 010 x ? 3

E?Devins (13), Kull (3); Drapeau (9), Ferriggi (8), Ouellette (8); LOB?Stony Brook 10; Maine 3; 2B?Sandora, Kull, Graham; DP?Drapeau-Ouellette-Tobin, Ross-Picard-Ouellette-Ferriggi

Stony Brook IP H R ER BB SO

Willi (L,3-6) 6 3 3 2 3 5

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Collar (W,7-2) 7 5 2 1 7 8

WP?Willi; Collar; PB?Picard; T?2:00; ATT?351