ORONO – That’s one small blow for Rex Turner, one giant boost for Maine-kind.

The University of Maine sophomore stroked a two-out, three-run home run in the seventh inning of Sunday’s first game, carrying the Black Bears to a 10-8 North Atlantic Conference baseball victory over Hofstra of Hempstead, N.Y.

Turner’s heroics helped Maine, which won the nightcap 6-2, vastly improve its position in the league standings. Coach John Winkin’s Bears, who improve to 11-30 overall, 6-6 in NAC action, move into a third-place tie with 7-7 Vermont. The Flying Dutchmen slip to 18-15-2, 7-9 in the conference.

The Bears loosened up Saturday with an 18-2 shellacking of Husson College, but were in danger Sunday of falling in the NAC standings. Turner changed Maine’s outlook with one swing.

“You’d have to say it’s the biggest hit [of the season] because it means the most,” Winkin said. “We finally get to the spot where we’re in a good position as far as getting in the tournament and certainly in the running to host.”

Hofstra reliever Noah Shapiro walked Marc Halsted to open the seventh inning and pinch runner Tony Fernandez moved up on Bryan Harvie’s sacrifice bunt. One out later, Hofstra left the door open when shortstop Scott Coppola bobbled T.J. Sheedy’s grounder.

Turner cashed in, cranking a sluggish Shapiro curveball over the left-field fence.

“The first pitch I was looking fastball, but after that I was just trying to hit the ball hard,” Turner said. “I just wanted to win, one way or another.”

Turner, who leads Maine with eight homers, hopes Sunday’s effort is the start of a trend.

“In a lot of our at-bats today, people looked comfortable, relaxed and aggressive,” Turner said. “I’d like to think this is the starting point for really coming together in all aspects of the game.”

Maine ace Pete Fisher had a rough outing, allowing 10 hits and seven runs in five-plus innings. Closer Garrett Quinn retired the last six batters he faced to notch his first win of the season.

Maine battled from behind three times in the opener, erasing deficits of 2-0, 5-2 and 8-5. Mark Bello’s two-run single gave Hofstra a 2-0 lead in the third. The Bears countered on singles by Sheedy and John Ellis, and Nick Caiazzo’s RBI double. Ellis scored on a wild pitch.

Keith O’Rourke’s three-run double to left sparked a two-out Hofstra rally in the fifth, but the Bears retaliated immediately.

Caiazzo launched a towering solo homer off starter Dave Lohman to open the fifth. Lohman walked Steve Coombs and was lifted in favor of Bob Evers, who surrendered a one-out triple to pinch hitter Tony Bianchi.

Bianchi was credited with a steal of home when catcher Pat Friel failed to handle a pitchout on a squeeze play with Harvie at bat.

Hofstra regained the lead with three runs in the sixth thanks to two Maine errors, but the Bears bounced back. Sheedy walked, Turner doubled and Ellis stung an RBI single. Caiazzo’s sacrifice fly made it 8-7.

“The guys felt a lot more comfortable at the plate, and confident,” Caiazzo said. “We were [frustrated] before the weekend because offensively we haven’t been doing anything. I think we’re starting to put things together.”

Turner and Ellis each extended their hitting streaks to seven games.

Sunday’s second game featured the steady pitching of Josh Harriman and outstanding defense. The sophomore righthander had his string of consecutive scoreless innings snapped at 19, but emerged with a six-hitter and his first collegiate complete game.

Maine turned a pair of double plays behind Harriman. The Bears benefited from five Hofstra errors, which led to four Maine runs.

Harriman, who struck out three and walked one, is 3-0 with one no-decision in his last four starts.

Two miscues and Ellis’ RBI single in the first gave Maine the lead for good. Hofstra made two more errors in the fifth and Maine scored twice without a hit. Mat Huff drilled a two-run homer in the sixth.

Turner robbed Shapiro with a diving catch in the sixth.

Bears 10, Dutchmen 8

(Sunday’s First Game)

Hofstra (18-14-2) Maine (10-30)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Shapiro, cf-p 3 2 1 0 R. Coombs, rf 5 0 1 0

McKenna, 2b 2 1 0 0 Sheedy, 3b 3 3 1 0

Caputo, 3b 3 0 1 1 Turner, lf 3 2 2 3

Bello, lf 2 1 1 3 Ellis, c 4 1 2 1

Friel, c 4 1 1 0 Caiazzo, 1b 3 1 2 3

Coppola, ss 3 1 1 0 Huff, cf 2 0 0 0

O’Rourke, dh 3 0 2 3 Croteau, 2b 1 0 0 0

Adam, rf 1 0 0 0 a-Bianchi 1 1 1 1

Scarry, 1b 4 0 1 0 Halsted, 2b 0 0 0 0

Marino, rf-cf 3 2 2 0 b-Fernandez 0 1 0 0

Harvie, ss 2 0 0 0

Totals 28 8 10 7 Totals 27 10 9 8

a-tripled for Croteau in the fifth

b-ran for Halsted in the seventh

Hofstra 002 033 0 – 8

Maine 002 032 3 – 10

E – Coppola, Halsted, Fisher 2B – O’Rourke 2, Turner, Caiazzo 3B – Bianchi HR – Turner, Cauazzo LOB – Hofstra 7, Maine 9 DP – Harvie to Caiazzo SB – R. Coombs, Huff, Bianchi S – McKenna 2, Shapiro, Turner, Harvie SF – Caiazzo, Bello

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Hofstra

Lohman 4 5 4 4 7 2

Evers 1/3 1 1 0 0 0

Shapiro (L,3-1) 2 1/3 3 5 2 2 2

Maine

Fisher 5 10 7 6 4 1

Quinn (W,1-4) 2 0 1 0 0 2

WP – Lohman PB – Ellis TIME – 2:29 ATTENDANCE – 478

Black Bears 6, Dutchmen 2

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Hofstra (18-15-2) Maine (11-30)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Shapiro, cf 3 0 2 0 R. Coombs, cf 3 1 1 0

McKenna, 2b 2 0 0 0 Huff, cf 1 1 1 2

Caputo, 3b 3 1 1 0 Bianchi, dh 4 1 1 0

Bello, lf 3 0 1 0 Turner, lf 3 0 1 1

Friel, c 3 0 0 0 Ellis, c 2 0 2 1

O’Rourke, dh 2 0 0 0 Jarvais, c 0 0 0 0

Scarry, 1b 3 1 1 0 Caiazzo, 1b 3 0 0 0

Marino, rf 3 0 1 1 Longo, rf 3 0 0 0

Gennari, 2b 2 0 0 0 Sheedy, 3b 3 0 0 0

a-Lohman 1 0 0 0 Croteau, 2b 2 2 1 0

Harvie, ss 2 1 0 0

Totals 25 2 6 1 Totals 26 6 7 4

a-struck out for Gennari in the seventh

Hofstra 000 100 1 – 2

Maine 200 202 x – 6

E – McKenna, Bello, Friel, Gennari, Coppola 2B – Shapiro, Caputo, Scarry HR – Huff LOB – Hofstra 4, Maine 5 DP – Harvie to Croteau to Caiazzo; Croteau to Ellis SB – Ellis, Croteau 2 S – Jarvais

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Hofstra

Coppola (L,1-3) 5 5 4 2 2 3

Evers 1 2 2 2 0 0

Maine

Harriman (W,3-5) 7 6 2 2 1 3

HBP – O’Rourke (by Harriman) WP – Harriman TIME – 2:04