Gorham, Maine - The Endicott College Gulls scored four runs in the ninth inning on three consecutive two-out base hits, then had to survive a bases-loaded situation to outlast the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a slugfest, 15-13, Friday afternoon at the USM Baseball Stadium.

The non-conference victory gave the Gulls their 20th win of the season, and lifts their overall record to 20-8. 

The Huskies fall to 12-11. Trailing 12-11 entering their final turn at bat, the Gulls put a couple of runners aboard on bad-hop singles against USM senior left-hander Mike Eaton (Sabattus, Maine).

Eaton, making his first pitching appearance in over a year, got the second out of the inning via a strikeout. The Huskies brought on junior right-hander Dustin Stanton (Cornish, Maine) to face junior Danny Mello (Peabody, Mass.), and Mello stroked a single to right field bringing home two runs. 

Sophomore Eric Lemke (Southington, Conn.) and rookie Jake Northrup (Boxborough, Mass.) followed with RBI singles to left to plate a pair of insurance runs.

The Gulls had to survive in the bottom half of the inning as the Huskies plated a run and had the bases loaded before Northrup got the final out with a strikeout.

Lemke led the Gulls' 17-hit assault on six USM hurlers with three hits, including a double, and five RBI. Northrup, who earned his third save on the mound, also had three hits, including a double and a triple, and two RBI. Mello and junior Robbie Goldstick (Deerfield, Ill.) each had two hits and three RBI. 

Freshman pitcher Connor McLaughlin (Clinton, Mass.) got the win.

Southern Maine pounded out 19 hits, including four home runs. Eaton had four hits, including his sixth and seventh home runs of the season, and six RBI. 

Senior Jordan Berthiaume (Berlin, Conn.) had three hits, including his first homer of the year, and two RBI. Junior Roberto Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.) had three hits and two RBI. Rookie Forrest Chadwick (Gardiner, Maine) had the Huskies other round tripper. Eaton was the tough-luck loser.

The Gulls grabbed the momentum in the sixth inning sending 11 batters to the plate en route to scoring eight runs and take a 10-5 lead. Goldstick drove in two with a single to ignite the outburst. Lemke had the big blow with a bases loaded double that scored all three runners.

Berthiaume sparked a four-run rally for USM in the home half of the inning with a two-run shot down the left field line. Eaton hit the first of his two two-run homers later in the inning to make it 10-9.

Endicott picked up a single tally on the eighth on Lemke's RBI single. 

Southern Maine scored three times in the bottom of the eighth, the final two on Eaton's second home run, to take a 12-11 advantage. Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) hosting Rhode Island College for a Little East Conference doubleheader. Endicott travels to Salve Regina University on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) for a Commonwealth Coast Conference twin bill.

Release courtesy of USM Sports Information.