MANSFIELD, Conn. – Ty Bongiovanni and Joey Serfass combined to hurl nine innings of scoreless relief as Eastern Connecticut came back from an early three-run deficit to defeat the University of Southern Maine 9-3 and win the 2004 LEC baseball championship Saturday.

USM (31-13-1) knocked starting pitcher Joe Riley out of the game after facing just four batters without recording an out. Reliever Bongiovanni gave up the second run on a bases loaded wild pitch, and Tip Fairchild plated the last Husky run of the contest on a fielder’s choice. Both runs were charged to Riley.

The Warriors (35-9) struck back for a pair of runs in the second and earned another three in the third. The 5-3 lead was extended in the seventh when Scott Hayward smacked a solo homer to ignite a four-run inning.

Bongiovanni (1-3) allowed two hits and one walk, while striking out nine through five and two thirds innings of middle relief.

Maine, Albany split

ORONO – Joe Hough had five hits as Maine dropped the first game of a doubleheader 2-1, but came back with a pair of convincing frames to take a 6-1 win from Albany in the nightcap.

In Game 1, left fielder Ryan Quintal roped a run-scoring triple in the second inning to give the Black Bears (27-19) an early 1-0 lead. However, Great Danes’ third baseman Steve Wyland had a single in the fourth to plate the tying run and again in the ninth for the game-winner.

After three scoreless innings in Game 2, Maine solved pitcher Ethan Vaiana and sent him to the showers on three runs, seven hits and no strikeouts. The Black Bears completed the assault with another three in the sixth to put the game out of reach down the stretch.

Softball
Maine, BU split

ORONO – Brittany Cheney belted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Lauren Dulkis for the game-winning run as Maine captured the American East championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Fourth seeded Maine became the lowest seed ever to win the championship. Every run scored in the game was unearned. Brittany Detwiler pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up five hits and struck out three.

Boston University won the first game 3-2 on an error by catcher Lindsey Tibbetts which allowed the game-winning run to score.