GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Huskies tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on from there to defeat the Bates baseball team 9-8 Tuesday night. 

The Bobcats (12-19) trailed 7-6 headed into the eighth inning. First-year John Federico (Durham, N.H.) got a rally started with a single through the right side. He advanced all the way to third on a two-base throwing error by the USM pitcher on a failed pick-off attempt. Then first-year David Swift (Yarmouth, Maine) brought Federico home with a sacrifice fly to left, tying the game at seven.

But the Huskies (17-17) scored the eventual game-winning runs in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Joe Bova smacked a solo home run for an 8-7 USM lead. Then with two away, Peter Keblinsky doubled and Mike Anquillare brought him home for a key insurance run.

Trailing by two, the Bobcats once again mounted a comeback in the top of the ninth. Senior Ben Gesmondi (Narragansett, R.I.) led off with a walk and senior captain Brennan Kelley (Charlotte, N.C.) singled him to second. Sophomore Keagan Ryan (Salem, N.H.) put down a bunt and everyone was safe, loading the bases with nobody out.

However, USM's Lucas Francis was able to secure the save as he got one Bates hitter to fly out to shallow right, Federico to line out to center for a sacrifice fly, and Swift to line out to left for the final out of the game as Bates came up one run short.

The Bobcats took multiple three-run leads in the game, but couldn't hang on to them. They went up 3-0 in the top of the second as senior captain Brandon Biggane (Rensselaer, N.Y.) got things started with a single up the middle. First-year Max Dushney (Ashland, Mass.) followed with a single of his own. Then things got a little weird as junior Gibby Sullivan (Yarmouth, Maine) reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second thanks to a throwing error. Biggane scored on the play to put Bates up 1-0. Three hit-by-pitches later and Bates led 3-0. Gesmondi, Ryan, and senior Ben Genser (Newton, Mass.) all got plunked.

Bates starting pitcher junior Diego Sarabia (Mableton, Ga.) shut down the Huskies for the first two innings before running into trouble in the third. With one away, a walk and a single put runners at the corners. Keblinsky hit a sacrifice fly and Anquillar drew a walk. Jack LeBlond followed with an RBI single up the middle and another run scored thanks to a Bates throwing error, tying the game at three.

Bates went back up by three in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Dushney got hit by a pitch and Sullivan singled to left. Gesmondi doubled home Dushney to put Bates up 4-3. Kelley drew a walk and Ryan got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run. Junior Jack Margiloff (Rye, N.Y.) drew a bases loaded walk and Bates led 6-3.

But the Huskies responded right away with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. It all started with Hunter Brissette drawing a lead-off walk. Kyle Douin followed with an RBI double and Keblinsky singled Douin to third. Anquillar singled home another run and LeBlond pushed across one with an RBI groundout. 

Back-to-back walks and a sacrifice fly capped off the scoring in the inning for the hosts as they took a 7-6 lead.

Biggane and Kelley paced the Bobcats with two hits apiece. Gesmondi and Swift both doubled as the Bobcats tallied 10 hits in the contest. They left 14 runners on base and were unable to fully take advantage of four USM errors and seven hit-by-pitches. 

Bates hosts the Huskies for the final game of the regular season for the Bobcats Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Leahey Field.