GORHAM, Maine - It took second-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University one hour and 20 minutes Friday morning to complete the job that it started Thursday afternoon as the Warriors moved into the winners' bracket final of the 2013 Little East Conference Baseball Tournament with a 9-1 victory over fourth-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston, 9-0 at the USM Baseball Stadium.

 A winner of 30 or more games for the 30th time in the last 41 season, Eastern (30-11-1) moves into the winners' bracket final today at noon against top-seeded University of Southern Maine (35-7), which shut out third-seeded Keene State College, 4-0, in Thursday's second game.

The winner of that game advances to the championship round Saturday, needing only one win to capture the LEC title and gain the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

As the visiting team, Eastern led UMass (16-22) 9-0 when Thursday's game was suspended due to darkness after four-and-one-half innings Thursday 

UMass faces  fifth-seeded University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in an elimination game today at 3 p.m.

Eastern, which had shut out UMass Boston twice during the regular season, scored a run in the first, two in the second, four in the fourth and had just completed a two-run fifth when the game was suspended. It had earlier been delayed for 75 minutes due to rain.

Junior catcher Nik Ververis (Plainville) has driven in three runs with a ground ball, double and single. Senior centerfielder Mike Riemer (Ellington) has two RBI singles, and junior third baseman Mike Vaccarelli (Wolcott) a two-run triple. Senior rightfielder Tyler Caserta (Stratford) and sophomore rightfielder Adam Roderick (West Hartford) have both driven in one run.

Senior righty Evan Chamberlain (Amston) allowed three hits over four innings with two strikeouts, a walk, and hit by pitch, but did not figure in the win because he did not pitch the minimum five innings. Chamberlain was credited with the first-game regular-season win over UMass Boston April 13, fanning ten and walking one and allowing only three hits over the first seven innings en route to his fifth win of the year against a loss. Since that reglar-season victory over UMass, Chamberlain had struggled in his previous three starts prior to Thursday.

Eastern had opened the tournament by surviving a 10-9 slugfest with UMass Dartmouth, while Southern Maine routed  No. 6 Western Connecticut, 13-2 in the first round before shutting out Keene State Thursday.

The two winningest programs in LEC baseball history, Eastern (three tournament titles) and Southern Maine (three) will be meeting in the conference tournament for the 17th time. The Warriors have won ten of the last 13 since the Huskies won the first three. The Warriors had won six titles since Southern Maine won its first championship since 1999 last year, defeating Plymouth State University in the title game at home.

The Huskies, who swept Eastern in the regular season for the second straight season in 2013, are ranked among the national top five in 12 team cateories. They lead Division III in scoring and runs, are second in hits, home runs per game, home runs, and slugging and third in triples.

Leftfielder Tucker White and third baseman Nick Grady -- batting 3-4 in the Southern Maine order -- are among the national leaders in several categories. White is first in triples, second in runs and third in runs per game, and Grady is third in hits. 

When the teams met in the regular season, the Huskies collected 27 hits (nine for extra bases) off nine Eastern pitchers. Three of Chris Bernard's five hits were doubles, and Bernard and Matt Verrier each drove in four runs.

Eastern's pitchers surrendered 17 earned runs in the two losses, with no batter managing more than two hits. Starters Chamberlain and senior lefty Tom Darby (Middletown, RI) absorbed the losses. Chamerlain gave up five earned runs in 6 2/3 innings and Darby three earned runs in three innings.