BOWIE, MD. — For the second time in less than 14 hours, the Portland Sea Dogs scored three runs in the ninth inning to beat playoff-hopeful Bowie.

The latest character builder for Portland (47-64) came in a camp day matinee Thursday at Prince George’s Stadium, as outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker drew a bases-loaded walk against reliever Wynn Pelzer with two outs to force in Mitch Dening with the go-ahead run for a 3-2 victory over the Baysox before 2,510.

Dening had tied the game at 2 with a double to left that scored Jon Hee. Matt Spring, the Sea Dogs’ designated hitter, drove in Alex Hassan for the first run of the inning against loser Pat Egan (0-2).

“This team is great coming back. We have a lot of clutch players on this team,” said Hazelbaker. “It is nice to see us continue to fight back” and split the four-game series.

“Our guys, they never quit,” said Sea Dogs Manager Kevin Boles, whose team scored three in the ninth late Wednesday in an 8-6 victory.

“They worked their at-bats. We were hoping we could get to their bullpen” after Bowie starter Oliver Drake allowed just four hits and no runs through 71/3 innings.

The only reason Hee, who had two hits, was in the game at third base was he because he took over for All-Star Will Middlebrooks when the third baseman fouled two pitches in a row off his foot in the fourth inning.

Middlebrooks was taken out as a precaution but was fine, according to Boles.

Hee struck out in the fourth (although the strikeout was charged to Middlebrooks) but singled with one out in the ninth after Hassan led off with a walk. Spring then singled to knock in the first run.

Junichi Tazawa (3-2) was the winning pitcher. He went three innings and allowed no runs and two hits with five strikeouts.

“He has an aggressive mix of pitches. He throws well from the stretch,” Boles said.

Bowie took a 1-0 lead in the first on a double down the right-field line by Joe Mahoney to score L.J. Hoes, who had walked.

The Baysox made it 2-0 in the second as a groundout to shortstop by Ronnie Welty scored Steve Lerud.

Butler, called up from Class-A Salem earlier this week, got the first hit for the Sea Dogs in the third inning. Butler, in his first game with the Sea Dogs, played two games at Triple-A Pawtucket last year.

It was Butler who was behind the plate for starter Brock Huntzinger, who allowed three hits and two earned runs with nine strikeouts in six innings.

Bowie fell to 61-50 as the Sea Dogs held hot-hitting Hoes without a hit and struck out designated hitter Brandon Waring four times in four at-bats. The Baysox fell a half-game back of first-place Harrisburg in the Western Division.

NOTES: Portland pitcher Charlie Haeger, the starter on Wednesday, was placed on the inactive list before Thursday’s game and right-hander Miguel Gonzalez was activated by the Dogs.

Boles said after the game the Red Sox will determine the next step for Haeger, a knuckleball pitcher who has major league experience. …

Boles said the pitch count has been high in the last two outings for closer Blake Maxwell and that Tazawa was going to pitch the bottom of the ninth if the game was tied or the Sea Dogs were ahead. Maxwell was the losing pitcher in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.