Thursday was “Education Day” at Hadlock Field with a special 11 a.m. Portland Sea Dogs baseball game, featuring almost 3,000 schoolchildren screaming, dancing, noshing pizza and occasionally watching a ballgame.

What did the kids learn on their field trip?

For one, you can always do better, like Portland pitcher Aaron Wilkerson did with Thursday’s start.

And, two, stay persistent, like the Sea Dogs did, finally beating the Binghamton Mets, 2-1.

The victory not only snapped a two-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs, it halted a 14-game Binghamton winning streak at Hadlock Field, dating to the 2014 Eastern League playoffs.

Portland (9-18) squandered chances early in the game, while the Mets (13-11) struggled until taking a 1-0 lead in the seventh on two infield singles and a wild pitch.

Things looked bleak for Portland until the bottom of the inning. Tim Roberson and Rainel Rosario began with back-to-back doubles to tie the game. Later, with the bases loaded, Tzu-Wei Lin singled in the winner.

Simon Mercedes (2-2) got the win with two innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits and a walk.

Chandler Shepherd recorded his third save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Wilkerson did not get a decision but lowered his ERA to 2.08 ERA with six shutout innings (two hits, one walk, seven strikeouts). Wilkerson struck out the first four batters he faced and retired the first 11.

Quite a performance following Wilkerson’s last start (eight hits, three walks, five earned runs, 31/3 innings).

“He was a man on a mission today,” Manager Carlos Febles said. “He had a bad performance his last outing and was not happy about it.”

Wilkerson began the year with four solid starts, allowing a total of one earned run. Then he got a spot start in Triple-A on April 22.

“I wasn’t nervous, but the effort level got a little elevated,” said Wilkerson, who gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks in 42/3 innings.

He came back to Portland and that inconsistency carried over.

“The last two starts, I got out of my routine,” Wilkerson said. “I had an extra off day and that helped me get my mechanics straightened out.”

Wilkerson threw all four pitches – fastball, slider, curve and change-up – for strikes on Thursday.

Binghamton’s Rainy Lara (2-3) took the loss.

He left after giving up the two doubles and a walk in the seventh.

NOTES: Rosario injured his left hamstring on a failed pick-off play shortly after his double in the seventh inning. He was helped off the field. Febles said he was waiting for the trainer’s report before a decision is made about the disabled list. … The announced paid attendance of 5,375 featured the school kids and a lot of no-shows.

In Eastern League news, the Hartford Yard Goats’ stadium is still under construction. The league announced Thursday that nine of Hartford’s home games this month will be played at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. Norwich, which used to host an Eastern League team, now is home to the Connecticut Tigers of the short-season New York-Penn League. Hartford’s stadium is supposed to open May 31. The Sea Dogs are scheduled to play there June 3.

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