NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Three was the magic number for the Sanford Mainers in a New England Collegiate Baseball League game Tuesday night against the North Adams Steeplecats. A three-run inning in the eighth ”“ the Mainers’ second three-run inning of the night ”“ propelled Sanford to its third win in a row, 7-4 over host North Adams.

With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Kendall Patrick was hit by a pitch for the second time on the night. A Matt Harris single put another runner on, and both Harris and pinch runner Sam Dexter scored on a double by Stevie Berman. Cory Raley finished off the scoring with an RBI single.

Anthony Ciavarella and Ryan Johnson then closed the door for Sanford, each throwing a scoreless inning to finish the win.

John Nicklas earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning, as he came on in relief of starter Ben Wessel. The Scarborough native allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits over six innings.

The Mainers’ first three-run inning gave them a 4-1 lead in the fourth. But a single run by the Steeplecats in the bottom of the fifth, followed by two more an inning later, knotted the game back up.

Raley and Berman each finished with two RBIs for Sanford, which made the most of its seven hits.

The win pushes the Mainers back into second place in the NECBL Northern Division with a record of 7-7, a half-game ahead of North Adams.

Sanford returns home tonight to face first place Vermont at 6:30 p.m. at Goodall Park.