GORHAM — The comeback kids did it again. And this was their grandest escape yet.

Caleb Vacchiano hit a tiebreaking grand slam, and the University of Southern Maine baseball team stormed back from five runs down with a nine-run eighth inning for an 11-7 win over Babson in an NCAA Division III regional Saturday afternoon.

The stunning rally continued what has become a trend. The Huskies (31-10) rallied from five runs down to beat UMass Dartmouth in the Little East Conference semifinals and from a four-run deficit to top Keene State in the conference final.

But Saturday’s shocker, in which USM climbed back from a 7-2 deficit with six outs to go, surpassed both of the previous comebacks and put the Huskies in the winners bracket of the four-team regional. USM will play Rowan, a 7-5 winner over RIT, at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

“One thing with our team and our lineup and our offense, we’re never out of it,” USM coach Scott Heath said. “We’ve just got to keep chipping away, keep having good at-bats throughout, and good things will happen for us.”

The game seemed to be following some bizarre Hollywood script. It was eerily similar to the Little East final, when USM used an eight-run eighth to win 11-5. And for the second game in a row, Vacchiano capped the comeback with a grand slam.

Saturday was Vacchiano’s 20th birthday.

“I was joking around earlier. Twenty years old, I’m starting to not get as many presents,” the shortstop said. “So I’ll take the baseball winning home run. That’s as good of a gift as I need.”

USM’s powerful offense, the second-highest scoring lineup in the country, was held in check by Babson starter Jason Finkelstein, who struck out seven and allowed four hits through seven innings as the Beavers (26-16) built a 7-2 lead.

In the eighth, however, Peter Keblinsky singled off reliever Dillon James, Vacchiano walked, and Carter Higgins singled to drive in Keblinsky. Mike Anquillare then reached on a catcher’s interference call, loading the bases.

Kaiden Morin went the other way for a two-run single that made it 7-5, and pinch-hitter Drew Scialdone’s bunt was thrown away by new reliever Michael Camardi, allowing Anquillare to score while Morin advanced to third.

“When that bunt got down and they threw that one away, it’s like ‘Let’s go.’ This is right where we want them,” first baseman Kyle Douin said.

The rally continued. Evan Baschnagel singled to left, tying the game, and Douin walked to load the bases again. Keblinsky struck out, but that brought up Vacchiano in a spot he knew all too well.

“He is just clutch, man,” Douin said. “He just gets it done. I love it. Goosebumps.”

As Vacchiano went to the plate, he was ready to swing if he saw his pitch.

“Get on time for the fastball, and do damage if it’s there,” he said.

It was. Vacchiano connected on a first-pitch fastball and drilled it down the left-field line, and as it disappeared over the fence, the jubilant Huskies poured out of the dugout to wait for him at home.

“I had a feeling (it was gone),” he said. “The last one was the coolest home run of my life. For four days.”

Vacchiano was the hero late, but he wouldn’t have been in position for that role if not for a gutsy effort from starting pitcher Gabe Gifford, who needed 36 pitches to escape the first inning with a 3-0 deficit. Gifford battled through the next six innings, allowing two runs. He was removed with two outs in the eighth after allowing two more runs. He threw 138 pitches.

“A big thing for me is just next-pitch mentality,” he said. “Knowing that what happens in the past, I can’t change that. I’ve got to just bear down and throw strike one again.”

Having an offense that has shown a penchant for comebacks helps.

“Even if it’s 8-0 in the ninth, we can win a ball game,” he said.

Saturday wasn’t quite that bleak. But it was pretty close.

“We know we have one of the best offenses in the whole country,” Vacchiano said. “You get down a little bit, it’s almost a motivation to get going and get some runs.”