BANGOR – Jerrett Shaffer wasn’t originally scheduled to be the starting pitcher in Saturday’s Class A state championship game.

It’s not that the senior righthander wasn’t capable, or deserving. Three days earlier, he had taken the mound for Deering High’s Western Maine title game – and struggled.

Saturday afternoon, Shaffer bounced back to pitch an efficient five-hitter, sparking Deering of Portland to a 6-1 victory over Cony of Augusta for the Class A baseball state title at Mansfield Stadium.

Shaffer was in command from the outset. He retired the first 10 Cony batters and set down 15 of the first 17 men he faced.

Saturday’s performance was far superior to Wednesday, when Shaffer gave up three runs in three innings before being lifted by second-year coach Mike D’Andrea.

“We got an outstanding performance from Jerrett Shaffer. He was dominant,” D’Andrea said.

Using a lively fastball and a tight curve, Shaffer (9-1) struck out seven and did not walk a batter, going to a three-ball count only twice.

“I felt good,” Shaffer said. “The last game I came out a little flat. Today I just came in there firing.”

The key to Deering’s season was its work ethic. The team was driven to excellence by D’Andrea.

Rob Tetrault explained Deering was put through double sessions during preseason, including a practice from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

“That was horrible,” Tetrault chuckled. “I think we got a lot done because we weren’t really awake, we were just thinking about baseball.”

D’Andrea wanted to make sure his players were committed.

“I told those guys, we’re going to work harder than anybody else in the state,” D’Andrea said. “At six o’clock in the morning, I asked them one question, `when we’re working, what’s everybody else doing? They’re sleeping.’ ”

Cony struggled on the mound Saturday. Coach Al Cloutier’s Eastern Maine champs (16-4) used three players, who issued seven walks and hit three batters.

Deering (18-2) scored all the runs it would need in the third inning. Josh Stoll served a single to left, stole second with one out, and scored on a single to center field by Stu Tisdale.

Todd Goodreau kept the rally alive, reaching when Cony third baseman B.L. Lippert made a superb diving stab toward the line, but couldn’t get the throw to second in time to force out Tisdale.

Tetrault cashed in, with a little help from the late-afternoon sun, when his fly ball to center field dropped beside blinded center fielder Aaron Young.

Deering scored three more in the fifth, despite scratching out only one hit. Cony starter Brandon Royce was lifted after issuing a leadoff walk to Sohka Meas. Josh Cushman came on to get two ground-ball outs, but hit Goodroe and Tetrault to load the bases.

Cushman gave way to Jake Castonguay, who walked Wes Ridlon to force in a run, allowed a Greg Roberts RBI single, and walked Devin Caron with the bases loaded.

Cony finally put together a rally in the seventh. Cushman led off with a line-drive double to left-center, then trotted home on Scott Brawn’s towering triple to the gap in right-center.

Roberts singled three times and Tisdale singled twice for Deering, which collected nine hits and did not commit an error.

Cony also played errorless ball, receiving sterling defensive play from shortstop Kevin Brunelle, who recorded five assists and one putout. In the second, he made a brilliant diving stab behind second base and then threw out Ridlon. Class A baseball

Deering 6, Cony 1

Deering (18-2) Cony (16-4)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Stoll, rf 2 1 1 0 Brunelle, ss 3 0 0 0

a-Agopian 1 0 0 0 Ja. Cushman,ss 3 0 1 0

Meas, ss 4 1 1 0 Lambert, 2b 0 0 0 0

Shaffer, p 3 0 1 0 Young, cf 3 0 0 0

Tisdale, c 3 1 2 1 Jo.Cushm’n,lf-p 3 1 1 0

c-Giglio 0 0 0 0 Castong’y,1b-p 3 0 0 0

Goodreau, cf 3 2 0 0 Brawn, c 3 0 1 1

Tetrault, lf 3 1 1 2 g-Boulange 0 0 0 0

Ridlon, 3b 3 0 0 1 Royce, p-lf-rf 2 0 1 0

Roberts, dh 4 0 3 1 b-Roberge 1 0 0 0

Placey, 1b 0 0 0 0 Moore, rf-1b 2 0 0 0

e-Lawrence 0 0 0 0 h-Daigle 0 0 0 0

Caron, 2b 2 0 0 1 Lippert, 3b 2 0 1 0

f-Prescott 0 0 0 0 d-Miller 0 0 0 0

Totals 28 6 9 6 Totals 25 1 5 1

a-grounded out for Stoll in the fifth

b-ran for Royce in the fifth

c-ran for Tisdale in the sixth

d-ran for Lippert in the sixth

e-ran for Roberts in the seventh

f-ran for Caron in the seventh

g-ran for Brawn in the seventh

h-flied out for Ryan in the seventh

Deering 003 030 0 – 6

Cony 000 000 1 – 1

2B – Tetrault; Jo. Cushman 3B – Brawn LOB – Deering 11; Cony 4 DP – Ja. Cushman to Castonguay SB – Meas, Stoll, Lawrence

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Deering

Shaffer (W,9-1) 7 5 1 1 0 7

Cony

Royce (L,3-3) 4 5 4 4 4 1

Jo. Cushman 2 2/3 3 2 2 1 1

Castonguay 1/3 1 0 0 2 0

Royce faced one batter in the fifth

Jo. Cushman faced four batters in the fifth; re-entered to start the sixth

Castonguay faced four batters in the fifth

HBP – Goodreau, Tetrault, Stoll (by Cushman) BK – Shaffer TIME – 2:03 ATTENDANCE – 485 (est.)