EAST BIDDEFORD – Nick Merchant raced home from third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to give Westbrook a 4-3 victory over Old Town for the state Little League baseball title for ages 11-12 Thursday.

Westbrook advanced to this weekend’s Eastern Regional in Bristol, Conn.

Merchant led off with a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on an error.

Cory Grenier was the hard-luck losing pitcher as he gave up only one hit while striking out 12 and walking six.

Dana Leland paced Old Town with a double, two singles and an RBI. Matt Jones and Grenier each added two singles with Grenier driving in a run.

Tyler Honey and Nathan Michaud each chipped in with a double for Old Town with Michaud adding an RBI.

Old Town (4-2) 100 110 – 3 10 2

Westbrook (4-0) 102 201 – 4 1 1

Grenier, Jones (6) and Leland; McAlpine, Johnson (3) and Redmond

Baseball, 13-14

Bucksport, Auburn split

At Windham, the Bucksport Junior League baseball squad took the first of two games, 7-6 over Auburn Suburban, to force a second game, which Auburn Suburban won 8-5 to capture the state title.

In the first game, Chad Cottrell’s two singles keyed the hitting attack for Bucksport.

In the second game, Matt Robichaud paced Bucksport with a triple.

(First Game)

Auburn Suburban 200 103 0 – 6 8 5

Bucksport 301 210 x – 7 11 2

Lutz and Guerrette; Robichaud and Cooke

(Second Game)

Auburn Suburban 201 300 2 – 8 8 1

Bucksport 003 000 2 – 5 5 2

Giguere and Guerrette; Wardwell and Robichaud

Baseball, 15-16

South Portland sweeps Saco

At Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, South Portland swept the previously unbeaten Saco stars in a championship round doubleheader to claim the state Senior League title.

South Portland won the first game 7-1 and clinched the title with a 12-9 win in the second.

In the second game, Tony Dicenso’s three-run double in the second ignited a five-run inning and Brian Lavoie’s bases-clearing double in the third did the same to lead South Portland.

Lavoie also had two singles while Andrew Wood had three singles and an RBI. Dicenso had four RBIs on the day and John Asadorian singled twice.

Kris Moody had a double, two singles and one RBI for Saco. Bob Smart had a double and RBI single.

In the first game, Craig Seidl pitched a seven-hitter while walking one batter and striking out two to get the win. He also doubled for South Portland.

Shawn Compson doubled and singled while Nick Dyer added a double for Saco.

(First game)

Saco (2-1) 100 000 0 – 1 7 4

South Portland (3-1) 201 022 x – 7 6 0

Turgeon and Grenier; Seidl and Wood

(Second Game)

Saco (2-2) 310 005 0 – 9 8 3

South Portland (4-1) 255 000 x – 12 11 3

Compson, Gray (3), Goulet (5) and Grenier; Collett, Wood (1), Tait (6) and Wood, Damone (1), Tweedie (4), Wood (7)

Softball, 11-12

Bedford, N.H. 14, Hampden 11

At Seaford, Del., a six-run fourth inning gave Bedford, N.H., the lead for good against Hampden in the Little League softball Eastern Regional for 11- and 12-year-olds.

Hampden finished fourth in the round-robin first round and did not qualify for the next round.

Winning pitcher Kursten Provencher posted a triple and single for the New Hampshire champions.

Ashley Gott led Maine champion Hampden with a double, single, and three RBIs, Amanda Palmer contributed two singles and two RBIs, and Eva Shannon added two singles and one RBI. Lacey Littlefield tossed a five-hitter with nine strikeouts and 11 walks.

Bedford, N.H. (3-2) 142 610 – 14 5 6

Hampden (2-3) 433 100 – 11 10 5

Provencher and O’Hara; Littlefield and Gott