STANDISH – Not since 1975 had Searsport High School won a state baseball title.

But it was symbolic of the high expectations the program has had in recent years that the modern-day Vikings had been reminded of that fact each spring.

“Every year I’ve been here, we always go down [to] the gym and look at that [1975] banner,” said third-year coach Dave Pepin. “Three years ago we said it’s been 29 years since we won one, and last year it was 30 years, and this year it was 31 years.”

Next year, a new banner will grace the school’s gymnasium, after the Vikings rallied past St. Dominic of Auburn 5-2 Saturday at Saint Joseph’s College.

Held scoreless on one hit by St. Dom’s righthander Brady Blackman through four innings, Searsport capitalized on its own persistence and a couple of big breaks to score four runs in the top of the fifth.

Righthander Matt Nickerson did the rest, pitching four innings of no-hit relief as Searsport secured its first state title in more than three decades by dethroning the 2005 champs.

“It’s quite an honor,” said Nickerson, one of just three seniors (two of whom start) on the Searsport roster. “A lot of good ballplayers have come through Searsport and haven’t had the opportunity to do what we’ve done.”

Blackman, who pitched a three-hitter in last year’s state final against George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill and was 14-1 over two seasons entering Saturday’s final, looked all the part of the game’s dominant force for much of the contest.

He recorded seven of Searsport’s first 11 outs by strikeout, with only a single by Tom Cameron and a walk to Caleb Ashey marring his early effort.

And he had been staked to a 2-0 lead. Blackman led off the second inning with a double off Searsport starter Nate Adams and scored when Andrew Allen popped a single to left.

Adams nearly escaped further damage thanks to a leaping catch of a Richard Paradis liner by Nickerson at shortstop, but Tom Edgecomb flared a single to right with two outs to drive home Allen.

But Adams quickly regrouped, and got out of a two-on, two-out jam an inning later by striking out Blackman on a 3-2 pitch.

“They were a couple of hits away from breaking the ballgame open,” said Pepin, “so that’s why I’ve got to give my sophomore [Adams] credit for battling and getting out of a couple of jams and getting the ball to Matt.”

Blackman fought off two walks in the fourth unscathed, but as his pitch count began to mount on this hot late afternoon, the Searsport hitters began gaining confidence.

Adams opened the Searsport fifth with a first-pitch single to left and Kyle Ritchie walked. St. Dom’s then tried a pickoff play, but Blackman overthrew second base, allowing Adams and Ritchie to move to second and third, respectively.

Blackman rebounded by striking out Casey Ashey and getting Nickerson to foul out to catcher Mike Carpenter.

But as he struck out Bob Wilson swinging for the potential third out of the inning, Blackman’s third-strike curveball bounced in the dirt for a wild pitch, enabling Adams to score and Wilson to join Ritchie on the basepaths. Wilson stole second uncontested before Caleb Ashey grounded a bad-hop single over the glove of St. Dom’s shortstop Peter Lewis to bring both runners home and give Searsport a 3-2 lead.

“I was just trying to put the bat on the ball, put it in play and just hustle down the line,” said Ashey. “I heard the crowd start screaming, and I knew it got through.”

Josh Nickerson followed by blasting a 1-1 pitch off the fence in left-center for an RBI double to cap off the uprising.

“Everything was going along all right, and then things just happened,” said Blackman, who struck out nine, walked two and allowed six hits. “You strike a guy out on a ball in the dirt, then a ground ball up the middle takes a bad bounce. What can you do?”

The Saints (17-3) never really threatened again against Matt Nickerson, who struck out three and walked two.

“Matt was very good,” said Pepin. “The last few weeks he’s been right on his game. He’s got three pitches, he’s had good command of them and he’s been hitting his spots.”

Searsport (15-5) added a pad run in the seventh, as Matt Nickerson hit a leadoff single, was sacrificed to second by pinch hitter Ethan McHatten and slid home safely when a St. Dom’s relay throw was bobbled after Caleb Ashey flied to center.

VIKINGS 5, SAINTS 2

Searsport (15-5) St. Dominic (17-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

M. Nickerson,ss-p 4 1 1 0 Lewis, ss 4 0

Wilson, rf 3 1 0 0 Parker, 2b 3 0 0

McHatten, ph 0 0 0 0 Carpenter, c 2 0 0

Cal. Ashey, 2b-ss 3 1 1 2 Blackman, p 3 0

J. Nickerson, 3b 4 0 1 1 An. Allen, 1b 2 1

Johnson, 1b-c 2 0 0 0 Labonte, rf 2 0

Cameron, dh 3 0 2 0 Paradis, lf 3 0 0

Gallant, cf-1b 0 0 0 0 Edgecomb, cf 3 1

Brassbridge, pr 0 0 0 0 Emerson, 3b 2 0

Adams, p-2b 2 1 1 0 Gosselin, pr 0 0 0

Ritchie, lf 2 1 0 0 Bryant, pr 0 0 0

Cas. Ashey, c 2 0 0 0

Skillings, cf 1 0 0 0

Totals 26 5 6 3 Totals 24 2 4 2

Searsport 000 040 1 – 5

St. Dominic 020 000 0 – 2

E-Cal. Ashey; LOB-Searsport 5, St. Dominic 5; 2B-J. Nickerson; Blackman; S-Adams, McHatten; Labonte; SB- Wilson, Cal. Ashey; Blackman

Searsport IP H R ER BB SO

Adams 3 4 2 2 1 1

M. Nickerson (W,7-2) 4 0 0 0 2 3

St. Dominic IP H R ER BB SO

Blackman (L,6-1) 7 6 5 4 2 9

WP-M. Nickerson; Blackman; T-1:55; ATT-500