BANGOR – It was everything fans hope to see in a state championship baseball game and more: timely hitting, clutch pitching and nifty defensive plays.

The Class C state title game took 10 innings before the St. Dominic Saints of Auburn turned the tables on defending state champ Searsport, rallying for three runs in the sixth to tie it and four in the 10th to win it, 7-3, at Mansfield Stadium.

Searsport had erased a 2-0 deficit a year ago to beat St. Dom’s 5-2.

Freshman pitcher-right fielder Jake Rutt, who entered the game hitting .421, belted a long, run-scoring triple to center in the midst of the three-run rally in the sixth inning. He ripped another deep triple to right in the 10th to drive in the second and third runs of the inning.

The game may not have required extra innings if it wasn’t for a terrific relay throw from St. Dominic’s shortstop Peter Lewis, who prevented Nate Adams from collecting an inside-the-park homer in the bottom of the fifth.

That would have made it 4-0.

Adams had hit a sinking liner and it skipped past diving left fielder Aaron Allen and rolled to the fence. Allen retrieved it and threw it to Lewis.

“I had to give it everything I had. It was do-or-die. It had to be perfect and it worked out for us. It definitely gave us momentum,” said Lewis, who took over for Rutt on the mound in the sixth inning and wound up notching the win with 4 1/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief in his longest outing of the year.

“Looking back on it now, that play was huge. We would have won 4-3,” said Searsport coach Dave Pepin.

“That put some spring in everybody’s step,” said St. Dom’s assistant coach Allan Turgeon.

“It must have been a heck of a relay because the last time I looked, I was running from second to third and the left fielder had just gotten the ball,” said Adams.

Casey Parker opened the St. Dom’s sixth with a bloop double into short right and, after right fielder Evan Kingsbury made a great running catch toward the line, Andy Allen bounced a single to center to score Parker.

“That first run was the key,” said St. Dom’s coach Bob Blackman. “We knew they hadn’t given up a run in the playoffs. We needed to get that first one so the kids could loosen up. The bats came alive after that.”

Rutt then blasted a 3-1 pitch over center fielder Kyle Ritchie’s head to score Allen.

“I was looking for a fastball, middle of the plate in, and that’s what I got,” said Rutt.

“I got behind in the count and I had to come back with a fastball. I grooved it,” said Searsport junior righty Casey Ashey, who had allowed just three hits through the first five innings and finished with eight strikeouts and no walks over seven innings (6 hits, 3 runs).

Willie Emerson tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Lewis pitched out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the seventh, inducing an inning-ending grounder.

He then triggered the 10th-inning rally by walking against reliever Tom Cameron and stealing second despite being bothered by a calf cramp.

“I had to go. It was the state championship. You’ve got to go all out,” said Lewis.

Parker sacrificed him to third and Greg LaBonte belted a 1-0 pitch over center fielder Ritchie’s head for an RBI triple.

“He threw me a fastball right down the middle and I unloaded on it,” said LaBonte.

Andy Allen walked before Rutt rifled his two-run triple over right fielder Evan Kingsbury’s head.

“It was another fastball,” said Rutt, who scored on Josh Nickerson’s wild pitch.

Searsport scored single runs in the first, second and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead.

Caleb Ashey doubled and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the first; Kingsbury doubled in the second and was credited with a steal of home on a failed squeeze bunt attempt, and Kingsbury singled in the fourth and eventually scored on Caleb Ashey’s sacrifice fly.

St. Dom’s third baseman Emerson made a couple of great plays on hot shots to open the eighth and ninth innings and prevent the Vikes from getting the lead man on.

“He probably saved them the game,” said Pepin.

Rutt had a double to go with his two triples for 19-1 St. Dom’s, winner of two state titles in the last three years.

Emerson and Shayne Curtis added two singles apiece.

Freshman Kingsbury had a double, two singles and a walk for 15-5 Searsport. Adams had a single to go with his triple and Cameron singled twice.

SAINTS 7, VIKINGS 3

(10 innings)

St. Dominic (19-1) Searsport (15-5)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Lewis, ss-p 4 1 0 0 Cal. Ashey, ss 2 1 1

Parker, 2b 4 1 1 0 Cas. Ashey, p-c 3 0 0

LaBonte, cf 5 1 1 1 Cameron, 1b-p-3b 4 0

An. Allen, 1b 4 2 1 1 Nickerson, 3b-p 4 0

Rutt, p-rf 5 1 3 3 Adams, c-1b 4 0 0

Bryant, pr 0 1 0 0 Bagley, dh 4 0 0

Emerson, 3b 4 0 2 1 Ritchie, cf 4 0 0

Curtis, dh-ss 3 0 2 0 McHatten, 2b 4 0

Bonneau, rf 0 0 0 0 Kingsburg, rf 3 2 0

As. Allen, lf 5 0 1 0 Brassbridge, lf 2 0

Gwozdz, c 4 0 0 0 Brazier, ph 0 0 0

Totals 38 7 11 6 Totals 34 3 8 1

St. Dominic 000 003 000 4 – 7

Searsport 110 100 000 0 – 3

E-Emerson; Cas. Ashey, Cameron, Nickerson; LOB- St. Dom’s 9, Searsport 11; 2B-Parker, Rutt; Cal. Ashey, Kingsburg; 3B-Rutt 2, LaBonte; Adams; DP-Emerson-Parker-An. Allen, Lewis-Curtis-An. Allen; S-Curtis, Parker; Cas. Ashey 2, Brazier; SF-Emerson; Cal. Ashey; SB-Lewis 3, Emerson

St. Dominic IP H R ER BB SO

Rutt 5 2/3 6 3 3 4 3

Lewis (W, 4-0) 4 1/3 2 0 0 3 2

Searsport IP H R ER BB SO

Cas. Ashey 7 6 3 3 0 8

Cameron (L, 5-1) 2 1/3 3 4 4 2 1

Nickerson 2/3 2 0 0 0 0

HBP-Gwozdz (by Cas. Ashey), WP-Rutt 2, Nickerson; T-2:40; ATT-300 (est.)