But this time, it yielded only a tie and, ultimately, wasn’t enough.

Pastime Club trailed by two with two outs in the top of the ninth inning — a position with which they were familiar — and came alive to push a pair of runners across on a walk and two doubles to force First Title to bat in the bottom half of the inning.

First Title then manufactured a run on a hit, a fielder’s choice, a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly to earn a 5-4 victory over the Lewiston-based club in the Maine American Legion baseball state final at The Ballpark at Old Orchard Beach on Monday.

The game began Sunday, but officials halted play for inclement weather after six innings with First Title on top 4-2, forcing a three-inning shootout Monday afternoon.

“It was tough to sleep with that lead,” First Title coach Mac McKew said. “I’ll sleep a lot better after this one.”

First Title started Monday’s seventh inning with a 4-2 lead thanks to tourney MVP Louis DiStasio’s six innings of pitching and timely hitting from DiStasio and Harry Ridge. The team, which draws from Cheverus High School, sent Ridge to the mound Monday against Pastime, who countered with lefty ace Corbin Hyde.

“I challenged the guys to do one thing today, that was play with energy,” Pastime coach Todd Cifelli said. “We had our best guy on the mound … they had good, quality at-bats, and (Drew) Ferrick delivered.”

Pastime went quickly and quietly in the seventh and eighth innings, getting a lone baserunner in each inning. Hyde, meanwhile, hurled two 1-2-3 stanzas to set up the drama in the ninth.

“I was concerned, because Hyde was tough, very tough,” McKew said. “We started the bottom of the ninth with two lefty-lefty matchups.”

Ridge set down leadoff hitter Luke Cote and outfielder Joe Sullivan on four pitches. But Mekae Hyde drew a five-pitch walk, Corbin Hyde rapped a double to deep left center to plate his brother, who was on the move from first. Shawn Ricker followed with another double to the same spot, easily scoring Corbin Hyde with the tying run.

“After they scored the tying run, I’m thinking to myself, ‘I have to stay positive, but, here we go again,'” McKew said. “But our guys are tough, too, and they battled.”

Ridge induced Ben Wigant into a pop fly to the shortstop to end the inning.

Nic Lops led off the ninth for First Title with a single. He was out at second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Ridge, but the First Title pitcher beat Pastime’s attempt at a double play at first to remain on base with one out.

“I had to hustle that one out,” Ridge said. “I was looking for a fastball and found one I could drive, but I hit it right at third base.”

Peter Potthoff and Tyler Flaherty drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, and Drew Ferrick lofted a 2-1 pitch from Corbin Hyde into right field. Sullivan’s throw to the plate was up the line and not in time to catch Ridge, who tagged and scored from third base with the winning run.

“I was going crazy there at third, waiting for anything to get by,” Ridge said.

First Title advances to the Northeast Regional tournament, which begins Thursday at The Ballpark. Pastime Club caps its season at 23-4, with two losses each to Windham and First Title.

“If you look at this team over the past three years, and you start to total the wins and the titles, it’s not just the wins and the titles, it’s how we won,” Cifelli said. “We won despite a lot of adversity and with a never-say-die attitude. That’s how we played (Monday), as well.”