“We knew that our lineup had the potential to do that today, but St. Dom’s, they’re one heck of a team,” said Frost, a senior first baseman who had two singles and a triple and also scored three times from the leadoff spot. “When we play them, we usually shoot ourselves in the foot a couple of times and they make you pay for those mistakes. But luckily, we didn’t. They messed up a couple of times and we capitalized on it.”

“We haven’t been this fired up all season,” said Brown, a junior DH who belted a double and two singles. “Momentum was really our way the whole game.”
It was the fourth meeting between the Mountain Valley Conference rivals this year. They split during the regular season and finished in a tie in the Western C Heal Points standings. Dirigo was given the No. 1 seed via a coin flip, but St. Dom’s won the MVC championship game.

The teams were still even after the first two innings on Thursday. In the first, Jimmy Theriault drove in Caleb Dostie with a single. Will Desmarais originally held up at third on the play but was able to trot home when the center fielder overran the ball.

“That’s happened to us all year,” Brown said. “The first couple of innings, they always score on us then after that we get our stuff together and get it back.”

Dirigo (17-2) evened the score in the bottom of the frame on Tyler Frost’s RBI single and Kaine Hutchins’ sacrifice fly to the shortstop in shallow left-center field.

After a scoreless second, Dirigo needed just one hit, Hunter Ross’ leadoff single, to take the lead in the third. A walk and error loaded the bases. Hutchins then took a 2-2 pitch in the left arm, plating Ross to put the Cougars in front for good.

The inning deteriorated for the Saints from there. Spencer Trenoweth grounded to the shortstop, who tried to throw home for the force out. But he slipped, the throw went in the dirt and the catcher couldn’t handle it, scoring Chad Snowman. Brett Whittemore took a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-2 and chase Johnson.
Brown greeted reliever Desmarais with a two-run single and the rout was on.

“Jack Brown had a monster game,” Dirigo coach Ryan Palmer said. “He has been ripping the ball in BP. We knew before long, he was going to break out and, boy oh boy, he did today.”

After a walk loaded the bases again, T.J. Frost knocked in two more with a single to right to make it 9-2. Snowman plated Frost with a sacrifice fly for an eight-run cushion.

“We didn’t execute. We didn’t perform, and pitching-wise, I don’t think either (Johnson or Desmarais) were very sharp today,” St. Dom’s coach Bob Blackman said. “It’s always hard to know how the pitcher is going to react to the higher mound here at St. Joe’s. (Johnson’s) pitches were rolly and his fastball wasn’t very crisp today, and in fairness to Will, he didn’t have a chance to warm up. I’ve got to tip my hat to Dirigo. They put the pressure on us and executed. It was their day.”

The Saints got a run back in the fourth but that did little to stem the deluge. The Cougars piled on five more in their half courtesy Brown’s two-run double, T.J. Frost’s two-run triple and a wild pitch.

Theriault had two hits for St. Dom’s (16-3). Snowman had two of Dirigo’s 11 hits. Hutchins allowed five hits and a walk while fanning one in his five innings for the Cougars. He retired the side in order in three of those innings, including the fifth to set off yet another regional title celebration.

The loss ended a streak of sorts for the Saints, who had won the last four state championships in odd-numbered years. They graduate four seniors, all starters.

“This was my most gratifying year of all. Nobody knows the amount of adversity we went through this year,” Blackman said. “The kids really buckled down and came together well. It was very special. You can’t take away what we did and how much fun it was this year.”

Dirigo won its first ever state championship in baseball in 2010. On Saturday, it will be going for its third in four years, playing what Palmer said is the best baseball it’s played all year.

“All year long, we knew how we were capable of playing. We just had not been there yet. Today, we were there,” he said.