WESTBROOK – After almost two months of battles, the Westbrook High School season has come down to one game.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Blazes looked to finally get over the hump and win the Class A West title after being denied in the regional championship game twice in the previous three years. And it’s only fitting that the last team standing between the No. 2 Blazes and the state championship game is a familiar foe, the top-ranked Cheverus Stags.

The Blazes, who qualified for the regional final for the third time in four seasons with a 2-1 win over Marshwood on Monday, took on the Stags Wednesday afternoon for the Class A West title at St. Joseph’s College.

Wednesday’s game marked the third matchup between the Blazes and the Stags this season, with both games going to Cheverus in extra innings. In the regular season finale in Westbrook on May 31, the Stags got past the Blazes 6-2 and then Cheverus outlasted Westbrook in the SMAA title game at The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach on June 4 by a 3-2 score.

Westbrook senior Scott Heath, who was recently named the Maine Gatorade baseball player of the year, said he has wanted another shot at a state title ever since the Blazes lost to Biddeford in extra innings in the regional final last season.

“I’ve been waiting for this (game) since last year,” he said. “We just have to go out and take care of business.”

Sophomore Sam Stauble, who had a run scored and an RBI against Marshwood, said he was happy that the Blazes would have another shot at the Stags this season. “We want to be able to beat the team that’s beaten us and earn the Western Maine (title),” Stauble said. “We feel like if we can beat Cheverus, we can beat anybody.”

To reach the regional final, the Blazes had to survive a tough challenge from No. 6 Marshwood as the Hawks gave Westbrook everything it could handle before the Blazes were able to pull out the victory. Matt Weimer pitched a complete game for Westbrook in the win, running his record to 5-1 on the season, allowing seven hits while striking out four.

The game remained a scoreless battle until the top of the fourth inning when the Hawks finally got to Weimer. Ben Claus led off with a double and promptly came home on an RBI single from shortstop Luke Fernandes. It seemed like the Hawks had the chance to break things open, but Weimer settled right down and retired the side without allowing any more damage.

With the Westbrook offense, which ended up with just four hits in the game, struggling to get anything going, the Blazes played some small ball in the bottom of the fifth, and the strategy paid off.

Stauble led the inning off with a walk and after Keenan Lowe struck out, Joe Quinlan moved Stauble over with a single to center.

Then a defensive miscue cost the Hawks dearly.

Kyle Heath hit a sharp grounder to short that Fernandes fielded cleanly, but when Fernandes went to throw to third to get Stauble, Hawk third baseman Ken Kuzman came off the bag and instead of having runners at first and second with two outs, the Blazes had the bases loaded with just one out.

Scott Heath made the Hawks pay for their mistake as he took a 3-1 pitch to deep center field for a sacrifice fly that scored Stauble and tied the game at 1-1.

The Blazes took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning and once again, Stauble had a key role in the play.

Zach Gardiner led things off with a solid double to deep center and in an effort to get more speed on the base paths, Westbrook coach Mike Rutherford elected to insert freshman Caleb Kent as a pinch runner.

Keeping with the small ball strategy, Rutherford had Jake Gardiner lay down a bunt and Gardiner placed it down the first-base line, allowing Kent to move over to third. After the game, Rutherford said with the Blazes offense struggling to hit and Weimer pitching well, he decided to play small ball in that situation, knowing that one run would likely win the game for Westbrook, adding that despite their nickname, the Blazes aren’t gifted with a lot of speed. “We don’t run real well,” he said. “We don’t steal bases. For us to advance guys from first to second, we need to bunt.”

With Kent just 90 feet away from Westbrook’s second run, Stauble stepped up to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly to center and Kent tagged up and scored on a close play at the plate, giving Westbrook a 2-1 lead. Rutherford said he considered calling for a second bunt on the play, but decided to let Stauble hit in that situation. “We talked about squeezing, but I had confidence he could put the ball into the outfield,” Rutherford said.

Stauble had a simple explanation of what proved to be the game-winning at-bat. “I put the ball in play, I did my job, and (Kent) did his job, using his wheels to get home,” he said.

As it turned out, one more run was all the Blazes needed as Weimer came in and slammed the door in the seventh, wrapping up the win for Westbrook.

While the Blazes were happy with the win, they didn’t waste time getting their game faces on for the Stags and they’ll have to do it with Heath, their top pitcher, unable to pitch due to an elbow injury. But Heath, who has been playing in the field since getting hurt, said he thinks the Blazes still have the talent to beat the Stags. “It’s tough (not pitching),” he said. “But we’re going to win as a team and lose as a team so it’s not one player out there, it’s everyone.”

For his part, Rutherford said he was glad the Blazes had one more shot at the Stags. “It’s going to be a great battle, the way it should be,” he said.

Westbrook’s Sam Stauble attempts to dive back into first base in the early innings of Westbrook’s Class A semifinal game against Marshwood on Monday, Stauble was picked off on the play, but he recovered to score a run and drive in the game-winning run in the Blazes’ 2-1 win. (Staff photos by Mike Higgins)