WALDOBORO ”“ For most of the season Michael Bourgault was a batting-practice bomber who regularly delivered friendly offerings over the outfield fence.

But for some reason his practice power didn’t seem to translate into real-game situation ”“ that was until it mattered the most.

Bourgault smashed a grand slam as part of a two-home run game to lead Saco to a come-from-behind 8-5 victory over Westbrook in the 2012 Little League Baseball 10/11 Maine State Championship game played Wednesday at Clyde L. Sukeforth Memorial Field.

“Boy, did he get hot at the right time in the state tournament,” said Saco manager Todd Duchaine. “You couldn’t ask for anything more. Two games ago he hit a home run against Waldo County and after that his confidence just soared.”

Bourgault’s grand slam came in a bat-around fifth inning that allowed Saco to reverse a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 advantage. Timmy Smith and Luke Chessie started the rally with back-to-back one-out singles. An out later Brogan Searle-Belanger walked to load the bases. Matthew Duchaine followed by reaching on an error to push home one run, cutting the deficit to 5-3 and setting the stage for Bourgault’s blast over the fence in left-center off Westbrook reliever Will Shibles.

“The pitcher threw me a few balls to the floor and then he gave me a pitch and I just hit it,” said Bourgault. “I knew it was gone right away and it felt great to come through in the clutch like that.”

Wednesday’s victory marked the second straight state title for the Saco squad after it captured the 9/10 age group last season.

Westbrook got off to a quick start as it sent nine to the plate in the opening inning to grab a 4-0 advantage off Chessie, the Saco starter.

“It was just a number of bloop hits in between fielders so there was confusion that led to a-typical type errors for us and they got up on us early,” said Duchaine. “We really had to focus on regrouping after that first inning. We have a saying on the team of moving on to the next play or on to the next inning whenever something goes wrong. We just put it behind us and move on. Luckily they were able to do that.”

Chessie allowed another run in the third inning before being replaced by Searle-Belanger, who recorded the victory after allowing only three hits in 3.2 innings of relief.

Saco’s first two runs of the game were also courtesy of Bourgault’s bat. The Saco third baseman hit a solo homer on the second inning that made it a 4-1 game. He drove home another run in the fourth inning with a triple to bring Saco to within three, down 5-2.

Saco plated an insurance run in the top of the sixth before surviving a scare in the bottom half of the frame. Westbrook loaded the bases, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs, before Searle-Belanger earned his fourth strike out of the game to set off the championship celebration.

– Contact Mark Jeanneret at 282-1535, Ext. 323.