BIDDEFORD — The Saco Little League All-Stars put themselves in a big hole in a semifinal game against Bronco Little League on Wednesday, falling behind 5-0 after the top of the first inning. But the Saco players didn’t show any worry, as they scored 10 runs combined over the next two innings and shut down Bronco the rest of the way in an 11-5 victory in the 11- and 12-year-old state tournament at Hill Street Field in Biddeford.

Grant Dow took the mound to start the game for Saco, and was greeted by a hit parade. Sam Economy and Jackson Thayer sandwiched singles around a strikeout by Dow, and Kent Oliver walked to load the bases. A two-run single and an RBI double then knocked out Dow, who could only get one out before reaching 20 pitches.

Ryan Penney came on and got a second out on a fly out, but allowed two more runs on a single to center before striking out Deakin Dow on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.

“We were actually super nervous. We thought we were going to have to go home at one point,” said Saco’s Ben Ham. “But we knew we could hit that pitcher.”

That pitcher was Bronco’s Thayer, and hit him Saco did. Kobe Gaudette led off the bottom of the first with a single, and Ham followed with one of his own that drove home Gaudette. Dow and Ethan Tsomides both hit RBI doubles as Saco cut the lead to 5-3 after one inning.

“They know it’s an early game, and they know we can put up the runs,” said Saco manager Shawn Gaudette.

Penney and four other Saco relievers held Bronco scoreless the rest of the way ”“ on just two hits over the final five innings ”“ and the Saco offense got all the output it needed in the second inning.

The first three batters of the inning got hits against Thayer, knocking him out of the game. The last two hits were home runs by Gaudette and Ham, which gave Saco a 6-5 lead it never relinquished.

Ethan Quimby came on in relief and was welcomed by a home run by Dow on the first pitch he threw.

“That was really exciting. That’s what really got us pumped up to keep on hitting the ball,” Ham said of the string of home runs. “If that didn’t happen, we probably would have had less adrenaline and momentum.”

Saco put the next four runners on, with a Stephen Emerson single driving in two runs with the bases loaded, and Patrick Sawyer drove home the final run of the inning with a run-scoring fielder’s choice.

“When we need the hits, they come through,” said Gaudette.

Luke Ham rounded out the scoring with a lead-off home run in the fifth that went well over the fence in right field, putting an emphatic stamp on Saco’s place in the state final.

Saco will face off against Falmouth, which has yet to be defeated in the tournament, and gave Saco its only loss.

“We’re as ready as we could be, because we have all our pitching,” Ham said of rematching with Falmouth. “We have a lot of hope and coming back and winning states.”

The two teams meet today at 4 p.m., and if Saco wins, it will play a winner-takes-all championship game on Friday to decide the state champion.

“We have to beat them twice, and I’m confident we can do it,” said Gaudette.

— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.