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For the first time in 21 years, the Mt. Ararat baseball team is playing for a state championship.

This Saturday at 1 p.m., No. 1 Mt. Ararat (16-3) will take on No. 4 Biddeford (15-4) at St. Joseph’s College in Standish with hopes of claiming the first Class A title in program history.

The definition of a complete team effort, the Eagles used a four-pitcher arsenal and stout fielding to stifle opponents on defense, while finding timely hits up and down the lineup to somehow always come up with just enough runs and win games.

Here are five key moments from the spring season that set Mt. Ararat up for Saturday’s ultimate test.

Mt. Blue 5, Mt. Ararat 4

After winning the season opener against Hampden Academy, Mt. Ararat slipped in its April 25 matchup against Mt. Blue. The Eagles took a 2-0 lead on RBIs from sophomore third baseman Will Davis and junior second baseman Caiden Chase, but the Cougars rung up five straight runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Mt. Ararat responded with runs from Chase and senior centerfielder Luke McLaughlin, but the rally fell short.

Senior pitcher Kaleb Hussey said this game forced the Eagles to take a step back, take a deep breath and put the season into perspective. “We kind of just had to flush it,” the all-KVAC second-teamer said a few days before the postseason. “(We) knew things were going to happen, but (we had) to keep moving forward, because we knew it was a long season. Can’t just get down in the second game.”

Mt. Ararat would win its next seven games and outscore its opponents 42-16.

Mt. Ararat 6, Messalonskee 5

Part of that seven-game win streak, the May 16 game against defending A North champions was Mt. Ararat’s largest rally of the season. Down 5-1 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, an RBI single from Davis kickstarted a three-run frame. Junior catcher Ethan Card scored his second run of the game in the fifth to tie it up, and Chase drove in senior designated hitter Nick Creek for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

That was the first of two walk-off wins this season. The Eagles have not allowed five or more runs since the midway point of the regular season.

Mt. Ararat 3, Edward Little 2 (12 innings)

The other walk-off of the season was a true walk-off. Edward Little intentionally walked junior left fielder Jesse Bowker to load the bases and then Card drew a nine-pitch walk in the next at-bat. Senior shortstop Ethan Berry, a first team all-KVAC select, trotted home to give Mt. Ararat the win in the 12th inning. Hussey pitched nine innings, before junior Colby MacFawn came on in relief.

The May 31 home game was Mt. Ararat’s longest of the season and fourth in five days. The three prior games were wins over Bangor, Camden Hills and Brewer, all on the road. The win over the Red Eddies started ta streak of five straight games decided by one run.

No. 1 Mt. Ararat 4, No. 8 Brewer 3

In consecutive seasons, and three of the last four, the top-seeded team in Class A North has been eliminated in its opening tournament game. With No. 1 Mt. Ararat trailing No. 8 Brewer 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning on June 12, it looked like the trend would continue.

The Eagles rallied with a four-run sixth inning, including a single from Chase that scored the tying run (senior first baseman Andrew Clemons) and go-ahead run (McLaughlin) with two outs. Hussey and senior Stan Spooner split time on the mound, each striking out three.

“This team doesn’t want to be done,” Mt. Ararat coach Brett Chase said after the game. “I mean, that’s just how they are. They want to play for each other. They don’t ever want the season to end. They just want to keep playing baseball, and they played smart baseball. We played base-to-base. I told them we couldn’t get three runs all in one swing, or four runs on one swing. We need to get base runners on, and they did it.”

No. 1 Mt. Ararat 5, No. 5 Oxford Hills 4

Beating a team three times in one season isn’t an easy task, and the fifth-seeded Vikings didn’t make it easy in the regional semifinal. The visitors took an early 2-0 lead, but a four-run fourth inning gave Mt. Ararat some breathing room. The Eagles added another run in the fifth on a sacrifice bunt from junior pinch hitter Tyler Thibeault, but the Oxford Hills bats began knocking in the sixth and seventh innings.

Down 5-4 with one out in the seventh and the bases loaded, Oxford Hills hit a pop up to second and a fly ball to center to end the game. Junior Eligh Imrie struck out five in six innings and Clemons recorded the save.

“I was stressing,” Imrie said after the game. “But we made it out, we always do.”