New season, but more of the same result.

Just as it did three times last season, the Westbrook High baseball team played Deering tough, but ultimately came up short when the teams met Monday afternoon at Hadlock Field in Portland.

Deering, the two-time defending Class A state champs, overcame an early deficit and broke a fifth-inning tie when it a batted around and scored three to hand the Blue Blazes their first loss of the year, 7-2. Deering improved to 5-0 while Westbrook dropped to 5-1.

Last season, the Rams’ undefeated title march included three wins over Westbrook by a total of four runs. In the Western Maine finals, Deering edged the Blazes 3-2.

With both teams returning many players from a season ago, most figured this season would be a two-team race in the SMAA, with Deering still the favorite, but Westbrook the No. 1 contender to unseat the Western Maine kingpin.

Entering Monday’s showdown, which was postponed last Thursday due to rain, Westbrook and Deering had each been held under 10 runs only once in their previous contests. But with two of the league’s top pitchers on the mound, something had to give in this one.

Lance Ludka gave the Blazes the early advantage, singling to lead off against Deering southpaw hurler Regan Flaherty who will follow brother Ryan’s footsteps and play at Vanderbilt University next season. Ludka stole second, moved to third on a groundout and crossed the plate on Zach Collett’s sacrifice fly to center field.

The lead didn’t last, however, as Sam Balzano singled to lead off for Deering. After Westbrook starter Christian Hamilton struck out Matt Powers, Flaherty whacked a two-run homer to right-center field. He was sprinting toward third before the umpire finally signaled that the shot, which bounced back onto the field, did, in fact, clear the wall.

“They got off to the early start,” Flaherty said. “That’s why my home run was big. We needed to get on the board, get going. Usually I’m one of those guys who, if I’m hitting good, I’m going to go out on the mound and pitch good. Usually it gives me an adrenaline boost.”

Westbrook got the lead runner on in the second as Zach Gardiner singled to left, but he didn’t advance. After Hamilton set the Rams down in the second, the Blazes tied the game at 2-2 in the third, but had the chance for more.

Ludka walked to start and Scott Heath followed with a single. After a strikeout, Collett ripped a hard grounder in the hole between first and second that the Rams knocked down but couldn’t make a play on, and Ludka scored. Hamilton was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts got Flaherty out of trouble. The Blazes managed only two hits the rest of the way.

“In the beginning of the game, I didn’t have my best stuff,” Flaherty said. “I was having trouble getting in. I started hitting the outside corner and I just sort of stayed there. I was using my off-speed stuff, too.”

Hamilton settled in as well, not allowing a hit in the second, third or fourth innings. But the Rams gained control in the fifth. With one out, Nick Colucci reached on an error and Jake Nichols singled. Both scored on Balzano’s triple to the gap in right-center. A bloop single from Flaherty turned around the Westbrook shortstop and fell into short left field to score Balzano. Deering led 5-2 after five.

“You’ve got to make the plays against Deering,” said Westbrook coach Mike Rutherford. “We gave them two extra outs that inning and that’s why there’s a three-spot on the board.”

It was simply a matter of cashing in chances – something the Rams did and the Blazes were not able to do.

“We had the chance to jump ahead and do some damage and we didn’t get it done,” Rutherford said. “When they needed to get it done, they did. They had two opportunities with men on base and Flaherty and Balzano got a home run and a triple. I’ve got to tip my cap there. I thought (Hamilton) made three mistakes today. Two of them were a home run and a triple. I still thought he threw real well, but when he made a mistake, they made it count.”

Deering tacked on two runs in the sixth as Marc Ouimet tripled off the wall and scored on Colucci’s single. Colucci scored three batters later on a fielder’s choice by Powers.

“When they had to, they outhit us, outpitched us and outfielded us,” Rutherford said. “You get those three things and you’re going to win games.”

While the budding rivalry has been one-sided so far, Flaherty expects to see the Blazes again.

“They gave us a great game,” he said. “It’s always a battle with them. They’re the other big team. We’ve just got to keep battling everyday. We’ll probably see them again in the playoffs.”

Flaherty pitched a complete game, striking out seven. Hamilton also went the distance, striking out four. Deering had eight hits and committed one error. Westbrook finished with six hits and two errors.

The Blazes bounced back from the loss in impressive fashion, toppling South Portland 11-2 at home Tuesday to move to 6-1.