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STANDISH — Sometimes, all a baseball team needs to do is put the ball in play.

That strategy earned Telstar a trip to the Class D state championship game, as the second-seeded Rebels took advantage of many of top-seeded Richmond’s 11 errors to earn a 12-1 victory Tuesday night in the South final at St. Joseph’s College.

Telstar (16-3) scored its 12 runs over the final four innings after trailing 1-0 heading into the fourth.

“We got strong by staying in it; we went down early, we kept going, we just persevered through it,” Rebels pitcher Brennan Walker said. “We just hit the ball very well, and we stayed up as a team, and we just played great team baseball.”

Walker pitched six innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out seven. He also had a single and an RBI.

The Rebels return to St. Joseph’s on Saturday to play in their first state final since 2000. They’ll face Fort Fairfield, which won the D North title by defeating Bangor Christian 2-1 in eight innings.

Telstar coach Josh Mowery was on the 2000 regional championship team, and he said that team had a similar mindset to this year’s squad.

“It’s turned into a family; we were the same back then,” Mowery said. “When I was in high school, when we knew we were down, we just bonded together and battled.”

Richmond (16-2) was playing in its third straight regional final. The Bobcats lost to St. Dom’s the previous two seasons.

“I think this one, we got beaten by another Class D team,” Richmond coach Ryan Gardner said. “I think in years past, there (have) been teams here that I don’t think should have been here.”

The Rebels took the lead in the fourth inning when two runs scored on a throwing error after a Landon McPherson single. Another error resulted in a third run.

“Everyone was getting amped up at each inning,” McPherson said. We were all getting hyped, saying, ‘Let’s go, let’s go, let’s do this, let’s get some more runs,’ and we did that.”

Richmond starting pitcher Zaden Steele was replaced after the fourth inning. He allowed three hits and three walks. Gardner wanted to change things up.

“Well, they were making a lot of contact,” Gardner said. “We had to try something different. I mean, up and down the lineup, they’d started to get at least the bat on the ball.”

Telstar’s Owen Beaton drove a ball into center field to jump-start a four-run fifth inning. McPherson singled home two runs in the sixth, and Walker and Beaton each recorded an RBI single in the three-run seventh.

Telstar got seven RBI from the bottom four spots in its lineup, led by by Beaton (3 for 4, three RBI) and McPherson.

“I mean, just being, like, happy to get in there and play,” Beaton said. “We’re in there just having a good time hitting the ball, I guess.”