AUGUSTA — The game was waiting for a hero. Pitching and defense had dominated the Class A baseball state final through 10 innings, with little to choose between Gorham and Bangor.

Hunter Finck and Wyatt Washburn stepped up in the 11th inning, producing Gorham’s first Class A baseball title with a 3-2, 11-inning win Saturday at Morton Field.

Finck drove a hard single to right that brought in Cooper Whitehead from second in the top of the 11th. Whitehead was hit by a two-out pitch and advanced on a wild pitch. Any potential play at the plate was negated when the liner skipped away from Bangor’s outfielder.

“It was a nice curveball outside, a good spot. Coach has been telling me all season to just go (opposite field) with it,” said Finck, the Class A South and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year. “I was super confident when I went up and just did my job.”

In the bottom of the 11th, Washburn had to deal with a leadoff infield single by No. 9 batter Trey Tennett, who quickly stole second base. Gorham first baseman Preston Brown made a nice unassisted play to get an out on Gavin Glanville-True’s hard grounder, moving Tennett to third. Washburn retired Ethan Sproul on a shallow fly to right that wasn’t deep enough for Tennett to try to score. Jacoby Harvey’s pop foul was secured by third baseman Dante Cuesta for the final out.

“Honestly, it was just throw strikes. Let them put the ball in play and let my defense eat,” Washburn said of his approach. “I have one of the best defenses in the league so I just want to let them do their job.”

It’s the seventh straight Class A title for teams from the South, and the first in school history for Gorham (19-1). Gorham’s last state crown came in Class B in 2005.

Gorham starting pitcher Miles Brenner, who allowed two unearned runs and four hits over seven innings, credited his team’s character.

“We are the grittiest team in the state and it showed this year,” Brenner said, noting a small sign taped to the dugout wall. “It’s the definition of grit. So we just carried that all year and made plays in an 11-inning ballgame.”

Bangor (16-4) was making its first state final appearance since 2022, when it lost 1-0 to Cody Bowker-led Thornton Academy on a similarly cool and cloudy day at Morton Field. Bangor’s last state title came in 2018, when it defeated Gorham for its fifth straight championship.

Saturday was the final game for Bangor coach Dave Morris. He was an assistant on the 2014-16 championship teams and head coach since 2017. He’s also been the school’s varsity football coach since 2018. Morris announced in the preseason that he and his wife would be moving to Florida to be closer to two of their daughters and several grandchildren.

“Our guys have played so hard all year long and I think we really started to peak a little bit these last few weeks,” Morris said. “To play this type of game, on both sides, their team and our team. I’ve been in a few state championships, and I’d say this was a pretty darn good one. This was a heck of a game.

PITCHERS IN CHARGE

The game was scoreless through five innings, as Gorham starting pitcher Miles Brenner cruised and Bangor’s Lucas Rutherford worked around eight base runners.

Both teams scored twice in the sixth.

Gorham broke through with small ball. Brenner was hit by a pitch and eventually scored when Sawyer Smith put down a bases-loaded suicide squeeze bunt. Luke Taffe worked a two-out bases-loaded walk against Rutherford to force home Preston Brown.

Bangor answered immediately against Brenner, who had allowed only two singles through five innings. Tennett reached on an infield throwing error and moved to second on an errant Brenner pickoff attempt. Gavin Glanville-True brought Tennett in with a deep double to right center, then scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Jacoby Harvey.

Then came more zeroes as relievers Nick Llerena, who entered for Bangor to start the seventh, and Washburn (to begin the eighth) continued to dominate, with Washburn striking out the side in the 10th. Gorham held Bangor to six hits, and neither of its pitchers walked or hit a batter. Bangor’s Rutherford and Llerna combined to walk four batters and hit five.

Both teams had allowed few runs on their way to the state final. Bangor gave up four runs in three games, and Gorham surrendered five in its three wins (after six Falmouth runs in four quarterfinal innings were wiped out by a thunderstorm and MPA rules).

Third-year Gorham coach Ed Smith said the program identified “grit” as a missing ingredient in 2025 when a talented club finished sixth in the regular season and was bounced in the regional quarterfinals.

“That’s something we’ve tried to instill in these guys. Grit. Fight. Work hard every day,” Smith said. “Do the little things the right way and be that team that can answer the bell when you need to.”

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Bangor: Lucas Rutherford (6 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 3 HB), Nick Llerena (5 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 HB), Kyle Johnson (2 for 4, double), Gavin Glanville-True (double, RBI, run)

Gorham: Miles Brenner (7 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 6 K, 0 BB; 1 run scored), Wyatt Washburn (4 IP, win, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K), Hunter Finck (3 for 5, walk, RBI), Sawyer Smith (2 for 5, RBI), Luke Taffe (1 for 3, RBI)