STANDISH — Cam Guarino has won many games for the Falmouth High baseball team.

None compared to his dominance Wednesday.

Guarino turned in a marvelous performance to lift top-ranked Falmouth to a 4-1 victory over second-seeded Cheverus in the Class A South championship game at St. Joseph’s College.

After giving up a first-inning single, Guarino set down 16 straight batters to help the Yachtsmen win their second consecutive regional title.

“I think that’s the best I’ve seen him pitch in four years,” said Falmouth Coach Kevin Winship. “He commanded the strike zone, he had control of all three pitches. He threw them all for strikes. Again, I think that’s the best I’ve ever seen him pitch.”

Falmouth (18-1) will play Bangor (15-4) in the state championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Morton Field in Augusta. It’s a rematch of last year’s final, won by the three-time defending champion Rams.

“It means everything to get another shot at it,” said Guarino, a senior left-hander who was pulled in the seventh inning after throwing 66 pitches, making him available to pitch in the state final.

Guarino said his game plan was to throw strikes and be efficient, and he certainly was. He only struck out three but pounded the strike zone. He threw 17 first-pitch strikes to the 21 batters he faced.

“He’s probably the best pitcher we faced this year,” said Cheverus Coach Mac McKew. “Tip your hat to him.”

Guarino gave up a two-out single to Jared Brooks in the first inning, then breezed through the next five innings.

“I made them swing at stuff they were uncomfortable with and they hit a lot of groundouts,” said Guarino.

“It was definitely one of the best games of my life.”

Falmouth, meanwhile, came up with clutch hits. All four runs scored with two outs.

An RBI single by Garret Aube gave the Yachtsmen a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Then Falmouth scored twice in the third. With the bases loaded, No. 8 hitter Ike Kiely chopped an infield grounder to third and beat the throw to first as Reece Armitage scored. Marcus Cady then drew a bases-loaded walk.

Cady also made a nice catch in left field when he went back to track down a long fly ball by Chandler Hartigan in the fourth.

“We talked about guys who aren’t necessarily in the spotlight coming up with something big, and Marcus did that for us,” said Winship.

Max Fortier made it 4-0 with an RBI double in the fourth, driving in Armitage, who singled with two outs.

The Stags (17-2) didn’t have a threat against Guarino until the seventh.

Jack Casale led off with a single and advanced on a wild pitch. Maxx St. John reached on an infield single, and Casale scored on an errant throw.

Winship then brought in Robbie Armitage to close it out.

The Stags loaded the bases, but Armitage got the final out with a strikeout. He threw his glove high into the air and waited for his teammates to mob him.

“It feels great,” said Aube. “Hopefully we can get the next one.”

CORRECTION: This story was updated at 9:23 a.m. on June 15, 2017 to correct the player who scored for Cheverus.

Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or:

mlowe@pressherald.com

Twitter: MikeLowePPH

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