When Westbrook manager Steve Marchant came out to the mound and called an infield conference in the top of the sixth during Monday’s Maine Babe Ruth 13-15-year-old state championship game, third baseman Tom Lemay had no idea what was about to transpire.

The game was tied at 5-5 after Augusta’s Cory Clarke hit a three-run double off Westbrook starter Joe Royer.

“At first, I thought we were just going to have a meeting to calm Joey down,” Lemay said. “Then coach says, ‘Tommy, you’re pitching.’ And I’m like, “Coach? … Oh, alright.’ I didn’t really expect it.”

Who could blame him? Lemay hadn’t pitched in the state or district tournament. He relies on his off-speed pitches; he doesn’t have the overpowering velocity of some of his teammates. But he took the ball and took control. After walking the first batter he faced, he induced a grounder to shortstop and one to third base to escape the sixth. After Westbrook scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, Lemay worked a 1-2-3 seventh to earn the win.

“Tom Lemay had no clue I was going to pitch him,” Marchant said. “He had no idea what was going on. He hadn’t pitched in this tournament, nor did he expect to, nor did I really have him on my list. But this Augusta team is just a solid, solid hitting team for fastballs. We have a lot of good pitchers and they all have fastballs. Tommy is really a junkball, curveball, off speed-type pitcher. I just thought putting him in was the right thing to do at the time, and even though I threw him into a precarious situation, he was certainly up for the occasion.”

Lemay said the toughest part was just getting warmed up.

“I wasn’t even warmed up at all,” he said. “I came in cold. Right after I got out of (the sixth) inning, I went to the bullpen and warmed up. Then I went back in and shut them down. I know I have good stuff and I just threw it. I hit my spots perfect. I couldn’t have thrown any better.”

Lemay’s unexpected performance came at a crucial time, with the championship hanging in the balance and the Westbrook pitching staff depleted after having to win twice on Sunday to force Monday’s championship.

“Tommy Lemay, man, he doesn’t really pitch much. He’s a junkballer. He came in and shut them down. It was just what we needed,” Royer said.

And this was after Lemay already made a big contribution with his bat. Hitting out of the No. 8 spot in the order, he hit a two-run double in the fifth to put Westbrook up 5-1.

“It feels great because that was my first hit in all of the state tournament,” Lemay said. “It was great to get the monkey off my back, especially in a clutch situation.”

Lemay has played on Westbrook state champion teams the past four seasons, starting with the 2005 Little League World Series team. He said that first one is still the most special, but this latest isn’t too far off.

“Considering I contributed a lot,” he said, “it feels really, really good.”