GORHAM — It was a classic. In every sense of the word.

The Class A South championship that unfolded Tuesday night was an unforgettable battle between true aces, as Addison DeRoche of Cheverus and Windham’s Brooke Gerry dueled to an historic extent in front of an overflowing crowd at the University of Southern Maine.

Finally, with the game pushed to its limits, it was the second-seeded Stags who got the break they needed.

Delia Tremble of Cheverus jumps into the arms of teammate Addison DeRoche after Tremble scored the game’s second run in the 10th inning. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

DeRoche struck out a jaw-dropping 23 batters, Delia Tremble and Kelsey Cassidy picked up the RBI singles in the 10th inning that made her a winner, and Cheverus defeated top-seeded and defending champion Windham, 2-0, to reach its first Class A final.

The Stags’ victory ended the Eagles’ reign, despite 21 strikeouts from Gerry. Even in the moments following the game, the players and coaches in the middle of it recognized what had just transpired.

“I’ve coached a long time, and throughout the whole game I was like ‘This is incredible. This is just incredible,’ ” Cheverus Coach John Eisenhart said. “I really lived in the moment through every pitch.”

Gerry said the game reminded her of Windham’s Class A South semifinal matchup with Biddeford in 2021, when the Tigers beat the Eagles 3-2 in 14 innings.

“It was a great game, from the first pitch to the last,” said Gerry, who struck out 18 in that game. “Any big game that I’m able to be a part of is so special to me, because softball really could be taken away at any point. … Time is never promised, and I’m very grateful I was able to be a part of that.”

DeRoche, who twirled back-to-back no-hitters to start the playoffs, was practically untouchable again. She allowed only a first-inning single to Gerry and a sixth-inning hit to Addie Caiazzo, and registered all but seven outs by punchout. She struck out the side four times and never allowed a runner past second.

“I think coming back after they beat me once (3-1 on May 31) and setting goals and going over their lineup and making sure I know what pitches to throw them, that was really important,” she said. “And pitching every inning, and knowing it could be the last.”

She couldn’t afford to be anything less than stellar. Gerry was just as impressive, allowing only four hits and striking out the side five times.

“You get to watch the college playoffs on TV, (and) this game was everything the college playoffs give us on ESPN and more,” Windham Coach Darcey Gardiner said. “To see two amazing pitchers like that go to work and battle for their team. … We were on the losing end of it, but what a ballgame that was.”

The 10th inning began with automatic runners on second, and Cheverus didn’t let Gerry out of the threat. She struck out the first two batters, but Tremble, the No. 9 hitter, then dropped a fly ball into right for a hit, scoring Anna Kennedy-Jensen with the first run.

“It’s crazy, surreal. I never imagined it would happen,” Tremble said. “You keep your confidence high. You have to let your emotions get out of the way. We all struck out, I struck out multiple times. You have to be ready and do your job.”

Cheverus pitcher Addison DeRoche, center, is congratulated by teammates Anna Kennedy-Jensen, left and Kelsey Cassidy, right, after striking out a batter to end an inning against Windham. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

As soon as the hit fell, the Cheverus bench erupted.

“We were all just screaming at the top of our lungs,” DeRoche said.

Those screams returned when Cassidy knocked a single up the middle to score Tremble, who had taken second on an error.

“I saw that pitch that was right down the middle, and I went with it,” Cassidy said. “We’ve all been saying that we’ve just been daydreaming about this since we lost to Windham. … We knew it was going to come down to this, and it was everything we’ve been dreaming of.”

Windham had its own runner to start the bottom half, but DeRoche struck out the side to start the celebration.

“She is phenomenal,” Cassidy said, stretching out the word. “I’m speechless, I have nothing to say about her. … She came and she just dominated.”

As Eisenhart pointed out afterward, a matchup that couldn’t have been more anticipated lived up to every bit of the hype.

“That Brooke Gerry is unbelievable, but so is Addison. And they just matched each other pitch for pitch,” Eisenhart said. “And this is Maine. These two kids are two Division I pitchers, just dueling it out, an incredible level of play. … Just an incredible game to be a part of.”