Chris Bernard turned in the type of performance that merits getting carried off the field. Teammate Casey McKague was more than happy to provide the muscle.

Bernard pitched a nine-inning complete game to lift third-seeded Libby-Mitchell to a 4-3 victory over top-seeded Nova Seafood in the American Legion Zone 4 championship game at Deering High School in Portland on Saturday morning.

After inducing three straight ground ball outs to second base in the bottom of the ninth, he was swarmed by teammates, including McKague, who lifted him in the air and brought him off the mound.

Bernard struck out five and allowed six hits while also having a fine day at the plate, where he singled, doubled, scored twice and drove in a run.

“As I said to him after the game, there are some times when a pitcher pitches a great, complete game, then there are other times when a pitcher pitches a great game and takes himself to a whole new level. I think he really took himself to a whole new level as a pitcher today,” said Libby-Mitchell coach Will Sanborn, who is also the head baseball coach at St. Joe’s College in Standish.

The victory gives Libby-Mitchell, which is made up of players from Scarborough and Bonny Eagle high schools, a spot in the state tournament, scheduled to begin Saturday in Augusta.

Nova also earned a spot in the state tournament on Sunday, when it defeated Andrews Post in the double-elimination tournament to capture the runner-up berth.

American Legion tournament games are nine innings long, where the regular season games are only seven. Maine high school regular season and tournament games are also seven innings. So Bernard’s performance, coming against Nova – made up of players from the two-time defending Class A state champion Deering High School baseball team – is especially remarkable.

“He struggled a little bit going past the fifth or sixth inning in the past,” said Sanborn. “So to pitch like this on this kind of stage against such a well-respected team – and there weren’t too many easy innings in the bunch – I think he really took his game to a whole new level. It’s exciting to see.”

Bernard didn’t expect to pitch nine innings, or even seven for that matter.

“I threw six innings on Tuesday, so I was going to go five or six, but I felt good and it was working for me, so I decided to keep going. We took it inning by inning after that,” he said.

Libby-Mitchell got off to the start it was looking for with three runs in the top of the first inning off hard-throwing Nova ace Taylor Candage, who also pitched a complete game.

“Those good pitchers, you’ve got to get to them early if you’re going to get to them,” Sanborn said. “Candage just got stronger and stronger as the game went along. Confidence-wise for our kids, I think they all believed we could win, but it’s more believable when you go ahead 3-0.”

Jim Rouse reached on an infield hit to start the first for Libby-Mitchell. Lincoln Sanborn followed with a bunt single. Candage overthrew the first baseman in trying to get Sanborn at first, allowing Rouse to advance to third. He then scored on Jake Rutt’s groundout.

Bernard drove in Sanborn with a double to left-center field. After Joe Davis reached on an error, Bernard scored on Ian Ramsdell’s single to right.

Nova loaded the bases with two outs in the second on a walk, single and a hit batter, but Bernard induced a grounder to retire the side.

In the third, Nova got on the board when Jack Heary reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and third, and scored on a wild pitch.

Libby-Mitchell took a 4-1 lead in the sixth when Bernard singled, advanced to second on Davis’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on Brendan Sullivan’s single to center.

Bernard set down eight straight Nova hitters before Matt Watson reached on an error to start the bottom of the sixth. Watson stole second and third and scored on Sam Balzano’s single to make it 4-2.

Nova threatened in the seventh after Heary hit a two-out triple deep into the fenceless outfield. But Watson grounded out to end the inning on a close play at first base.

In the eighth, Nova got within a run as Regan Flaherty led off with a walk, advanced on Balzano’s single and scored on an error.

Nova had the top of its order up in the bottom of the ninth. All three grounded out to Sullivan at second.

“It was a perfect ending,” Bernard said. “I just knew I had to keep throwing strikes and trust my defense. Their top three guys, all three are all-state players. They’re going to put the ball in play. I just had to trust my stuff and my fielders to do the right thing.”