AUGUSTA — For the second time in four years, Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond is headed to the Little League Baseball New England Region Tournament.

The District 6 champions scored five runs in the seventh inning to beat Saco/Dayton 6-2 in the 12U state championship game Thursday night at Linscott Field. It’s the second state crown for Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond, which went to the Little League World Series in 2023. The team will represent Maine in the New England regional, which takes place Aug. 8-13 in Bristol, Connecticut.

Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond was led offensively by Elliot Szczesniak, who went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and two RBI. His two-run triple was one of the highlights of the seventh-inning outburst.

“I’m really excited and proud to get this done,” Szczesniak said. “I just have trust in all my teammates to get it done with me.”

Wes Connick allowed one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

“I was just focusing on my mechanics and blocking the crowd out,” Connick said.

Saco/Dayton, which needed two wins over Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond to claim the title, got a strong pitching performance from Julian Neang, who struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings while giving up one run on three hits. He walked only one batter.

Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh when Pierce McCarthy scored from third on a wild pitch.

“We just told (the team) that this is their moment,” Gray-New Gloucester coach Eric Hanley said. “We don’t want to play tomorrow, we need some time off. We just told them that we had the chance, this is what we’ve been practicing for, winning a lot of close games. Let’s finish the job.”

Drew Clark added to the lead with a two-run single to center field, driving in Jackson Pacanza and John Hanley. Szczesniak then drilled a pitch to deep left center for his triple, scoring Connick and Clark for a 6-1 lead.

“Our coach said, ‘Only (hit) the one that you like,'” Szczesniak said. “I got the one I liked and smashed it out there for the triple, and just started flexing.”

Saco/Dayton got a run in the bottom of the seventh when Tobin Roche scored from third on a wild pitch. But reliever Beau Amergian settled down and secured the win. Amergian pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking one.

Connick set the tone for Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond, pitching to contact and allowing a strong defense to make plays.

“We needed Wes to do what he did, go on the mound and just pound the strike zone,” Eric Hanley said. “Just do what he’s been doing all (tournament) for us, and he stepped up huge.”

Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Hanley scored on an RBI single by Connick. Saco/Dayton tied the game in the fifth inning when Cayden Stefanilo scored on an error.

Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond beat Canton, Massachusetts, for the New England championship in 2023, reaching the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Maine champions lost both of their World Series games, against Northeast Seattle and Media, Pennsylvania. Some member of the 2023 team were in attendance Thursday.

“It just comes down to the community that we live in,” Eric Hanley said. “Just a lot of tight-knit families that love baseball. The kids all support each other. Some of our players are younger brothers from (the 2023 team). It’s just a community effort.”