ROCHESTER — The Keene all-stars had to be twice as good as Manchester in Saturday’s 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth state tournament, and they were.

Keene came out of the losers’ bracket and won the state title with a 4-3 triumph in the championship game at Rochester’s Monsignor Gilles Simard Field.

Keene had to beat Manchester twice, and forced a second game by posting a 3-0 victory Saturday morning.

“We felt pretty good about our chances all day,” Keene coach Eddie Singer said. “If we get three runs we’re pretty comfortable with our pitching. We needed one more (run) in the second game, but if our bats could work at all we felt good.”

Pitcher Spencer Heise was the story in the title game. Heise replaced starter Mason Blanchard after three innings with Manchester leading, 3-2, and held Manchester to one hit the rest of the way. He struck out seven of the 14 batters he faced, including the first five.

“We were kind of assuming Mason would go all seven because he’s that kind of kid,” Singer said. “He told us he wasn’t feeling it, and Spencer is the same kind of kid. We have four pitchers who are just lights out.”

Heise pitched eight innings during the tournament and didn’t surrender a run.

Keene took the lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Blanchard’s single scored Zach Wullbrandt with the game-tying run, and Pat Wisell followed with a bunt single that scored Dallas Landry to give Keene a 4-3 lead.

Manchester collected three runs on six hits in the first three innings, but Heise was in control the rest of the way. Blanchard and Steve Bianco each had two hits in the victory.

“I thought once we got Blanchard out of there we were all set,” Manchester coach Lenny Pappas said. “(Heise) came in and did a heck of a job. He threw strikes.

“The kids battled in both games. We just didn’t hit the baseball.”

The victory earned Keene a berth in the New England Regional, which will be played in Quincy, Mass. The winner of that tournament will advance to the Babe Ruth World Series.

Ben Mallet pitched a complete-game shutout in Keene’s 3-0 victory earlier in the day. Mallet held Manchester to two hits, walked one and struck out eight. Brendan Sullivan (single) and Brian Shea (double) had the Manchester hits.

Keene scored two runs in the fourth, when Wisell was hit by a pitch and scored on John Link’s double. Link took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Bianco’s sacrifice fly to center. Link had two of Keene’s five hits in the game.

Keene added an unearned run in the fifth. Wullbrandt reached on an infield error, stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball.

“With their pitching I think Keene has a good chance of advancing to the World Series,” Pappas said. “From what I’ve seen in the regionals the last two years I’d have to say they’re one of the favorites. They’ll have as good a chance as anybody.”

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Roger Brown may be reached at rbrown@unionleader.com.