01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, June 18, 2006

BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

PAWTUCKET -- On the biggest stage, in its biggest game of the year, Portsmouth's coach David Ulmschneider called on a sophomore -- Ryan Westmoreland -- to carry the Patriots to their first state title since 1999 yesterday at McCoy Stadium.

That's a lot of pressure to put on anyone, never mind a sophomore, but Westmoreland was ready for the challenge.

"I've been in pressure situations before so this is nothing new," Westmoreland said. "I just wanted to come out here and do my job, throw strikes, and let my defense work."

As it turned out, his defense didn't have to work too hard.

Westmoreland pitched a complete-game three-hitter and struck out nine in leading Portsmouth to a 7-1 victory over East Greenwich in the third game of the Pawtucket Red Sox/Amica R.I. Interscholastic League Division II finals.

"I just felt like my command was really there," Westmoreland said. "My curveball was working really well. Playing at McCoy Stadium, there is nothing better."

"He was outstanding," Ulmschneider said. "He dominated the whole way. He had his curveball working. He had the look in his eye when he knew that he was going to get the ball today . . . and the defense behind him today was outstanding."

Westmoreland struck out six consecutive batters over the second and third innings.

"From the second inning on, he was in a groove," Portsmouth catcher Nick Grande said. "He was just mixing his pitches very well. He was hitting all of his spots and they couldn't touch him."

Westmoreland went 2-for-4 with a double yesterday and finished the series 6-for-11 (.545) with two walks and two RBI. He was named the finals Most Valuable Player.

Portsmouth finished its memorable season with a 24-3 record, but the journey toward this state title began five years ago.

"Before they even entered high school, I remember having a baseball camp in the summer after their eighth-grade year and they walked in and said, 'We are going to win a state championship before we are done,' " Ulmschneider said of his seniors. "They worked hard and got it done."

Portsmouth's seniors were the catalyst this year.

"They have been working four years for this," Westmoreland said. "It's great to have them get a championship under their belt. They have been working so hard all season. Our captains -- Brendan [Solecki], Dylan [Stone], and Danny [Corrigan] -- are great leaders. They really helped the team out, and they gave us a lot of confidence going into every game this season."

East Greenwich had the momentum entering yesterday's game after Friday's seventh-inning comeback in Game Two. The Avengers even led, 1-0, after the first inning yesterday to keep that momentum going. Sean Donlon drove in Brendan Palmer with a groundout to second base.

"You couldn't help but get into your mind that this might be it. We were going to do it," said Matt Bowen, East Greenwich's starting pitcher who allowed only two earned runs. "But we know it's a seven-inning game and you have to play every out, and they were able to come back unfortunately."

The Patriots started their rally in the bottom of the second inning when they scored an unearned run. With two outs and a runner on third base, Phillip Dugan hit a routine ground ball to the shortstop, who fired it to first base. But East Greenwich's first baseman dropped the ball and Solecki scored on the error to make it 1-1.

After John Sleeper gave Portsmouth a 2-1 lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning, the Patriots exploded for five runs, four of which were unearned, in the bottom of the fifth to break the game open.

Despite the loss, the Avengers (19-7) left McCoy Stadium with their heads held high because they accomplished their goal of playing in the state championship series

"Our goal coming into the year was to get to McCoy and we accomplished that," Bowen said. "When we got here we felt like we weren't here to participate. We were here to win. Yesterday's [Friday's] game was the most exciting game that I've ever been a part of. To be down to our last three outs and to come back and win is an awesome feeling and that showed a lot about our team. Today [yesterday] we put up a good fight, but we made some untimely mistakes."

Portsmouth avenged its state title loss to Tolman last season with yesterday's victory.

"This is an unbelievably great feeling," Grande said of winning the state title.

East Greenwich100 000 0 -- 1 3 4

Portsmouth 011 050 x -- 7 8 0

Matt Bowen and Chris Guillemette; Ryan Westmoreland and Nick Grande.

roblee@projo.com / (401) 277-7340