Lebanon — It seemed an unusual day for a pitchers' duel, a sudden rainstorm leaving Old Lyme's Emma Bayor and Lyman Memorial's Kassidy LaTour to fend off the elements as well as opposing hitters.

Despite needing to ask for a dry softball after every pitch at times, both remained resolute through nine innings of what was the most important game of the season, to get one of the teams to the semifinals of the Class S state tournament.

Fifth-seeded Old Lyme made a winner of Bayor with an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning, with Maggie Hubbard scoring on an error to give the Wildcats a 2-1 victory over No. 4 Lyman on Friday in a game where the pitchers combined to give up just nine hits and strike out 21.

Old Lyme, bidding for its first state championship appearance in program history, will take on top-seeded Cromwell in the semifinals either Monday or Tuesday at a site and time to be announced after Cromwell topped Hale-Ray 10-0, also Friday.

"It can be hard a little," Bayor said of the rain, which halted the game for a few moments in the top of the fourth with the score tied 0-0. "I just have to remind myself 'Focus on this pitch. Just win this one pitch. Don't focus on the runners, don't focus on anything, just focus on winning this one pitch.'

"I'm more nervous when I'm not doing anything. When I'm pitching I'm kind of calmed down or when I'm hitting I'm calmed down. I feel really calm. When I'm in the dugout, I'm a little nervous."

Old Lyme scored in the ninth whan Hubbard walked to lead off the inning, stole second and took third on an error. LaTour struck out the next two Wildcats hitters before No. 9 hitter Anna Eichholz hit a ground ball to third base that was misplayed, allowing the eventual winning run to score.

Bayor retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth and the last 11 Lyman batters in all. A sophomore, Bayor pitched a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts.

Old Lyme (20-6) scored to make it 1-0 in the top of the fifth when Jamie Bucior was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hubbard and took third on an error. Lauren Creagan laid down a squeeze bunt, allowing Bucior to score with the throw home off target.

Lyman (18-6) answered in the bottom of the fifth when Erica Arpin reached on an infield single, took third on a ground rule double by LaTour — a line shot to center which rolled under the outfield fence — and scored on a wild pitch.

After that, both teams had chances but couldn't capitalize. Old Lyme's Ava Roth led off the sixth with a double but was stranded on third.

Lyman, meanwhile, had a runner on third in the bottom of the sixth with nobody out and also failed to score as Old Lyme catcher Grace Phaneuf made what was arguably the play of the game. With Lyman's Rayne Bobbi on third, the Bulldogs tried a suicide squeeze bunt with Bobbi racing home on contact. Bayor flipped the ball quickly to Phaneuf, who made the tag on Bobbi and also got the runner trying to take second base, firing to Roth, the center fielder, who was covering.

"We had a ton of opportunities and we didn't cash in on any of them," Old Lyme coach Tim Gavin said. "We got lucky. Ava got a leadoff double and she doesn't score. We're not going to win a state championship without scoring that run. We need a hit there."

Gavin thought Bayor grew stronger as the game went on. She faced the top of the Lyman lineup in the eighth, including an intimidating hitter in LaTour, and set the Bulldogs down 1-2-3 — "I thought that was her best inning," Gavin said.

Old Lyme lost a pair of regular-season games against Cromwell this season, 6-0 on April 22 and 9-1 on May 17, but beat the Panthers in the Shoreline Conference tournament semifinals 3-1 on May 24.

v.fulkerson@theday.com