Waterford — Looking back at the games between these Little League baseball rivals, the margins of victory have been narrow.

"When we were 10 (two years ago), we played three times (in the District 10 tournament)," Waterford manager Josh Sheppard said. "We won the district but they forced the 'if' game with a sacrifice fly. We were able to win the 'if' game by one run."

And so it continued Thursday night in the championship round of the District 10 Little League tournament for 10-12-year-olds.

Waterford edged East Lyme 2-1 to force a second and deciding game — the "if necessary" game — in the series once again, a game which will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at the Waterford Little League Complex.

East Lyme, which beat Waterford 3-2 in a winner's bracket game earlier this week on a walk-off home run by Caleb Trost to force Waterford into the losers' bracket, needed just one win over Waterford to clinch the championship.

On Thursday, however, East Lyme ran into Waterford starting pitcher Riley Montana, who threw a complete game with the exception of the final batter. Montana, who had an 85-pitch limit, reached his count with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and final inning with the tying run on third.

Waterford's Kian Gordy recorded the final out of the game on a strikeout, closing out a six-hitter for Montana.

"He had great mound presence and command tonight," Sheppard said of the right-handed Montana. "He just grinded. That's what we teach them every day, to grind."

Sheppard called Gordy "a gamer" for coming on to pitch with the tying run on third, needing just five pitches to record the final out.

"One through 13, everybody has a role," Sheppard said. "When you have the opportunity, you have to step up and perform."

Waterford took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when No. 2 hitter JT Sheppard doubled on the first pitch and Colby Sheehan followed with an RBI single to left. Chase Nolda walked and scored on a wild pitch in the second inning to push the lead to 2-0.

East Lyme, with three hits to that juncture off Montana, got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Matthew Resetar singled on a ball which took a wicked hop past third base and Karch Kaczor reached on an error. Max Montejano singled to left to load the bases, with the crowd noise from both sides reaching a crescendo, and Harrison Papuga grounded to short to score Resetar, pulling the team within 2-1.

Waterford got the second out at second base on Papuga's fielder's choice and Montana recorded the third out of the inning by getting the dangerous Trost to fly out to center field, leaving two men on.

East Lyme pitchers Papuga, Resetar and JP Antonino no-hit Waterford after the first inning, but the team couldn't muster enough offense against Montana and the Waterford defense.

Waterford turned a 5-4-3 double play in the second inning and got a solid play in the bottom of the sixth from Nolda at third base, who looked the tying run back to second on a ground ball before throwing to first.

Montejano had two hits for East Lyme and Papuga, the starting pitcher, struck out eight over four innings.

v.fulkerson@theday.com