MANCHESTER — Concord and Merrimack ended the season in the same fashion they got things going, with a one-run, extra-inning game. Concord took both games, winning the season opener 2-1 in 10 innings and claiming the Division I state championship, 5-4 in nine innings.

“It was a mirror image of the first game,” said Merrimack starting pitcher Tom Hudon. He started both games, went seven innings and got a no decision. Fellow sophomore ace Matt Wojciak earned two tough-luck losses in relief. “I'd love to play these guys in a best-of-seven series, rather than a one-game championship.

“I'd be up for that,” said Concord coach Scott Owen. “I bet it would go seven games.”

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COMMENCEMENT MARCH: Five Concord seniors donned graduation garb in the morning and baseball uniforms in the afternoon, marking the second straight season Crimson Tide commenced and then commuted to a title game.

Last year's seniors had to make a quicker transition as the Division I championship began at 1 p.m. Saturday's 4 p.m. start time gave the recent graduates time for a quick photo session in a gown before getting in some pregame batting practice.

“What a great day overall,” said Dillon Emerson, who struck the championship-game winning walk-off hit. “Not many get the chance to graduate and win a state championship in the same day. We did this with last year's seniors in mind.”

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COINCIDENTALLY: History tends to repeat itself. Last time Dave Chase said he had nine seniors on his roster was in 2000, which was the last time the Hawks won a state title. Hopkinton had nine seniors on its roster this year. ...The number is debatable, but the results aren't.

Sam McManus said after the semifinal win, Hawks' pitcher Sam Bonifant told the team if it gets him four runs he will win the game. Hopkinton scored four runs, but after his complete-game shutout in the championship, Bonifant begged to differ with McManus. “I think I said one or two (runs),” Bonifant said.

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WARNING TRACK MEETING: The best chance for the Campbell Cougars to score came in the first inning when Christian Bourgea drove a ball deep to right field, but Hopkinton outfielder Jay White made the catch on the warning track with his back to the wall.

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YOUTHFUL ENERGY: There's something unusual about the Sunapee roster. The Lakers carry three eighth graders on the team, all of whom played in the championship. Ben Robinson started at first base, Cole Cruz pinch hit in the sixth and Mike Platt was used as a pinch runner.

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AFTER KNOCKING off top-seeded and previously undefeated Portsmouth Christian of Dover in the semifinals, the offense just wasn't there for Newmarket in the championship as the team mustered only three hits. “They made the plays and we didn't hit well enough,” Newmarket coach Stan Jurkoic said.

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IN ATTENDANCE: Former Merrimack coach Ryan Anderson, who resigned last week to prevent the potential of a Tomahawks forfeit following their quarterfinal victory, took a seat along the third base line to take in the Division I championship game.

“I'm so proud of what these kids have accomplished,” said Anderson who coached the Merrimack team for 10 seasons before submitting his resignation due to confusion regarding his level of involvement with the team while suspended for two games following his first-ever ejection, occurring in a preliminary-round game.

Attendance of the four-game event peaked at around 2,000 about midway through the third game when fans from St. Thomas of Dover and Lebanon began entering the sunny confines of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium and coexisting with Concord and Merrimack folk.

The patio at the Hilton Garden Inn, perched above the leftfield fence, was also packed.

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Eric Emmerling may be reached at eemmerling@unionleader.com; Mark Quirk may be reached at mquirk@unionleader.com.