Tamaqua's Mason Ligenza on the mound for Tamaqua in Game 2 of a Schuylkill League semifinals doubleheader at Robert Wetzel Field. The Blue Raiders defeated Blue Mountain 1-0 in eight innings (Photo by Eli Doyle).

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — It was a high-wire act from the first pitch to the last, a classic pitcher’s duel between two perennial contenders that seemed destined for extra innings.

Then came one clean crack of the bat.

Tamaqua senior Cooper Ansbach delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning, driving in Mason Ligenza with the game’s only run and sending the defending Schuylkill League champions back to the title game with a 1-0 win over Blue Mountain on Wednesday in Game 2 of a semifinal doubleheader at North Schuylkill’s Robert Wetzel Field.

The Blue Raiders will face Tri-Valley in Thursday’s final at 4:15 p.m. at Robert Wetzel Field, with a shot at securing back-to-back titles for the first time in program history. Tri-Valley defeated Division II champion Schuylkill Haven 3-1 in the other semifinal.

“I was looking fastball all the way,” Ansbach said. “I was trying to hit something hard. I got that first pitch, hit it hard, and the defense just couldn’t make a play.”

Ansbach ripped a fastball just past Blue Mountain shortstop Evan Setlock, who ranged deep into the hole in a desperate attempt to make a major-league-style play. Ligenza, showing his speed, raced home from second to seal the dramatic victory.

It was a fitting end to a masterclass in pitching. Ligenza and Blue Mountain lefty Aidan Grace traded blows all afternoon, matching zeroes and challenging hitters with electric stuff and bulldog mentality.

“Grace was just great,” said Ansbach, who later earned the win in relief. “You’ve got to tip your cap to him.”

Neither starter figured in the decision. Ligenza hit his 100-pitch limit after seven dominant innings, and Grace also exited after recording the first out of the eighth — his final batter popping out. Ansbach entered in relief and closed the door in the top of the frame before coming through at the plate.

Grace finished with five hits allowed — two each to Landon Kamant and Luke Kane, plus one to Ansbach — and no runs. His only real jam came in the fourth, when he escaped a bases-loaded threat. The southpaw kept Tamaqua off the board again in the seventh after back-to-back hits from Kane and Kamant and a two-out walk to Logan Morgans loaded the bases. Grace got Maximus Najarro to ground out to end the threat.

“He’s such a competitor,” Blue Mountain head coach Jarrod Kramer said. “He wanted the ball. He wanted to win this game. He’s a big-game player, and he showed that.”

Despite the loss, Blue Mountain flashed plenty of defensive brilliance. Outfielder Wyatt Barnes made a highlight-reel catch in the seventh, robbing Ansbach of extra bases on a deep drive to left.

“We had some great plays made by our outfielders,” Kramer added. “Grace is such a competitor, and the other guys feed off his energy.”

Tamaqua threatened in the fourth as well but ran into an out when Kane was caught stealing third after reaching on a single. Ansbach reached on an error, but Grace struck out Noah Mateyak after a long nine-pitch at-bat to escape unscathed.

Ligenza, meanwhile, was nearly untouchable. The power lefty struck out 13 and allowed just two hits — a single to Setlock in the fourth and one to Grace in the fifth. He walked just one batter and was dominant from the outset.

“This was a tough win — nerve-wracking, really,” Tamaqua head coach Jeff Reading said. “It was a pitcher’s duel from the start. There was no momentum either way. Just a battle all day.”

Now, Tamaqua gets another shot — one game to defend its crown.

“We get a chance to defend, and that’s all these kids want,” Reading said.

Game Summary