AMHERST — To get to its first Western Massachusetts final in 25 years, the Granby baseball team needed a win from a pitcher not named Noah Bleakley.

Tom Rezzani stepped to the mound in the Western Mass. Division 4 Tournament semifinals Thursday at UMass’ Earl Lorden Field and pitched the Rams to a 6-5 win over top-seeded Ware.

“It’s what we had to do,” Rezzani said. “We owed it to ourselves and our coaches.”

The No. 4 Rams (19-4) will play No. 2 St. Mary (20-2) Saturday at 11 a.m. back at UMass for the chance at a title.

Rezzani pitched 6⅓ innings, struck out two and gave up four earned runs on eight hits.

Bleakley entered in relief with one out in the seventh to get the save for Granby. Bleakley pitched a complete game in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“My arm was feeling just as it was yesterday,” Bleakley said. “I told Coach that I got this.”

Granby coach Jim Woods did not have plans to use Bleakley, but went to his top pitcher for the last two outs.

“He came up to me and said ‘my arm feels great,’” Woods said. “I told him I wasn’t using him today. But in the seventh he told me he wanted it so I went to him.”

Bleakley will be available to start when the Rams go for a championship on Saturday.

Joe Bessette launched a two-run homer down the left-field line in the top of the sixth to account for the winning runs. Bessette finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a triple and a single.

“Our coaches said see the fastball,” Bessette said. “I got a good swing on it. I didn’t think it was going over. I am glad it went over the fence.”

The Rams had the bases loaded in the second and the fourth, but came away with nothing against Ware starter Jake Crevier.

Crevier’s sacrifice fly gave Ware a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.

Ben Rokowski scored Granby’s first run when he scored on a pass ball in the top of the fifth.

Bessette’s RBI single came in the fifth, as did Tristan Guzik’s to give Granby a 3-1 lead.

The Indians scored an unearned run in the fifth on a throwing error to make it 3-2.

Bleakley had an RBI double for Granby prior to Bessette’s homer to make it 4-2.

The Indians got to Rezzani for three runs in the sixth.

Hunter Millier scored on a pass ball before Fernando Montalban’s RBI double made it 6-4.

Logan Wojcik added an RBI groundout to get Ware within a run heading to the seventh.

The Rams have two losses against St. Mary this season.

“We got momentum and nothing beats this,” Bessette said. “But they are a really great team so we have to come prepared.”

Granby 6, Ware 5

Granby          000 330 0 — 6 8 1

Ware              000 113 0 — 5 9 0

WP—Rezzani LP—Crevier S—Bleakley

Records: Granby (19-4); Ware (19-3)

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