SOUTH PARIS

For 16 thrilling innings, Bessey Motors of Oxford Hills and Pastime Club of Lewiston battled tooth and nail in the American Legion Zone 2 baseball title game at Don Gouin Athletic Complex on Thursday.

Neither team gave an inch, and in the end, it was top-seeded Bessey Motors that found a way, edging out a 6-5 win.

Both teams had already punched their tickets to the state tournament, which will be held at Husson University July 26-30. Thursday’s game determined the No. 1 and 2 seeds from the zone. Despite being the No. 2 seed, Pastime Club had a chance to earn the zone’s top seed with a win.

After the teams played to a 5-5 deadlock through nine innings, neither squad was able to push a run across through the 15th. Pastime Club (14-5) pitcher Lucas Francis of Lisbon took over on the mound to begin the ninth and threw what turned out to be a typical high school complete game. He went 7 1/3 innings on 109 pitches and permitted just two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

“We wanted to win the zone and we gave it our all,” said Francis. “We had some chances and we played pretty well.”

Francis hit Emery Chickering with a pitch for the second time with one out in the 16th. Blake Slicer, who started the game on the mound for Bessey Motors (15-4), pinch ran. Francis tried to pick Slicer off, but an errant throw rolled into foul territory, with Slicer scooting all the way to third base.

Cam Slicer, Blake’s younger brother, faced reliever Gage Cote, with Pastime Club employing five infielders. Expecting a suicide squeeze bunt, Francis crept in from third base. However, Cam Slicer sliced a deep fly ball to left field, with Blake Slicer easily beating the throw to the plate to end the contest.

“We expected nine tough innings and it turned into 16,” said Cam Slicer, who was 2-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored and the game-winning RBI. “This game is a confidence builder for us. No one expected us, being a young team, to win this zone, but we knew that we could.”

“It is a tough loss, but we know that our season is not over and we will be ready to go on Wednesday,” added Francis.

Early Bessey lead

Both starting pitchers worked easy first frames to open the game. Blake Slicer threw just five pitches in a 1- 2-3 inning, and Pastime’s Hunter Richardson used just 10 heaves in a perfect first.

Scoreless in the bottom of the third, Bessey Motors broke the ice. Blake Slicer walked to open the inning, and singles by Cam Slicer and Hunter LaBossiere plated the game’s first run. A bunt single by Janek Luksza loaded the bases, and with one out Brayden Bean dropped a bunt along the first-base line for a 2-0 lead. A fielder’s choice ground ball by Troy Johnson completed the three-run inning for the hosts.

Pastime Club finally got to Blake Slicer in the fifth. Gordon Beckwith, who was 4- for-7 on the day, singled. Brock Belanger also singled and a sacrifice fly ball by Cote gave the visitors their first run. A throwing error plated Belanger to draw Pastime to 3-2.

However, Bessey Motors regained a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-run single by Bean.

From there, Richardson was solid for Pastime Club. He retired seven straight hitters and allowed just one more hit the rest of the way, going eight innings on 10 hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

His team battled back in the eighth to tie the contest. With one out, Francis singled and Richardson reached on an error. A two-run single by Jack LeBlond brought Pastime Club to within a run, 5-4. With two outs, Belanger laced a single to left field to tie the game against Luksza. Blake Slicer went 7 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits with one walk and one strikeout.

From there, it was all about the pitching. Pastime Club had solid scoring chances in the 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th frames. But, Luksza escaped each time, going the final 8 2/3 frames on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts for the win.

Bessey Motors had its chances as well. The best came in the 14th as the hosts loaded the bases with one out as Chickering was hit by a Francis pitch, Cam Slicer singled and LaBossiere walked. Luksza hit a hard grounder to Richardson at third. Richardson quickly threw to the plate for the second out, with Pastime catcher Belanger firing to first base for an inning-ending double play.

“That really gave us some momentum,” said Francis, who escaped a jam in the 15th inning as well.

Cam Slicer, LaBossiere and Luksza had two hits each in the win, with Bean picking up a team-high three hits and three RBIs. Belanger, Richardson, Hunter Landry and Evan Cox (two doubles) had two hits apiece for Pastime Club.

Times and opponents for the state tournament will be announced.