AUBURN

There was plenty on the line heading into Wednesday night’s American Legion Zone 2 baseball game at Auburn Suburban Field.

Pastime Club of Lewiston simply needed a win to claim the top spot, while Rogers Post, with a victory and a Bessey Motors loss, had a chance at the No. 1 seed and an automatic berth into the state tournament.

Behind a solid start from Lisbon native Lucas Francis, Pastime Club was able to get it done, earning an 8-5 win. Pastime will host a Zone 2 semifinal game on Saturday at Elliot Field, while Rogers Post, the No. 3 seed, will be home for a quarterfinal on Friday, with a possible semifinal matchup with No. 2 Bessey Motors on Saturday at South Paris.

“This was huge. It was a team effort, and the big thing in these big games you never know what you’re going to get,” said Pastime Club coach Jake Brown after his team completed the regular season with a 13-3 record.

Pastime Club had a busy schedule over the final two weeks of the season, playing 11 games in 13 days and earning key wins over Bessey Motors and taking two of three from Rogers Post.

“This whole last half of the season was challenging, and we had to buckle down and prove ourselves the last four games,” said Pastime first baseman Nick Lerette, a former standout at Lisbon. “We battle for seven innings. I believe we are competitors for states.”

Solid start

Things began well for Pastime Club, which scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning against Rogers Post starter Damien St. Pierre. Brock Belanger began the game by reaching on a Rogers Post error. He stole second, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on an infield single by Jack LeBlond.

Rogers appeared to escape the first frame behind by just a run, but an overturned call on a close play at first base kept the inning going. Francis helped himself by delivering an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

“We try to score first in all of our games, and all year we have had really good first innings. The top of the order is really fast, and when you have them going it is a tough lineup,” Brown said.

Francis quickly retired Rogers Post in order on just 10 pitches in the bottom of the first, then watched his team double the lead, taking advantage of three walks from Rogers Post (11-5) hurler Gavin Bates. Belanger drove in a run with a single, and Gordon Beckwith scampered home on a wild pitch.

The hosts struck back in the second. St. Pierre doubled off the fence in rightcenter field and quickly scored on a single by Ethan Brown. After a double by Mason Brushwein, Ethan Brown came home on a ground ball from Gawain Tibbetts for a 4-2 game.

Facing a third Rogers Post pitcher (Austin Brown), Pastime struck for three runs in the fourth. Beckwith led off with a single, followed by a single by Belanger, who was 2-for-4. Hunter Richardson brought home Beckwith with a double, followed by a two-run double by Hunter Landry for a 7-2 Pastime Club advantage.

Francis was strong in his four innings of work, striking out three and walking just one. He allowed three runs.

“He pitches to contact and challenges hitters, and he just hates to give up free bases,” said Jake Brown of Francis. “Our defense did a good job behind him.”

Both teams were feisty in this rivalry game featuring squads made up of players mostly from rivals Lewiston and Edward Little high schools. Both benches were warned for taunting, and a Rogers Post player was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

Down 8-4 in the seventh, Rogers Post looked to rally. Austin Brown, who was 2- for-3, walked, moved to second on an error and to third on a wild pitch. Gus Paradie battled Pastime reliever Landry in a 12-pitch at-bat, eventually driving a long fly ball to right field for a sacrifice to close the deficit to 8-5. Landry threw 36 pitches in the inning, but struck out the final hitter to end the game and send Pastime to the state tournament, which will be held at Husson University the weekend of July 27.

Landry had a pair of hits for Pastime Club, which pounded out nine hits. Owen Cox tossed two innings in relief.

For Rogers Post, four pitchers combined on four strikeouts and five walks.

Pastime Club 8, Rogers Post 5

At Auburn Suburban Field
Pastime — 220 310 0 — 8-9-3
Rogers — 020 110 1 — 5-6-3
Lucas Francis, Owen Cox (5), Hunter
Landry (7) and Brock Belanger; Damien
St. Pierre, Gavin Bates (2), Austin
Brown (3), Tim Albert (7) and Gus
Paradie.
WP — Francis; LP — St. Pierre.
Doubles — (PC) Hunter Richardson,
Hunter Landry, Owen Cox; (RP) Damien
St. Pierre, Mason Brushwein, Gawain
Tibbetts.
Repeat hitters — (PC) Brock Belanger,
Hunter Landry; (RP) Austin Brown.
Records — Pastime Club 13-3, Rogers
Post 11-5.
Up next for Pastime Club — Saturday
at home for semifinal. Opponent TBA.