AUGUSTA – Zone III champion Bessey Motors found itself outmatched by powerhouse Nova Seafood, which put on a hitting display in a 13-1 win in the American Legion tournament Monday afternoon at Morton Field.

Ryan Flaherty led the way with two home runs, including a grand slam in the fourth inning. Flaherty, a slick-fielding shortstop, added a two-run blast and finished with six RBIs. Every Nova Seafood starter scored at least one run.

The game was called on the mercy rule.

Zone I champion Nova Seafood (2-0) continued on in the winners’ bracket Wednesday. Bessey Motors (1-1) faces elimination in the losers’ bracket today.

“The team knew entering the game what we needed to do,” Bessey Motors manager Shane Slicer said. “Nova is favored in this tournament and for a good reason. They are a solid team. The players were looking forward to playing them because Nova knocked us off in the championship game two years ago and there are some guys still on our team who was around then.”

A bad omen occurred for Bessey Motors in the first inning that continued through out the game. Garrett Olson singled and Jeff Austin was hit by a pitch. Tyler Bryant popped out and then Chris Henderson hit a liner in the outfield gap. Nova Seafood centerfielder Don Drake raced over to snare the ball and threw to second baseman Mike D’Andrea to double-up Olson.

Olson retired the side in order in the bottom of the first, but things went south after that as Nova scored nine unanswered runs. Jeff Skillin and Andrew Dvilinsky each hit RBI singles and catcher Andrew Giobbi uncorked a two-run home run in the third inning.

“We hit the ball well,” Nova manager Mike D’Andrea said. “A lot of our hits came on 0-2 counts and we only struck out three times. It was also good to see Giobbi and Flaherty come through.”

Flaherty, son of University of Southern Maine baseball coach Ed Flaherty, smashed a grand slam off Bessey Motors reliever Andy Stacy in the fifth. Nova starter Mike Powers was lifted after five innings in hopes of being able to pitch later in the tournament.

“We had some opportunities,” Slicer said. “We stranded runners on base and didn’t get the job done. There was bases loaded with one out and we didn’t score.”

Olson hit a RBI single in the fifth. Olson is 7-for-8 in the tournament.

Bessey Motors loaded the bases in the sixth, but Nova turned a 1-2-3 double play.

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