AUGUSTA – Locke Mills’ team philosophy when it comes to pitching is simple in theory but difficult in execution – keep hitters off-balance by changing speeds and don’t be afraid to use off-speed pitches in hitters’ counts.

Cory Wing used that approach to keep Locke Mills alive in the state American Legion baseball tournament Friday, tossing a complete game seven-hitter in a 5-1 victory to eliminate Zone 3 rival Bessey Motors.

Locke Mills will have to defeat Nova Seafood today at 4 p.m. to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament.

“My change-up was working real well today,” said Wing, who fanned six and walked one. “They were ahead of it, and I could spot it. I was hitting the outside corner all day.”

“He was throwing a lot more change-ups than fastballs, threw a lot more change-ups than curve balls,” said catcher Anthony Liberti, whose two-run homer in the first would prove to be all the runs Wing needed. “Those guys are a fastball hitting team.”

“I could call any pitch and he could throw it for a strike, and that really changed the whole look to the game for us,” Liberti added. “He didn’t have to throw fastballs on 3-0, which was awesome.”

Bessey (19-8) didn’t get many fastballs to hit, especially in two key situations when they could have cut into the lead. An error, single and walk put Locke Mills in a bases-loaded one out jam in the sixth. Wing worked his way out of it by fanning Corey Tielinen on three pitches and Matt McDonnell on four.

The final threat came in the ninth, when Tielinen led off with a single and McDonnell followed with a double to put the potential tying run on-deck. Wing buckled down again, getting pinch-hitter Mike Stacy to pop out to second, fanning Brent Grenier and inducing a ground out to short by Chris Jennings to end it.

“He pitched a great game. We had our chances,” said Bessey coach Shane Slicer, whose team left nine men on base. “I thought our pitchers did a nice job keeping us in the game, but defensively, we had a couple of letdowns and gave them some runs.”

Liberti, who missed Locke Mills’ 2-0 loss to Bessey in the Zone 3 championship last Sunday, made his presence known early when he ripped a 1-0 pitch from Bessey starter Corey Saunders to right-center. McDonnell made a nice leaping try up against the fence, but the ball barely cleared his glove and the fence to make it 2-0 in the first.

“I was just looking for a fastball and to get us on top early,” Liberti said. “It’s been low-scoring games between the two of us all season long, so we needed runs from the beginning to take the pressure off.”

“Not only is it nice to have him swinging the bat, but calling pitches back there behind the plate,” Locke Mills coach Chris Olson said. “He calls a great game and keeps the pitchers throwing what they should be throwing.”

Bessey cut the deficit in half in the third on Jennings’ RBI single. Locke Mills (20-6) added another run in the third on Shawn Marr’s sacrifice fly. They then plated two more in the fourth off McDonnell in relief when a low throw to first on the back end of a possible double play scored Kyle Kipikas. The ball bounced far enough away from Tielinen to allow David Roberge (two hits) to score all the way from second and provide the final margin.