LEWISTON – Playoff wins are always satisfying. Playoff wins that assure a team will be playing for at least another week are even better.

Gayton Post 31 not only clinched a spot in Sunday’s Zone 3 championship but also secured a spot in the state tournament with a 7-0 victory over Brunswick Saturday at Franklin Field.

Kyle Neagle tossed a masterful three-hit shutout and Greg LaBonte smacked two doubles and a triple and drove in three runs as second-seeded Gayton moved on to the zone final and a rematch with No. 1 Bessey Motors, which beat No. 4 Cole Farms, 10-0, on Saturday.

Bessey already clinched a spot in next week’s state tournament by winning the regular season title. The top two teams from each zone advance to Augusta, so Gayton (16-6) earned an automatic bid with Saturday’s win. But there will still be a lot at stake Sunday when the two teams meet in South Paris.

“You want to try to go (into the state tourney) No. 1,” Gayton coach Todd Cifelli said. “One has a big advantage in this new tournament they have because they have a bye in the first round, and No. 2 plays the Zone 4 winner. It’s very important tomorrow, plus I think we have a lot of room to get better. We still haven’t hit all at once.”

Gayton hit well with two outs, however, against Brunswick starter Adam Totman. Travis Dyke ripped a two-out RBI double in the third for the only run Neagle would need. Neagle gave himself some breathing room with a two-run single in the fourth, and LaBonte added an RBI triple in the fifth and a two-run double in the seventh with two down.

“Our coach is always telling us to come up big (with two outs). He put me in the three spot for a reason,” LaBonte said. “We had a good day. We’d faced this pitcher before, so that helped us out a lot.”

Neagle (nine innings, four K’s, three walks) threw 106 pitches in his deepest outing of the summer. Brunswick went hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position.

The biggest squander came in the second inning, when John Simmons’ double gave Brunswick (11-10-1) runners at second and third with nobody out. Neagle buckled down and struck out Kevin Wilson looking, fanned Anthony Viola on a foul tip into the mitt, then retired Totman on a fly ball to center.

“Had we scored two of those, it would have put pressure on them and they would have been in the same situation we were, you know, pressing a little bit,” said Brunswick coach Tony Viola. “They got some key hits and didn’t leave a lot of guys on base.”

“Kyle did a very nice job on the mound. That’s the furthest he’s been on my watch,” Cifelli said. “He was in control. It’s a warm day, and at this point in the season, while they’ve thrown the most, they’re probably strongest physically.”

Neagle only had to work out of two other jams, a first-and-second with two out pickle in the fifth and a man-at-third with two out spot in the seventh. He also helped himself out by picking a runner off second with two out in the third.

“My change-up was working pretty well from the beginning. I struggled a little bit trying to find location,” Neagle said. “I was just trying to pitch to contact. I know I’m not going to overpower people.”

Gayton went into last year’s zone championship game with a .500 record and nearly pulled off an upset before losing in Bessey’s final at-bat, 5-4.

“We want the Zone,” Neagle said. “We want to take anything we can get. I’d much rather have a bye in the first round.”