AUGUSTA – Bessey Motors’ annual consolation bracket bash at the American Legion Baseball state tournament is in full swing.

One day after a ninth-inning heartbreak that would have left many teams wallowing in mail-it-in mode, Brandon Chase’s home run highlighted a 12-hit attack to boost Bessey past Waterville, 12-2, in Sunday’s saturated elimination game.

Aaron Chase and winning pitcher Evan Humphrey each stroked three singles and combined for five RBIs. Travis Fillebrown added a double and an RBI single for Bessey (17-7-1), which coughed up a pair of two-run leads Saturday against Libby-Mitchell of Scarborough.

The rebound bears a striking resemblance to last summer.

“I think we actually do better when the pressure’s on,” said Humphrey. “Last year we lost the first game (to eventual state champion Monmouth) and came back to finish third place.”

Of course, it’s a different tournament this August. The pool has deepened from eight teams to 10 with the Cumberland-York county corridor now divided into two zones.

And Bessey, customarily top-heavy with Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School stars, is a much more eclectic crew this time around. Fillebrown and Humphrey hail from Fryeburg Academy. The Chases are an addition from Lake Region High School.

“The more games you can get in the tournament, the more comfortable you get,” said Bessey coach Shane Slicer. “Obviously we wanted to win the first game. We felt we had the win, and we gave it up. Maybe it put some pressure on ’em, but maybe it also woke them up that, hey, you’ve got to play nine innings or you’re gone. That’s good for the younger kids to get in and see what the tournament is all about.”

Waterville (16-10) wasn’t allowed to stay within walk-off distance or maintain a puncher’s chance. Bessey banged out two runs in the first and added four in the third on the strength of four consecutive walks and Humphrey’s two-run single.

Brandon Chase’s 360-foot smash to right center field made it 8-1.

“Our bats have always been pretty hot, and when they really get on, we’re pretty unstoppable,” said Chase, who played shortstop and batted third in front of tournament veteran Ryan Yates. “If the pitching stays solid, our hitting will come around.”

Relief pitcher Cody Hadley struck out Steve Siviski to leave the bases loaded and protect a six-run lead in the sixth.

Not even a 1-hour, 43-minute weather delay prior to the eighth inning could bottle up Bessey’s bats. Humphrey, Fillebrown and Aaron Chase laced consecutive singles to punctuate a four-run ninth.

“With a five or six-run lead, if we threw strikes we felt like we were in pretty good shape,” Slicer said. “They weren’t going to get six hits in a row and knock us out. We were just worried about the rain. Anything can happen once the field gets wet. Groundballs can turn into errors.”

Bessey made no miscues, either before or after the latest in a long line of squalls to soak Morton Field.

Two double plays made life easier for Humphrey (5 2/3 innings, four hits, seven walks) and Hadley (three hits and three strikeouts in 3 1/3 frames). On the base paths, Hadley and Aaron Chase each swiped home on the flip side of a double steal. Hadley drew three walks and cashed in a run every time.

Scott Siviski delivered three of Waterville’s seven hits, including a double.

The storm prevented Bessey from having to play a second game at 4 p.m. Sunday. Its next win-or-else game against Kennebunk was postponed until 12:30 p.m. Monday. Gayton Post 31’s adjacent elimination encounter with Waldo County at McGuire Field was also postponed until noon today.

“We’re happy to get another day to live, anyway,” said Slicer.