LEWISTON— A year ago, the Lewiston Blue Devils were bounced from the playoffs following a first-round loss to the Brewer Witches. The losing hurler that day was lefty Corbin Hyde, who was rapped around pretty good by the orange and black.

Tuesday, the southpaw exacted a little revenge on the Witches, allowing just one hit through the first six innings en route to a 5-2 complete-game win on the final day of the regular season. The victory clinched the top spot in the Eastern Class A playoffs for the Blue Devils while the loss eliminated the visitors from any postseason action.

“Even though they don’t have the same guys, it felt really good,” said Hyde of his complete-game effort.

Hyde (5-0) breezed through the first three-plus innings, retiring the first 10 batters and allowed just three base runners heading into the seventh. He spotted his curve ball well and continually sawed off Brewer batters with tough, inside fastballs.

“Normally we put the ball in play pretty hard,” said Brewer coach Dana Corey. “We had about five guys hit the ball of their fists. He threw strikes and he was throwing his curveball for strikes on different counts.”

Brewer catcher Nick Moore struggled with Hyde’s curve. Swinging from the left of the plate, the No. 5 hitter froze twice on called third strikes as the lefty’s bender rattled his knees.

“It was nice to buckle his knees,” said Hyde. “That’s when you know its working.”

Brewer (8-8) started ace Kyle McLain, but the right hander lasted just one frame before pulling himself from the mound with a tired arm. The Blue Devils (15-1) touched reliever Kyle Alexander with a single tally in the second after Joe Sullivan reached on a fielder’s choice and promptly stole second. After Chris Madden singled to right, second baseman Shawn Ricker smacked a sacrifice fly to deep left.

The Blue Devils rallied for three more runs in the next frame off Alexander. Scott Ouellette started the inning with a double off the base of the fence in left field. Mekae Hyde was then hit by a pitch and Corbin Hyde followed with a single. Jeff Keene drove in Ouellette by reaching on a fielder’s choice. The next two runs resulted from an RBI groundout by first baseman Ben Wigant and an run-scoring single to center by Sullivan.

Lewiston played more of a base-to-base attack for much of the game, stealing six bags in seven attempts and constantly taking the ball to the right side of the field to move runners along.

“As well as we swung the bats yesterday, I didn’t think we were getting the bats around today,” said Lewiston coach Todd Cifelli. “I wanted to try and push the runners along today.”

Brewer scratched for a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI double over Keene’s head in center field by McLain.

The Blue Devils got the run back in the sixth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Luke Cote.

In the seventh, Hyde began to labor. He threw 88 pitches over the first six innings and had to battle his way to the final pitch count of 118 when Alexander came to bat as the tying run and lined a shot headed to right field which struck Brewer runner Ian Forrest in the back for the game’s final out.

“I was getting a little tired,” said Hyde, who got behind the first two batters in the seventh and saw his fastball miss high for the first time all game. “My whole body was sore. I fell behind a couple of guys so I started throwing just fastballs to get strikes.”

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