LEWISTON — Job one: Earn some hardware. Job two: Establish the antidote for a rival’s mystique. Job three: Move on and win more hardware.

Lewiston took care of the first two installments in its postseason game plan with ease Saturday, beating Bangor, 8-2, to win the KVAC baseball championship at Franklin Pasture.

Seven first-inning runs erased most of the drama. That flurry also alleviated any concerns about the present and possibly future foe wearing the scarlet uniforms in the opposing dugout.

“It’s definitely a relief, because we didn’t play them in the regular season this year,” Lewiston senior catcher Mekae Hyde said. “The jersey’s always scary, because it says ‘Bangor,’ and Bangor’s pretty much good at everything.”

Perhaps the rest of Eastern Class A is just as intimidated by Lewiston (16-1). The Blue Devils will enter the playoffs as top seed, sporting a 12-game winning streak and temporary bragging rights.

No. 1 Lewiston hosts No. 8 Hampden at 4 p.m. Thursday. No. 2 Bangor (13-4) will entertain No. 7 Erskine.

“It’s special whenever you accomplish something. Coming in first, winning a conference or (American Legion) zone championship, that’s special,” Lewiston coach Todd Cifelli said. “And you can’t discount it, because life can change real fast. You have to take advantage of what’s in front of you.”

Eleven Devils trudged to the plate and did precisely that in Saturday’s opening frame. Seven straight Lewiston hitters reached base with one out, and all eventually scored.

Scott Ouellette started the hit parade against Bangor’s Brian Rouleau with a double. Mekae Hyde drew a walk before younger brother Corbin Hyde cracked an RBI single.

“My team really picked me up. It was great to get out to an early lead. That’s always nice,” said Lewiston pitcher Joe Sullivan, who walked and scored in the inning. “Once in a while you have one of those innings where everything just kind of comes and we’re in here having fun. It’s fun to watch. Sometimes it happens. You can’t plan for it.”

Jeff Keene ripped a two-run double to left center, making it 3-0.

Ben Wigant then singled and Sullivan walked to load the bases for Chris Madden, who delivered a diamond rarity with a three-run single to the gap in right center.

“We ran the bases very well. Sullivan picked me up at third. It was a non-verbal thing, and we wheeled him in,” Cifelli said. “That can really set a tone. It’s not a stolen base. It doesn’t show up in the box score. But it’s a big, big tone-setter in getting the team rolling.”

Shawn Ricker sacrificed Madden to second before Luke Cote atoned for an earlier groundout with a run-scoring single.

That was ample support for Sullivan, who carried a three-hit shutout into the seventh. He struck out five and walked four.

Lewiston turned an inning-ending double play in the fourth.

“We gave Sully some breathing room, and it helped us a lot to get those jitters out of the way,” Mekae Hyde said. “He was mixing it up real well, and if you can mix it up like that you have an advantage over just about anybody.”

Mekae Hyde’s leadoff single and a line drive off third base by Keene set up Sullivan’s sacrifice fly for an 8-0 lead in the second.

Bangor loaded the bases against Sullivan with two walks and a single in the seventh. Cote entered and contained the damage to an RBI single by Nic Cota and a Seth Freudenberger sacrifice fly.

And with that, it’s on to the state tournament, where Lewiston hasn’t come out on top since 1950.

“Even if we don’t win states, we’ve got something that we won,” Mekae Hyde said.

[email protected]