PARIS — Bessey Motors and the rest of Zone 3 American Legion baseball found out Thursday night what happens when you see a rare window of opportunity against Gayton Post.

The defending state champions slam it on your fingers and kick away any residual shattered glass with a gleam in their eye.

Seriously challenged for the first time all summer, Gayton came up big at the plate in the top of the sixth inning and on the mound in the bottom of the seventh to protect a 7-4 victory at Gouin Athletic Complex.

“It was a very competitive game, and that’s what you expect whenever it’s Oxford Hills vs. Lewiston or when it switches to Legion and becomes Bessey vs. Gayton,” Gayton coach Todd Cifelli said. “I’m very happy with the way our players responded.”

Corbin Hyde’s quick feet invigorated Gayton’s rally, and his left arm silenced Bessey’s.

With two out, the game tied at 4 and Nate Berube standing at third base, Hyde hit a chopper between Cody Hadley on the hill and Ethan Davidson at first.

Davidson fielded the ball and flipped to Hadley, whose foot just missed the bag as Hyde arrived first to give Gayton (16-0) the lead.

“I knew I had one earlier that I beat out (on an infield error in the second inning), so I hoped I could beat that one out,” Hyde said. “That got us going. Then Scotty Ouellette stepped up and got a big hit.”

Ouellette’s sharp single down the left field line plated Hyde’s older brother, Mekae, for a 6-4 lead.

Jeff Keene made it three consecutive hits to send home Corbin Hyde with another insurance run.

Gayton needed them all.

Winning pitcher Joe Sullivan — who relieved Keene to start the fifth inning — retired Bessey in order in the sixth and required only five pitches to get the first two outs in the seventh.

Then he lost command of the strike zone, issuing walks to Matt Beauchesne and Dylan Cox and forcing Cifelli to bring in his closer.

“I’m disappointed and proud at the same time,” Bessey coach Shane Slicer said. “I’m not sure we were mentally ready, and I don’t think our younger kids understood how good that team is. But you know we had Todd nervous when he used his number one, two and three pitchers.”

Hyde extended the streak to 10 consecutive balls before Danny Place’s check swing gave him a manageable count.

Beauchesne and Cox each advanced on a wild pitch before Hyde worked the count full, then froze Place looking at a pitch on the low, outside corner to finish it.

“I haven’t been in that situation that much. We haven’t had many close games since the high school season,” Hyde said. “I kind of like it better. I like that pressure with guys already on base.”

Gayton never trailed, but Bessey (9-5) twice rallied to tie, once on each side of a 20-minute, fourth-inning rain delay.

Travis Linehan sandwiched his RBI triple in the Bessey second between single unearned runs in Gayton’s second and third frames. Corbin Hyde’s seeing-eye single scored Mekae Hyde to restore Gayton’s lead with two out in the third.

Trey Ouellette and Sullivan slapped consecutive singles to start the fourth before the rain and wind hastened the temporary halt.

Alex Parker delivered Ouellette with an RBI single after the resumption. Luke Cote scored another unearned run with the help of a throwing error to make it 4-1.

“You can’t get away with four errors in the space of three innings against a team like that,” Slicer said. “But we battled back.”

Cody Hadley’s second hit against Keene set up Brandon Campbell’s RBI double off the left field wall in the fourth.

Sullivan got the first out in the fifth before a Kyle Farrar single, two errant throws, Cox’s triple and Place’s line drive off Sullivan’s glove brought Bessey even.

“You always see a lot of bang-bang plays when we play them, like the one they hit off Sully to tie it,” Cifelli said. “They just keep battling and a lot of things start happening. It’s good preparation for next Thursday.”

That’s when the zone tournament begins. Gayton has clinched the regular-season title and receives an automatic berth into the state tournament.

Bessey hopes to hang on for the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, play its way into the zone final and earn the second transfer spot.

“They’re beatable,” Slicer said. “They’re solid. They just didn’t make any mistakes.”

Berube and Sullivan joined Corbin Hyde as repeat hitters for Gayton.

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