LEWISTON — After torching the rest of Zone III all season to the tune of 13 games won by virtue of the mercy rule and a total run differential near plus-200, Gayton Post 31 is finding the playoffs a bit tighter and much more suspenseful.

The important part for the regular season champs, though?

They’re still winning.

Mat Gordon initiated a sixth-inning rally with a leadoff double, scored the tying run on an Alex Parker single and then watched from the bench as Luke Cote, on base after legging out a bunt, scampered home ahead of the completion of an odd 6-3-5 double play as Gayton Post 31 edged Brunswick 7-6 in the Zone III semifinal round Friday at Lewiston High School.

“Brunswick had a valiant effort today. They did a good job putting the ball in play,” Gayton coach Todd Cifelli said. “We uncharacteristically kicked the ball around a bit, and I think I ran us into too many outs trying to aggressive at third, and that could have cost us.”

Gordon, Cifelli said, has been steady off the bench for Post 31.

“He came up here with a specific rehab assignment from his university,” Cifelli said, “and he’s been following that and he’s coming along great. He’s one of the great bunch of guys we have on the bench who, when they come in, they’re ready.”

Gordon lined his double into the gap in left-center. Cote threw down a bunt and instead of a straight sacrifice, beat the throw to first. Parker rapped a hit up the middle to plate Gordon. Mekae Hyde reached on a fielders’ choice after relief pitcher Kyle Franklin tried to spin a double play, but the effort turned into only one out, at second base, leaving runners at the corners and one out.

Corbin Hyde followed with a grounder to shortstop. Instead of trying to spin two and end the inning conventionally, Anthony Viola fired to first, while Cote broke for home from third. Mekae Hyde then got greedy and tried to reach third after the out at first, but he was gunned down — after Cote crossed the plate.

Corbin Hyde set down the 4-5-6 hitters in the Brunswick lineup in order in the top of the seventh to finish the game and send Gayton to Saturday’s 1 p.m. Zone III final against Bessey Motors, which beat Windham, 6-4.

Corbin Hyde, soon to be a senior at Lewiston High School, struggled early with his command, and gave the Brunswick squad hope.

“In this kind of heat against a lineup like that, you can’t extend innings, and we did that,” Cifelli said. “That makes the pitcher try to be perfect, and you should never strive to be a perfect pitcher.”

“He had a bit of trouble early, but he warmed up,” Brunswick coach Tony Viola said. “As he did, he got tougher against the lefties, which made it difficult because most of my best hitters are lefties.”

Brunswick plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning after the four batters reached without an out. A pair of grounders to second base produced three outs to help Corbin Hyde out of the jam.

Gayton piled on four runs of its own — all with two outs — in the bottom of the first as the Hydes, Scott Ouellette and Joe Sullivan crossed the plate.

Two more runs from Brunswick in the top half of the second evened things at four, and then Corbin Hyde began to settle in, on the mound and at the dish. In his second at-bat, he blasted a 2-2 pitch deep to right field to break the tie with a solo home run.

“That’s one of the longest-hit balls I’ve ever seen at this field,” Cifelli said.

A pair of scoreless innings set the stage for the sixth. Zack Lavoie and Alex Viola singled to get Brunswick onto the base paths, Chris Bruno executed a perfect sacrifice bunt and Kyle Franklin loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game.

A fielders’ choice off the bat of Anthony Viola sent Lavoie home, and a wild pitch plated Alex Viola for the go-ahead run, leaving Gayton to rally once again.

“We gave it everything we had today,” Tony Viola said. “We played the best we could, and they ended up one run better.”