AUGUSTA — Among all the ways Bessey Motors has punched its ticket to the state tournament in the past, Thursday offered something new. 

The top-seed advanced to its 11th state tournament in the past 15 years in walk-off fashion, defeating Augusta, 4-3, on a wild pitch during an attempted intentional walk. 

It all happened following a first-pitch ball to Riley Chickering with runners at the corners and one out in the bottom of the ninth. After Nick Attaliades-Ryan stole second on the first pitch of the at-bat, Augusta chose to intentionally walk Chickering to load the bases. But Riley Boivin’s next pitch sailed over the head of catcher Tayler Carrier and Brady Lafrance beat Carrier’s tag at the plate to win the game. 

“Honestly, I thought the kid caught it,” Lafrance said. “I took one step back and as soon as I saw the ball in the air I knew I had it. No question in my mind. I was surprised he didn’t flip the ball. We were always taught to flip the ball, give it to your pitcher. That’s the best option.” 

Carrier got a piece of Boivin’s overthrow, prompting the ball to go just a few feet behind the catcher. Carrier elected not to flip the ball to Boivin at the plate and instead tried to make the tag himself. Lafrance slid under the catcher’s mitt, forcing Augusta into an elimination game against Tri-Town on Friday at noon. 

“They chose the right thing to do in the situation,” Bessey Motors coach Shane Slicer said. “I immediately said ‘Go’ to Brady. He’s got great speed and then the ball only got five feet behind Carrier and I was a little nervous. At that point there was no taking it back. It was a good slide.” 

Lafrance got the late-game heroics started with a single through the right side with one out and moved to third on a single by Attaliades-Ryan to center field. Seven of Bessey Motors’ nine hits came in the final three innings. 

Augusta’s heartbreak was familiar. Thursday’s walk-off loss wasn’t the first time the Elks (14-7) had lost on a wild pitch while attempting an intentional walk. 

“It happened to us a couple weeks ago as a matter of fact,” Augusta coach Tim Rodrigue said. “We lost to Gardiner the same exact way in the bottom of the seventh inning on the same exact play. That’s twice and two different people involved. It happens.” 

The Elks had Bessey Motors in an early hole after plating two runs in the second. Taylor Lockhart delivered a two-run double off Bailey West, scoring Mitchell Caron and Carrier for a 2-0 lead. 

Bessey Motors (18-3) struggled to solve Augusta starting pitcher Thomas Foster, who blanked the top seed through the first five innings. Bessey Motors loaded the bases in the second, but Foster got Emery Chickering to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. 

Bessey Motors broke through in the sixth when Nick Bowie connected on an RBI single down the third-base line, allowing Attaliades-Ryan to score from second for its first run of the game. Bessey Motors left the tying run on third. 

Bowie finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. 

“We pounded the ball into the ground,” Slicer said. “We hit the ball fairly well a few times. Mitchell (Caron) made a couple nice plays at third. A couple line drive swings. It wasn’t terrible. Some of them were terrible, but for the most part I was pretty pleased, but we left too many guys on. 

A two-run seventh gave Bessey Motors the lead for the first time. Jacob Spinhirn doubled over the center fielder’s head, allowing Aiden Heikkinen to score. Spinhirn touched home on Attaliades-Ryan’s two-out RBI single through the left side to put Bessey Motors in front 3-2. 

The Elks came back in the eighth, plating an unearned run. Cam Brochu reached on Bessey Motors’ only error of the game and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Carrier. 

West became the second Bessey Motors’ pitcher in as many games to pitch a complete game. He allowed three runs — two earned — scattering seven hits while striking out six and walking four. 

“Early in the game I was just kind of struggling, but later in the game I started to zone in,” West said. “Curveball started working. Curveball was really key. Living on the fastball wasn’t going to get me through the game.” 

Bessey Motors will play the winner of Augusta/Tri-Town on Friday for a chance to win the Zone 2 tournament. 

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