Bessey Motor’s Janek Luksza rounds third base during the game against Pastime at Gouin Athletic Complex on Thursday afternoon in Paris.

PARIS — Bessey Motors and Pastime Club played like they had a playoff spot to earn and a state tournament berth was on the line.

Of course, neither had to worry about the state tournament — both teams had secured tourney tickets by virtue of meeting in the Zone 2 final. But that didn’t stop the two-top teams from playing 16 hard-fought innings, with Bessey eking out a 6-5 victory.

“We came in with the goal of wanting to win,” Bessey manager Shane Slicer said. “Being able to say you were the zone champs is something really special and our guys really wanted that.”

After a war of attrition with the teams knotted at five over the final seven-plus innings, Lucas Francis plunked Emery Chickering to lead off the bottom of the 16th. Blake Slicer pinch ran for Chickering, stole second and advanced to third when the throw down went into center field.

Blake Slicer’s brother, Cam, was at the plate.

“I knew we had a fast guy on third,” Cam Slicer said. “So I just tried to hit the ball deep and not groundout.”

Slicer sent the ball skyward, and deep enough to score his brother and end the marathon.

“Win or lose, it was great for both teams to play that hard for that long,” Shane Slicer said. “That’s our strength. They can play a nine inning game and keep the intensity up the whole time.”

The scoring started in the bottom of the third when Blake Slicer walked, and after a single by Cameron Slicer, a Hunter LaBossiere single drove home both brothers. A fielder’s choice later scored LaBossiere, and Bessey had an early three-run lead.

In the top-half of the fifth, Gordon Beckwith opened the inning with a single to right. A single by Brock Belanger moved Beckwith into scoring position, and a sac fly by Gage Cote scored Beckwith, followed by an RBI single by Evan Cox, making it 3-2.

Bessey answered with two more runs of their own in the bottom half, as LaBossiere led off with a single and was followed by a Janek Luksza single. A single by Brayden Bean scored both baserunners, pushing the lead to 5-2.

Pastime got going in the eighth. Lucas Francis started the offense with a single to center, followed by a Richardson single. Next up was Jack Leblond, whose single scored both runners, cutting the Bessey lead to one.

Bessey made the pitching change and went with Luksza, the pitcher who almost threw a no-hitter against Pastime the last time the two teams met.

Belanger promptly singled to center, and though nearly caught by a diving outfielder, instead drove in Leblond.

As the game went into extras and the innings continued to mount, Cameron Slicer said it was all about patience at the plate.

“We were trying to take walks as a team,” Slicer said. “We were trying to find a way to get on.”

In the tenth, a base-running blunder rounding second cost Pastime a runner and the inning, and for the next three frames, the teams combined for three-total base runners. Luksza and Pastime’s relief pitcher Lucas Francis had their stuff working.

Pastime was able to get two guys on in the fourteenth, but a throw-out at second on a steal attempt ended their run. In the bottom half of the inning, Bessey loaded the bases for Luksza with just one out. The crowd was loud, as they were the entire night at Gouin Athletic Complex, until Luksza grounded to third to start a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning.

“It worked out, it’s all about execution in that part,” Pastime coach Jake Brown said. “Playoff sports is all about being clutch, and both teams had their chances.”

Bessey got a man to third base in the fifteenth but couldn’t get him home, getting Pastime out of another jam.

Until the sixteenth.

The state tournament begins next Wednesday, July 26, at the Winkin Complex at Husson University in Bangor.

Evan Cox, left, and Hunter Landry collide while going after a fly ball in Paris at Gouin Field on Thursday evening.Bessey Motor’s pitcher Blake Slicer fires the ball to first baseman Ashton Kennison as Pastime’s Eddie Turgeon slides safely back to first base during the match up at Gouin Athletic Complex in Paris on Thursday.Bessey Motor’s Wyatt Williamson lobs the ball to first base over Pastime’s Evan Cox’s head during the baseball game at Gouin Athletic Complex in Paris on Thursday.Bessey Motor’s first baseman Ashton Kennison catches the ball to render Pastime’s Hunter Richardson out during the baseball game at Gouin Athletic Complex in Paris on Thursday afternoon.

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