AUGUSTA – Gayton Post held off Bangor 8-7 and Brewer rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to stay alive with a 12-11 victory against Augusta in the American Legion baseball state tournament Saturday.

Though Augusta suffered its first loss in the double-elimination tournament, it’s assured of a spot in the championship game at 3:30 p.m. today.

Gayton and Brewer, each with one loss, will meet at noon. The state champion will advance to the Northeast Regional that opens Wednesday at Old Orchard Beach.

Augusta plans to start its ace, Ryan Minoty, who has eight innings remaining by Legion rules, which allow a pitcher to throw 12 innings over three days.

“He’s a horse and we’ll walk him out there,” Augusta Coach Ray Vallee said. “We’ll let Brewer and Gayton beat each other up earlier in the day, and hopefully they play a 15-inning game. Then we’ll come out ready.”

Another horse is Augusta pitcher David Clough. After throwing 124 pitches Friday, Clough threw 52/3 innings of effective relief with 90 pitches for a two-day total of 214.

“David long-tossed today,” Vallee said. “He comes up and says, ‘Coach, my arm feels better than it’s ever felt.’ He wanted the ball.”

Augusta was flat over the first six innings and grounded into four double plays. Brewer scored four runs in the first inning on one hit and led 6-0 after six innings.

Evan Eldridge, who was rocked Wednesday for six runs in two-plus innings in a 16-4 loss to Augusta, pitched the first six innings for Brewer but tired in the seventh. Luke Duncklee had a two-run single in the inning, and Augusta tied it at 6.

Brewer came back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead 9-6. That was the score until the ninth, when Colin McKee walked and Jason Burns hit his fourth home run of the tournament to make it 9-8.

With two outs and two on, Minoty came up to pinch hit and struck out on a pitch in the dirt. The throw to first hit him on the helmet and rolled away as Nick Lucas scored the tying run.

After McKee pitched a scoreless ninth, Augusta went up 11-9 with two runs in the top of the 10th. Duncklee singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch, and Lucas (4 for 6) singled home Burns with two out.

Duncklee came on to pitch the 10th for Augusta, and Brewer greeted him with back-to-back singles to open the inning. A bad throw on a bunt got Billy Deredin home, and Cory Clarke, now playing center field, just missed a diving catch as Tyler French ended up with an RBI single to score Cody Farrell.

After a fly out, Eric White ( 3 for 4, two walks) drove a shot to the fence in left field for a single to score Blake Birmingham with the winning run.

In the first game, Bangor led 2-0 after one inning, then Gayton appeared on its way to an easy victory after scoring six runs in the second and another in the third to go on top 7-2.

But Greg Duff, who allowed the winning home run to Augusta’s Burns on Friday, pitched 61/3 innings of superb relief after entering in the third inning. Duff allowed one run on four hits while Bangor rallied.

Bangor scored a run in the fifth and three in the sixth and entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 8-7. After Nic Cota led off with a single, Gayton brought in Corbin Hyde to pitch.

Hyde hit Dylan Morris with a pitch, and after a strikeout he gave up a bloop single to Joe Stanevicz to load the bases with one out. Hyde then struck out the final two batters.

JUNIOR LEGION

OA-YARMOUTH 8, FAIR-FIELD 2: Nick Lainey pitched a complete game with three strikeouts to lead OA-Yarmouth (14-6) over Fairfield (13-6) in the opener of a best-of-three playoff series at Fairfield.

WINDHAM 4, FIRST TITLE 0: Cody Dube struck out 16 and walked one in a two-hit shutout to lead Windham (18-1) past visiting First Title of Maine (11-10) in the first game of a second-round, best-of-three series.

SEACOAST LAW & TITLE 8, FAYETTE-STAPLES 2: Keenen Lowe struck out nine and allowed two runs on three hits in six innings as Seacoast Law & Title (17-2) downed Fayette-Staples (9-10) at Westbrook in the opener of a second-round, best-of-three playoff series.

NECBL

NORTH SHORE 9, OLD ORCHARD BEACH 1: Eric Jagielo hit a two-run homer as the Navigators (21-19) defeated the Raging Tide (8-33) at Old Orchard Beach.

SANFORD 5, NEW BEDFORD 4: The Mainers (21-19) scored two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning to beat the Bay Sox (16-24) at Sanford.

Sanford led 3-1 heading into the ninth before New Bedford tied it. The Bay Sox took a 4-3 lead in the top of the 12th on a bases-loaded walk. In the home half, Marlon Calbi and Lincoln Sanborn scored on an infield error.