AUGUSTA — It’s a tradition dating back to the previous decade, when current Pastime Club players had big brothers, older cousins and other role models on the team.

Lewiston’s representative in American Legion baseball customarily makes the playoffs interesting by digging its way out of the consolation bracket after the opening round.

They’ll have to do it again after Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Augusta Elks at McGuire Field in the opening round of the Zone 2 final four.

Augusta (14-6) scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, and Payton Kennison — hard-throwing, resilient veteran of Spruce Mountain, Cony and Thomas College — allowed only one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win.

Kennison threw four innings of one-hit relief to close out Tuesday’s quarterfinal win over Gardiner.

“I started quite a bit at the beginning of the year. During playoffs, Coach (Tim Rodrigue) came up to me and told me that I was probably going to be doing a lot of relief because of the speed difference when I come in, the velocity,” Kennison said. “I’ve accepted the role, and every time I come in I’m looking to shut everyone down and help my team win.”

A fielder’s choice and two strikeouts got Kennison out of an eighth-inning jam before he slammed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth.

No. 4 Augusta advanced to a showdown at adjacent Morton Field against top-seeded Bessey Motors at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner will advance to next week’s state tournament in South Portland.

The road has more turns and bumps for No. 3 Pastime (14-6), which takes on Tri-Town in an elimination game at McGuire, also at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Now it’s do or die,” Pastime coach Andrew Cessario said. “Some of these guys, this is the last organized baseball they’re going to play. A lot of them have been in this spot before, and we need to rally. I’ve got confidence that they’re going to do that.”

Cam Brochu went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run to lead Augusta. Reid Shostak was 2-for-5, including a double, and two RBIs.

St. Dom’s graduate Ray Mosca, who had three putouts and a huge assist as a defensive replacement in center field, plated Mitchell Caron with the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Augusta also hustled out a run in the ninth when pinch hitter Tyler Bailey walked, took second by virtue of defensive indifference, stole third and scampered home on a throwing error.

“Every player that I brought in for a sub contributed, got a hit or made a play in the field,” Rodrigue said. “That last one we scored, that was just all-out effort on the part of Tyler Bailey. Kids come prepared. They’re great teammates.”

The late runs rescued Augusta after Kennison entered the game in a tough spot and saw the lead slip away in the seventh.

Mike Wong walked and Austin Wing singled, both with one out, to hasten the Augusta closer’s appearance. Carter Chabot greeted Kennison with a slow chopper to second, resulting in a fielder’s choice as Wong scored.

“I didn’t want to give up that run at third, but things happen,” Kennison said. “I rolled a groundball, and the kid’s fast coming down the line. We couldn’t get the double play.”

Kennison encountered further trouble in the eighth when he hit Matt Poulin with a pitch, then uncorked a wild pitch that led Poulin escape to second with none out.

Two consecutive balls hit to the Bermuda Triangle between left and center field and shortstop doused Pastime’s rally.

Poulin couldn’t advance when Caleb Dostie dropped in a hit, then got caught hesitating between second and third when Gage Cote flared another. Mosca’s throw to Caron pegged Poulin for an easy force out at third.

Kennison froze Brock Belanger with a 2-2 slider to wrap up the inning.

“In that situation, a shallow ball to left center field, if gets too much overconfident thinking that’s going to drop, he gets doubled off second base,” Cessario said. “There’s not much you can do. You’ve got to give their pitchers credit and their defense credit. They made very, very good plays defensively in the outfield. They didn’t boot the ball around.”

Augusta led 2-0 out of the gate on a double by Brochu and singles from Shostak and Caron, all with two out, in the first.

Wing settled in thereafter, scattering nine hits over eight innings. He struck out four and walked two. Cote struck out the side, Bailey’s commotion excluded, in the ninth.

“He did everything that we needed to do,” Cessario said of Wing. “He threw strikes. They hit the ball well, and you’ve got to tip your cap to that.”

Cote had an RBI single to make it 2-1 in the fourth. Ryan Rodrigue picked up the final out in relief of Justin Rodrigue in that frame.

Shostak shot the lead back to 3-1 with a double after Ryan Rodrigue reached on an error in the fifth. Singles by Poulin and R.J. Sargent set up an RBI groundout from Dostie in the Pastime sixth.

Wing went 2-for-4 and Sargent 2-for-3 to lead Pastime, which had eight hits and stranded 11. Six innings ended with a Pastime runner in scoring position.

Kennison was 2-4 in nine appearances, including five starts, as a Thomas freshman.

“This is my last year for Legion, and I want to get some wins with these guys,” he said. “When we all get together, we’re a great team and we can go.”

koakes@sunjournal.com