GARDINER – Senior lefthander Jim Nicknair pitched a complete-game four-hitter and Greg Higgins had four RBIs as No. 6 Brewer defeated No. 2 Gardiner 9-2 in an Eastern Maine Class A baseball semifinal Saturday.

The win was the 11th in the last 13 games for 13-6 Brewer, which will face top-ranked and undefeated Bangor in Wednesday’s regional final.

Bangor defeated Brewer twice during the regular season, 8-7 on the opening day of the season at Bangor and 7-0 at Heddericg Field in Brewer in mid-May.

The loss ended a 16-game win streak for Gardiner, which finishes its final season in Class A with a 16-2 record. The Tigers will move to Class B next season.

Nicknair (2-2) struck out five batters and walked four in earning his second postseason victory. Nicknair has allowed just two runs in 13 postseason innings.

Higgins hit a two-run double in the top of the first to plate Eric White and Prentiss Swett and give coach David Morris’ club a 2-0 lead.

White singled home Reid McLaughlin in the second to extend the margin to 3-0.

Gardiner cut its deficit to 3-1 in the third but Brewer scored three runs in the top of the fourth, with Rick Adams and White each walking and eventually scoring on passed balls, and Brad Brown walking and coming home on a fielder’s choice by Higgins.

Higgins had an RBI double and scored on a single by Nicknair to make it 8-1 in the sixth. Adams scored the final Brewer run in the seventh, getting hit by a pitch and coming around to score on a passed ball and an error.

Higgins finished with two doubles, while White, Swett and Nicknair singled twice apiece and Shun Sasaki added a double.

Brewer also played errorless defense, including a pair of big defensive plays by the freshman White in left field. He started a double play with a catch in the first inning, then roamed into foul territory to make a diving catch later in the game.

Brewer (13-6) 210 302 1 – 9 10 0

Gardiner (16-2) 001 000 1 – 2 4 1

Nicknair and Bush, Stilphen, Chadbourne (4) and Phelps, Cray (7)