STANDISH – The Brewer Falcons scored runs in five different innings of their American Legion state baseball tournament game against Bessey Motors of South Paris on Sunday.

But the Zone 1 champions were unable to score more than one run in any inning, and single runs weren’t quite enough as Bessey Motors earned a 6-5 victory that eliminated Brewer from the double-elimination tournament.

Bessey Motors righthander Ben Goodall scattered 10 hits in a complete-game pitching performance. He had no pure 1-2-3 innings but prevented Brewer from doing most of its damage until after two were out.

“Basically I tried to keep them off balance,” said Goodall. “I’ve pitched on this mound once, but it’s a little high for me and I didn’t want to leave anything up, so I just tried to mix it up.”

Zone 3 runnerup Bessey Motors (17-8) took its first lead at 4-2 on a three-run double by No. 9 hitter Nigel Cromwell with two out in the bottom of the fourth. Three hits earlier in the inning loaded the bases against Brewer lefthander Jim Nicknair before Cromwell lined a shot to the gap in left-center field that cleared the bases.

“Lately I’ve been hitting like that a lot, so I just stayed focused, knew we had two outs and knew I had to put the ball in play somewhere,” said Cromwell. “He gave me a nice pitch after I purposely took two and I just put it in the outfield and rounded the bases and it was good from there.”

Brewer scored unearned runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game, the sixth-ining run coming home on a two-out single by Greg Higgins.

But Bessey Motors pushed its final runs across in the bottom of the inning, as Cromwell had an RBI fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rick Adams.

Brewer cut the gap to 6-5 in the seventh on consecutive singles by Prentiss Swett, Mike Kotredes and Greg Higgins.

The Falcons threatened to tie the game in the ninth, after Chris Maguire hit a leadoff double and went to third on a sacrifice by Cam Wadleigh.

With the Bessey Motors infielders playing in to cut down the tying run, Swett rocketed a liner that shortstop Ryan Yates trapped before getting the second out, and Goodall then got Kotredes to fly out to end the game.

“You’re in so far, all you have to do make sure you get the ball knocked down so it doesn’t get through,” said Yates. “It’s all reaction.”

Goodall added a double and a single in support of Cromwell’s offense, while Dillon Trundy and Ben Ryerson each singled twice.

Swett had two singles and scored three runs for Brewer, while Reid McLaughlin singled twice and scored twice.

“There were a lot of 3-1 pitches that we hit into the ground, but give credit to their pitcher, he did a good job,” said Brewer coach David Morris. “At the end, if that ball of Prentiss’ gets through we’re probably still playing, but that’s baseball. We’ve had a heck of a season, you get here and hope you can jump on some people and get a good lead, but that’s why this is the best baseball in Maine right now.”

Brewer (16-11) 010 111 100 – 5 10 1

Bessey Motors (17-8) 010 302 00x – 6 10 3

Nicknair and Wadleigh; Goodall and Verrier