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Coleman Welsh’s walk-off hit powers Beverly/Lowell over Marietta

Coleman Welsh (2) of Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single in a game against Marietta Post 64 at Fort Frye High School. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

BEVERLY – Despite the overcast weather, the stars were bright at Fort Frye High School when Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 and Marietta Post 64 clashed, particularly on the mound. In a stellar matchup between Beverly/Lowell’s Clay Greuey and Trent Taylor of Post 64, a bases loaded single by Coleman Welsh in the bottom of the seventh was the difference maker, giving the Bombers a 4-3 win over a district competitor.

With men on second and third in the top of the first, Greuey was able to work his way out of the jam by striking out the final batter. His teammates quickly got the work in the bottom of the inning to give him the lead.

Beverly/Lowell’s Dominic Fry got aboard with a leadoff single, was bunted to third by Easton Walker and made it home due to an error at first. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth, when Marietta took the lead.

Post 64’s three-run inning started with a leadoff walk via Brandon Cline, who was replaced on the basepath by pinch runner Chris Copen. Carson Gandee then executed a sacrifice bunt to get Chris Copen into scoring position. A Jacob Sealey single brought home Copen, tying things up at 1-1.

Sealey then stole second, made it to third on a passed ball and scored on an error. Cooper Laumann made it safely to first on the error, advanced to second on a passed ball, and made it home on the second error of the inning. After four and a half innings, Marietta held a 3-1 lead.

Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750's Clay Greuey readies a pitch in a game against Marietta Post 64 at Fort Frye High School. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

Post 389/750 knotted things up at three a side in the bottom of the sixth. Singles by Jack McCurdy and Fry brought home the pair of Kainan Bradford and Carson Mummy.

In the bottom of the seventh, Nate Silvus started things off with a single and advanced to second on an error. After recording an out, Marietta intentionally walked the next two batters, loading the bases and setting up a double play.

That double play would never come to fruition, as Welsh hit a line drive single to send home Silvus and end the game with a 4-3 Beverly Lowell victory.

“It’s a good feeling. A good way to win. Hopefully we can use that momentum going into the rest of the week,” said Welsh after the game.

“It was a slow start, we had to get back to our groove,” he continued. “We haven’t been playing our best baseball recently, but we found a way to grind out at-bats and do the things we need to do to win a close baseball game like that.”

Trent Taylor of Marietta Post 64 pitches in a game against Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 at Fort Frye High School. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

With the bases loaded and a 3-1 count, Welsh discussed the possibility of a walk-off walk, “After the first two pitches, I got two balls. He came back with a strike. I probably should’ve hit that one. My coach may or may not have given me a take sign on that 3-1 to look for the walk.”

“It’s great. District opponent, good team, it’s good to have that momentum against a district opponent going into the tournament,” he concluded.

Both starting pitchers put on quite the show. Greuey pitched six innings, giving up two walks while striking out seven. Taylor was on the mount for 6 1=3 innings and had three walks and seven strikeouts. Fry pitched the seventh for Post 389/750, picking up the win while striking out a batter.

Marietta Post 64 head coach Chad Porter gave his thoughts after the loss, “We competed and I’m proud of them. I think you’ve got 15 really disappointed guys right now, because they played really hard, they competed, we put ourselves in a position to win, and that’s all I can really ask. Two good pitchers going against each other. Really good baseball game. If we can play that way every game the rest of the season, we’re gonna win more games than we don’t. You tip your cap to them (Beverly/Lowell), for their kids fighting back.”

Contact Aaron Lee at alee@newsandsentinel.com

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