Kainan Bradford of Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 celebrates with teammates after scoring a run in Tuesday’s game with Marietta Post 64 at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

MARIETTA – Through the course of a regular season, and perhaps for the program in general, Marietta Post 64 might point to its most recent meeting with Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 as the one which served the most notice.

Tuesday night at Pioneer Park, Braun Doak’s walk-off single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive home Cooper Laumann from second base resulted in a 4-3 win and marked the first time Post 64 defeated Post 389/750 since the rebirth of Post 64 as an American Legion squad in 2017.

“This means a lot because of Bev/Low and what they have done over the course of history – they are a great program,” Post 64 head coach Chad Porter said. “They are well-respected and well-coached. They have won championships and I feel like we have been really close at districts. This win is like taking the next step type of deals with our program.

“This win also means a lot because of all the program has gone through to get to this point and be competitive. This is to all the support we get at the American Legion. They support us very well and they are doing some really good things for these kids.”

Post 64 starting pitcher Chris Copen came close to throwing a no-hitter over the final six innings after allowing three runs in the first inning. During one span, the right-hander retired 16 in a row. He escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the top half of the seventh inning with plenty of bullets left in his pitch count.

Marietta Post 64 starting pitcher Chris Copen delivers during Tuesday’s game against Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I knew Beverly/Lowell was a good team and the first inning I was kind of hyped up – I didn’t have my best stuff,” Copen said. “I came into the dugout and took a deep breath, and calmed myself. A switch just flipped in my head and knew I just had to execute.

“I gave up those three runs and I knew I had to be better. After that inning, I just kind of kept flowing the whole game.”

Post 64 improved to 21-5, while Post 389/750 slipped to 14-8.

Bev/Low had all the momentum in its favor at the outset. With one out in the first inning, Jack McCurdy singled, stole second then scored on JR Curry’s base hit.

Clean-up hitter Kainan Bradford kept the line moving with an RBI double which nearly cleared the wall in right field. Bradford later scored on Owen McCoy’s sacrifice fly, which marked the beginning of the end for the Bev/Low bats until they re-emerged in the seventh inning.

Marietta Post 64’s Will Tornes reaches first base on a walk during Tuesday’s game against Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Copen throws four pitches and when he has command of them he can really keep you guessing as a hitter,” Bev/Low head coach Todd Engle said. “I tip my hat to him. He’s a dude, and we’re used to seeing everyone’s dude. Unfortunately, their dude beat our dude today.”

Post 64 answered in the home half of the first when Gavin Fling, who reached safely on a single, later scored on a wild pitch.

While Copen limited Bev/Lowe’s offense to a murmur, Post 64 tied the game in the fourth inning. Logan Fling tripled with one out and Brandon Cline followed by drawing a base on balls. Bev/Low starting pitcher Grady Hesson recorded one of his four strikeouts, but on the same pitch Cline stole second and the catcher’s throw sailed into center field. Logan Fling scored easily and Cline ended up on third base.

Post 64 leadoff hitter Will Tornes doubled over the right fielder’s head to tie the game at 3-3.

With the game still deadlocked in the seventh inning, Copen induced two ground outs before Jenner Burge and Cameron Sidwell singled. The momentum shift took another turn when Bev/Low leadoff hitter Carter Wheeldin was hit by a pitch.

JR Curry of Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 gets his bat on the ball during Tuesday’s game with Marietta Post 64 at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Copen, though, managed to get Jack McCurdy to fly out to straight-away center field for the third out and leave three runners stranded.

“After the seventh inning I was in the upper 80s, low 90s for my pitch count – after the first inning I executed, did what I needed to do and got efficient outs,” Copen said. “I was just kind of feeling it.

“This win is huge. We knew coming in it would be hard-fought. Beverly/Lowell is a great team. We came out and just kept fighting.”

Post 64 received a gift to open the home half of the seventh when Laumann was hit by a pitch. Out of the clean-up spot, Landon Utt laid down a bunt back to pitcher Jenner Burge, who got the sure out at first.

Doak stepped to the plate looking to find a gap and score Laumann from second base. And he did to a degree. He hit an opposite field flare near the right field line. Coach Porter did not hesitate giving Laumann the green light. The throw from the outfield was wide of home plate and Doak scored without incident.

Jack McCurdy of Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750, left, establishes a lead as Marietta Post 64 first baseman Cooper Laumann shields his eyes from the sun during Tuesday’s game at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I was on cloud running down to first,” Doak said. “My guys put me in position to win it. God was on my side when I hit that ball. Always nice to beat Beverly/Lowell especially since we haven’t done it since the program came back.

“Coach Porter has put together a group of guys and instilled that we can win, and it is starting to show up. This win adds to the number. It adds to the morale and gets us going to play anyone.”

Marietta Post 64 batter Landon Utt takes a ball during Tuesday’s game against Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)