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Corbin Alkire’s bat and arm helps Post 64 pick up a W

RON JOHNSTON, The Marietta Times Marietta Post 64’s Zach Cunningham is congratulated by third-base coach Deron Alkire after slugging a solo home run to left in the third inning Sunday at Legion Field. Post 64 shut out Tuscarawas Post 205, 7-0.

Corbin Alkire was both tough to hit and to get out.

The southpaw from Marietta High pitched six scoreless innings and had two hits to help his own cause as Marietta Post 64 blanked Tuscarawas Post 205, 7-0, in American Legion baseball action Sunday at Legion Field.

“Being a hot day like this, I like throwing in the heat more than I do in the cold,” said Alkire. “I felt good warming up.”

On the bump, Alkire fanned five, walked two, and allowed three hits, two of them infield grounders. He was relieved by right-hander Zach Cunningham, who sealed the victory in the seventh inning.

“This was a nice bounceback,” said Post 64 skipper Larry Hiser, whose Marietta Legion ballclub was swept by host Wheeling Post 1, 5-4 and 10-2, Saturday at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. “Corbin put us on his shoulders and brought us home. That was a nice outing for him. He did it all for us.”

Offensively, Alkire singled home his team’s first run in the opening inning, and tripled home two more in a five-run fifth.

“I feel like I’m seeing the ball well and putting the ball in play,” Alkire said.

For Marietta Post 4 (11-4), Justin Thompson and Dakota Miller each added two hits, while Cunningam homered and Brock Hayes had an RBI single.

Righty Nate Novak suffered the mound setback for Post 205 (4-10). Keaton Hall stroked a double for the Panthers’ only extra basehit.

Cunningham’s two-out, solo blast to left in the third inning gave Marietta a 2-0 advantage. The homer was the Capital University sophomore outfielder’s first of the American Legion baseball campaign.

“He cooled off just a little bit, but he got back on it today,” Hiser said. “He’s been a doubles machine for us. There’s always a chance when he’s in the batter’s box.”

Post 64 batted around and plated five runs in the fifth inning to make it 7-0. Alkire had the big hit with a two-run triple. Hayes added an RBI single.

“We have a good bunch of guys who like baseball — and that’s important,” Hiser said.

Marietta Post 64 is scheduled to host Parkersburg Post 15 in a single 7-inning game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“It’s a good local rivalry,” Hiser said.

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