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LANCASTER -- Trailing by a run and down to their last out, Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750 rallied for a pair of runs to beat Lancaster Post 11 3-2 in a state tournament game Saturday at Beavers Field.
Beverly/Lowell now will face Yeager/Benson Post 199 at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the winner's bracket final - a rematch of last year's state final in which Post 389/750 prevailed. The winner of that matchup will advance to Monday's state final and need just one win to claim the state crown.
Nolan Deibel's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth put Lancaster up 2-1. Dominic Fry drew a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, but JR Curry's lineout had Beverly/Lowell one out away from entering the loser's bracket.
However, Wade Duskey lined a base hit and Jack McCurdy followed with a bunt single to load the bases for leadoff man Cam Sidwell. Sidwell's grounder up the middle was gloved by Post 11's Micah Hartman, but the shortstop had no play as pinch-runner Kyler Starr crossed the plate to tie the game. Easton Walker followed with a grounder to first base and out-ran everyone to the bag to bring in another run and put Beverly/Lowell in front 3-2.
Jenner Burge went the distance on the mound for Beverly/Lowell and worked around two walks in the bottom of the seventh, getting cleanup batter Cale Meyer to fly out to right field to end the game.
Burge didn't have the strikeout stuff that Curry had in Friday's win (12 Ks in six shutout innings) but the right-hander still threw a gem, scattering nine hits and three walks. He punched out three batters and allowed just two earned runs in the win.
Lancaster’s Luke Deister was just as sharp for most of the game. He allowed seven hits, two walks and fanned two batters in seven innings of work. Only two of his three runs allowed were earned.
Duskey, who led Post 389/750 with two hits and two runs, walked to lead off the third inning. He went to second on a wild pitch, third on an errant pickoff throw and eventually scored on another wild pitch to make it 1-0.
Lancaster answered in its half of the third, though, on Keenan Little's RBI single to left. Post 11 later had runners at second and third with one out in the inning, but Burge induced back-to-back groundouts to keep the score tied.
Hartman notched a game-high three hits, including a double for the game's only extra-base hit. Ben Thimmes singled twice for Lancaster, which dropped to 23-15 and had to face Utica Post 92 in an elimination game Saturday evening.
For Todd Engle's club, it was the 30th win of the season to nine losses. With a win against Yeager/Benson on Sunday, Beverly/Lowell would play at 10 a.m. Monday and would need to be defeated twice. With a loss to Yeager/Benson, Beverly/Lowell would play in an elimination game at 3 p.m. Sunday, with the winner having to beat Yeager/Benson twice on Monday.
At Beavers Field
Ohio State Tournament
Beverly/Lowell (Post 389/750) 3, Lancaster (Post 11) 2
B 001 000 2 -- 3 7 0
L 001 001 0 -- 2 9 1
WP: Jenner Burge 7 IP, 3 BB, 3 SO
LP: Luke Deister 7 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO
Beverly/Lowell (30-9) hitting: Cam Sidwell 1-4 RBI; Easton Walker 1-4 RBI; Kainan Bradford 1-4; Grady Hesson 1-3; Wyatt Siley 0-2; Dominic Fry 0-2; JR Curry 0-3; Wade Duskey 2-2, 2 Rs; Jack McCurdy 1-3; Kyler Starr R
Lancaster (23-15) hitting: AJ Holbrook 0-2; Keenan Little 1-3, RBI; Micah Hartman 3-3, 2B, R; Cale Meyer 0-4; Maddox McCoy 1-3; Nolan Deibel 1-3, RBI; Ben Thimmes 2-3; Brady Andrews 0-3; Jack Pompey 1-3, R
Next game: Beverly/Lowell vs. Yeager/Benson, 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Beavers Field