ST. CLAIRSVILLE Post 159 players Collin Snedeker, left, and Mason Myers celebrate Thursday night’s 10-7 American Legion Region 8 Tournament victory over Beverly-Lowell on Don Coss Field in Cambridge.

CAMBRIDGE — Sometimes the best plans just don’t work out. Then again, sometimes they work out for the better. Jusk ask St. Clairsville Post 159 manager Mike Muklewicz.

Prior to the start of the American Legion Region 8 Tournament, Muklewicz and his staff thought they had a good chance at winning the five-team American Legion Region 8 Tournament, and they still do. However, the former Bridgeport High School baseball coach didn’t plan on losing the opening game to Beverly-Lowell, 8-7, and immediately falling into the win-or-go-home loser’s bracket.

Post 159 won its third straight elimination game Thursday night and avenged that Sunday setback with a come-from-behind, 10-7, verdict over Post 389/750 on Don Coss Field inside the City Park. With the hard-earned win, St. Clairsville (18-8) advances to the championship finals where it has to defeat Cambridge twice in order to punch its state tournament ticket. That first chance comes tonight at 6. Another victory forces a second game on Saturday at 1 p.m.

“These kids are so resilient. They never quit or even back down despite being fairly young,” Muklewicz said of his squad which featured four high school sophomores-to-be in the starting lineup. “This wasn’t the path we anticipated on to reach the championship round. We only had nine guys here tonight, but they all contributed to this victory.”

Beverly-Lowell (23-7) was the three-time Region 8 titlists.

Things didn’t look very good for St. Clairsville as it trailed 6-1 after three innings. However, it chipped away with two tallies in the fourth and two more in the fifth to make it a 6-5 count.

Mason Myers, one of those aforementioned youthful players, capped the comeback with a bases-clearing triple to the fence in right that gave Post 159 a 9-6 advantage. Myers then raced home on a Drew Sefsick groundout.

He also shined on the mound where he picked up the win with four-plus innings of relief work. The right-hander took over for starter Dylan Gregorcic with one out in the third and the bases loaded. He allowed two of the inherited runners to score, but escaped further damage. He then held Post 389/750 at bay until they scored a meaningless run in the seventh.

“Mason Myers. Mason Myers. He is one of the most motivated and well-rounded 15-year-old-kids I’ve seen in a long time,” Muklewicz said. “He came through big time tonight for us, both at the plate and on the mound. Pitching isn’t something we’ve ask him to do a lot of, but he did a phenomenal job of keeping a good-hitting team at bay.”

Myers only recorded one strikeout, but it was a huge one. It came with two on and no outs in the seventh after Beverly-Lowell had scored one run.

With the teams deadlocked at six, Myers unloaded a drive over the rightfielder’s head that scored Jaren Starks, Braylen Blomquist and Chase Goff.

“I wasn’t looking for any certain pitch,” Myers said. “I got in that count (3-2) after fouling off a couple of pitches that weren’t really good foul balls. I was worried, but I got a pitch I liked and I jumped on it.”

As for the pitching.

“My goal was to just throw strikes and try to keep my pitches low in the zone to get a lot of groundballs,” Myers said. “I just wanted to let them hit the ball and allow my fielders to do their jobs.”

Myers, who was one of four Post 159 players with multiple hits, also singled in a run in the fifth, as did Sefsick. Goff had an RBI double in the first.

St. Clairsville continues to play without the services of Tyler Tonkovich, Will Balgo and Kobe Hill who are participating in OVAC All-Star Football Game activities this week in preparation for Saturday night’s game.