MANTEO — Even the professionals would have thought twice about suiting up for a second game following an extra-inning, mid-day, mercury-rising Game 1. But with playoff survival on the line, Beaufort County Post 15 had no choice.

On Thursday in the first round of the loser’s bracket, following a 7-4 loss to Dare County in Game 1, the Pirates were held hitless until a Chase Sauls double broke up the no-hit bid with two outs in the fifth inning. From there, Beaufort County, with its last breath, would slowly begin to chip away, but it wasn’t enough, as Post 67 eliminated Post 15 from postseason contention with a 9-5 win.

Due to Tripp Barfield and Austin Roscoe, Post 15’s ace and No. 2 starter, respectively, pitching in Game 1, it was up to the Pirates’ bullpen to carry much of the load in the second game of the double-header. Cody Godley got the call and certainly looked like an ace, allowing just one run on two hits and one walk through the first three innings. He struck out two.

Customarily reliable reliever Chase Sauls entered the game in the fourth inning and walked the first three batters on 12 pitches. Cutler came on to clean up the mess and retired the first batter on a pop fly to third base. After striking out Josh Lallo for out No. 2, nine-hitter Ben Marshall smacked a two-RBI single, opening Post 67’s lead to 4-0.

Cutler retired the side in the fifth, but it was the Post 15 infield that failed to support the southpaw in the sixth. Three more runs came around to score on an error at third, an error at short and a double from Noah Sprinkle. After five and a half innings, Post 67 held a commanding 7-0 lead.

With their backs against the wall, the Pirates finally got on the board with two runs in the sixth, taking advantage of the opposing pitcher’s control issues. Four walks and an RBI double from Austin Roscoe cut the lead to 7-2 entering the final inning.

Post 67 kept up its hitting in the seventh with a triple and a walk, followed by a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Roscoe, Drew Ferguson, Brock Marsh and Cutler all recorded hits in the seventh, resulting in three runs, but it wasn’t enough to trim the deficit.

“The extra-inning game before this took a ton out of us,” said manager Kevin Cutler. “Very proud of the kids and how they never give up and are never out of any game it seems.”

Despite the premature playoff exit, Post 15 closes out its 2015 Junior American Legion Baseball season with a 14-7 record and Area 1 regular season championship.