Am I able to pitch a tent on the beach just for the evening? (Not overnight)

There should be no problem, just read the rules of the beach.

Not over night

I have seen a tents, just no full camp setup.

I was there Memorial Day holiday weekend, i saw several tents on the beach. I left after sunset.

I have seen sun shades but not tents. Dont think they would mind as long as it doesn't look like a camp set-up. Hope this helped.