PARKERSBURG -Parkersburg Post 15's American Legion baseball team clinched the Area 3 regular season championship on Sunday, sweeping visiting Beckley Post 32 by scores of 11-1 and 7-2.
The doubleheader sweep at Hank Greenburg Field gave Parkersburg a stellar regular season record of 33-8.
Parkersburg will serve as the top seed for the Area 3 Tournament and will meet St. Marys at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, either at Hank Greenburg or Bennett Stump Field. The other two teams in the tournament -No. 2 seed South Charleston and No. 3 seed Beckley, will meet on Tuesday night in South Charleston.
Post 15 left little doubt on Sunday. In the opening game, it ride the pitching of Cody Starcher, who allowed only a single run in the top of the first. Meanwhile, Parkersburg tied the game in the bottom of the first frame, then scored 10 runs over the next two innings and won the contest after just 4 innings of play.
Starcher scattered six hits, striking out two and walking a like number. He was supported by Eli Gray, who had three RBI and Jacob Wilcox and Brett Burns, both of who drove in a pair of Post 15 runs. Jordan Braniff and Damon Ribeiro also had a pair of hits for the winners.
Post 15 put the nightcap away early, scoring three times in both the first and second innings. That's all the support Adam McCray would need as he limited Beckley to two runs over five innings before giving way to Kyle Haverty, who recorded the final six outs without allowing a baserunner.
Fact Box
Parkersburg 11, Beckley 1 (5 innings)
Post 32 100 00-1 6 1
Post 15 146 0x-11 12 3
WP: Cody Starcher 5 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO
LP: Hylton 2.2 IP, 2 BB, 3 SO
McGhee 1.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO
Post 32 hitters: Southcott 2-3, double; Allen 1-2; McGhee 1-2
Post 15 hitters: Jacob Wilcox 2-3, 2 RBI; Brett Burns 1-2, 2 RBI; Eli Gray 2-3, 3 RBI, double; Jordan Braniff 2-3; Damon Ribeiro 2-3; Clay Walters 1-1
Parkersburg 7, Beckley 2
Post 32 010 100 0-2 6 2
Post 15 (33-8) 330 001 x-7 8 0
WP: Adam McCray 5 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO
Kyle Haverty (save) 2 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
LP: Quick 2 IP, 4 BB, 2 SO
Earp 4 IP, 1 BB, 4 SO
Post 32 hitters: Southcott 1-4; Quick 1-3; Webb 1-3; Utterbeck 2-3, RBI, double
Post 15 hitters: Josh Wine 2-2; Braxton Johnson 1-3; Wilcox 2-4; Jonathan Murphy 1-2, 2 RBI; Dustin Helmic 1-2
Next game: Area 3 tournament begins Wednesday, July 25. St. Marys or Beckley at Post 15 at 6 p.m.
Wilcox and Josh Wine had a pair of hits for Post 15, who also got bat support from Jonathan Murphy, Braxton Johnson and Dustin Helmic.
