Parkersburg second baseman Jaxon Myers throws to first but not quite in time to keep Capital's Kaedan Johnson from reaching via a second-inning infield single during the Big Reds' 5-1 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — Noah Holland worked into the sixth and knocked in three runs here Saturday afternoon to help Parkersburg get off to a 2-0 start following a 5-1 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory against Capital at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park.

“Noah pitched well. He hit well,” said Big Red skipper Alan Burns, whose club swiped six bags and heads Tuesday to John Marshall.

Holland worked 5 2-3 frames and allowed two hits, a run and three free passes while punching out nine.

Chaz Elam got the final four outs and allowed a hit, no walks with one strikeout.

“It was a good two-strike hit he had there and helped himself,” Burns said of Holland’s two-run single to right in the second. “I think that’s the one that put us up 5-1. He did a nice job and Chaz did a good job coming in in relief. We jumped on them early, but then we kind of let off.

Parkersburg shortstop and leadoff hitter Chaz Elam strokes a double to center in the bottom of the first during the Big Reds' 5-1 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon versus Capital at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We got to keep the intensity and we didn’t do that today, but it’s a good thing you can complain about that and you’re 2-0. You know how coaches are. We complain all the time. We’ll fix that on Monday and hopefully Tuesday get a third one.”

Holland was staked to a 3-0 lead before he allowed a run-scoring single to right by Dylan Fink, which drove in Logan Chapman after he advanced to second via a Kaedan Johnson infield single.

After Holland struck out the side to open the game, Elam doubled to center and scored on Parker Woods’ RBI fielder’s choice. Following a walk to Gavin Fling, Holland made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center. Jaxon Myers then coaxed a free pass and it was 3-0 after Tyler Cameron doubled to left.

The Cougars, who dropped to 0-2, watched cleanup hitter Kai Haley go down swinging before pushing across their lone run in the top of the second.

Parkersburg tacked on its final two runs in the home half of the frame. Elam had a one-out single and after Fling coaxed a two-out free pass the Big Reds pulled off a double-steal as Holland then delivered his own insurance.

Parkersburg's Noah Holland worked into the sixth inning while allowing two hits and a run with three walks and nine strikeouts during the Big Reds' 5-1 victory Saturday afternoon versus Capital at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Losing pitcher Sam Smith, who got one out in the fourth, struck out Cameron to open the third, but then walked Landon Allman. However, the Cougars got out of it when Evan Schultheis hit into a 5-4-3 double play turned by Johnson, Keagan Moore and Josh Thompson.

The Big Reds, who got a diving web gem by Woods in left-center to rob Josh Wilkinson of extra bases to end the top of the third, had just one more hit the rest of the way thanks to a Fling single in the fifth. He swiped his third bag of the afternoon, but was left stranded.

“We have some kids who can run this year,” added coach Burns. “One of our goals to start out with was to be more aggressive this year on the basepaths, whether it be stealing bases or just taking the extra base and everything.

“You do that until you get shut down on it and then you pull it back a little. I think that’s going to be part of what our character is.”

Capital got a leadoff single to center in the seventh by Chapman and the visitors had runners on second and third after pinch-hitter Logan Thomas reached via an error, but Elam got Eli Davis to pop up to second baseman Luke Eagle to seal the win.

Parkersburg catcher Tyler Cameron frames a called third strike as Capital's Max Hudel looks on to end the second inning of the Big Reds' 5-1 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“That was good to start 2-0 in the conference,” stressed Burns. “We haven’t done that the past few years.

“That was a key thing. We want to make sure we do well in the conference.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Parkersburg center fielder Parker Woods makes contact and drives in the Big Reds' first run via a fielder's choice in the bottom of the first during Saturday afternoon's 5-1 victory versus Capital at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)