Parkersburg Post 15 first baseman Peyton West beats Ritchie County Post 83's Logan McVey to the bag during Wednesday's 10-3 victory at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg Post 15 first baseman Peyton West beats Ritchie County Post 83’s Logan McVey to the bag during Wednesday’s 10-3 victory at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg Post 15’s Bronson Linville worked four innings to earn the win during Wednesday’s 10-3 victory versus Ritchie County Post 83 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Ritchie County Post 83’s Cayden Barnard slides safely into third during Wednesday’s game versus Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg Post 15’s Cam Cumpston had a three-inning save and went 3 for 4 with four runs-batted-in during Wednesday’s 10-3 victory versus Ritchie County Post 83 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Ritchie County Post 83 shortstop Landon Allman throws to first during Wednesday’s game versus Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg Post 15's Bronson Linville worked four innings to earn the win during Wednesday's 10-3 victory versus Ritchie County Post 83 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg Post 15 catcher Easton Miller finished 2 for 4 with a double and two runs-batted-in during Wednesday’s 10-3 victory versus Ritchie County Post 83 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Ritchie County Post 83 catcher Evan Schultheis and starting pitcher Connor Elkins have a conversation during Wednesday’s game versus Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

By JAY W. BENNETT

Sports Writer

PARKERSBURG — Bronson Linville worked four quality innings and Cam Cumpston closed things out with a three-inning save while also doing it with the bat here Wednesday at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park as Parkersburg Post 15 handed Ritchie County Post 83 a 10-3 setback.

Parkersburg Post 15's Cam Cumpston had a three-inning save and went 3 for 4 with four runs-batted-in during Wednesday's 10-3 victory versus Ritchie County Post 83 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Linville, who had a two-run single in the key five-run third, allowed four hits, one earned run and one walk while punching out a trio.

Cumpston, who went 3 for 4 and drove in four, followed with hitless relief and allowed an unearned run, one base on balls and had seven strikeouts.

“Bronson Linville on the hill gave us a solid start today,” said Post 15 manager Mike Goodwin, whose club improved to 4-3 and returns to action at 8 p.m. Friday versus Marietta Post 64 at Pioneer Park.

“A good four innings and I think he only had one walk. We played good defense behind him and made plays. The third inning was a big inning for us and made things more comfortable. That helped a lot for his confidence.”

Goodwin was equally impressed with the effort of Cumpston as well as the fact Post 15 executed all three times on sacrifice bunts.

Parkersburg Post 15 catcher Easton Miller finished 2 for 4 with a double and two runs-batted-in during Wednesday's 10-3 victory versus Ritchie County Post 83 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“He’s a solid veteran that we have so you know that you can count on him to throw strikes and he did,” Goodwin said of the former Roane County Raider who plays at Waynesburg University. “Plus, he did the job at the plate. Four ribbies is huge.

“This is all but developmental. It’s all game situations regardless of the score. I want to get these kids to understand what it means to advance runners and put us into scoring position for another run because you never know.”

CJ McCartney led off the bottom of the first with a single. After stealing second, Eli Davis knocked him in with a single and Wyatt Boice followed with the first sac bunt. Cooper Cancade proceeded to reach on an infield single and Cumpston then produced his first RBI with a knock to left.

Ritchie County, which dropped to 0-5 and welcomes in Moundsville Post 3 for a 1 p.m. Saturday twinbill, tied it after plating a pair of runs in the second. Runners were on second and third thanks to a Cayden Barnard single and a Landon Allman double. Leadoff man Evan Schultheis knocked in Barnard with an RBI infield single, while Allman crossed on a passed ball.

Linville proceeded to settle in and retired the next seven Post 83 hitters before giving way to Cumpston.

Ritchie County Post 83 catcher Evan Schultheis and starting pitcher Connor Elkins have a conversation during Wednesday's game versus Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg, which hit into an inning-ending 5-2-3 double play, got the pivotal third going thanks to Davis drawing a free pass. Boice and Cancade joined Davis on the basepaths after a single and a walk, respectively. Cumpston put the hosts ahead for good with his two-run single, which was followed by a Peyton West sac bunt and Linville’s two-run single. No. 9 hitter Nic Akers kept things going with an infield single before McCartney’s RBI single to right made it 7-2.

Post 15 extended its lead to 8-2 in the fifth. Seth Menarchek singled, stole second and third and jogged home on Easton Miller’s double to the gap in right-center.

Ritchie County head man Jason Shiflet’s squad tacked on its final run in the top of the sixth. After Elkins reached on an error, Sammy Moore drew a base on balls, but Post 83 left him stranded at third as Elkins eventually scored following a wild pitch and two passed balls.

The hosts tacked on a pair of insurance tallies in the sixth. Wyatt Boice had a leadoff single and was sacrificed by Mason Boice, which led to Cumpston’s final run-scoring single. Miller capped the scoring with a two-out knock to center.

“We have a short bench and we’ve had a tough schedule to begin with,” Goodwin said of the early going. “Two against Wheeling, the two-time state champion, and then two against Cambridge last weekend. That was a big task.

Ritchie County Post 83's Cayden Barnard slides safely into third during Wednesday's game versus Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We’re a little short staffed as far as the subs we have, but we’re rolling with who we have and everybody is playing. Everybody is getting a lot of reps. Reps are all that matters so when they are called on they can step up and do the job.”

Post 15 also will be without the services of former Ravenswood all-stater Evan Swain.

“Evan had Tommy John surgery today so he’s recovering from that and our thoughts are with him,” Goodwin said.

“If anybody can bounce back, he’s going to bounce back and be better than ever. We’ve been praying a lot for Evan lately.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

At Bennett Stump Field/City Park

Parkersburg 10, Ritchie 3

Ritchie 020 001 0 – 3 4 1

Parkersburg 205 012 x – 10 14 1

WP: Bronson Linville 4IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 3SO

SAVE: Cam Cumpston 3IP, 0H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 7SO

LP: Connor Elkins 2.1IP, 8H, 7R, 7ER, 2BB, 2SO

Landon Allman 3.2IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 2SO

Post 83 (0-6) hitting: Evan Schultheis 1-4 SB, RBI; Logan McVey 1-3; Elkins R; Cayden Bernard 1-2 R; Allman 1-3 R, 2B

Post 15 (4-3) hitting: CJ McCartney 2-4 R, SB, RBI; Eli Davis 1-3, 2 R, RBI; Wyatt Boice 2-2, 2 R; Cooper Cancade 1-2 R, SB; Cumpston 3-4, 2 R, 4 RBIs; Linville 1-2, 2 RBIs; Seth Menarchek 1-1, 2 R, 2 SB; Easton Miller 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Nic Akers 1-4

Next games: Moundsville Post 3 at Ritchie County Post 83, 1 p.m. (DH) Saturday; Parkersburg Post 15 at Marietta Post 64, 8 p.m. Friday at Pioneer Park.

Ritchie County Post 83 shortstop Landon Allman throws to first during Wednesday's game versus Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)