Parkersburg Post 15 first baseman Evan Swain fields the ball and heads toward the bag for an easy out versus Wheeling Post 1 during game one of Saturday afternoon's twinbill at St. Marys. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

ST. MARYS — Two-time defending American Legion state champion Wheeling Post 1 opened its season here Saturday afternoon with a 6-1 victory against Parkersburg Post 15.

Post 15, now 1-1 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader scheduled for today at City Park’s Bennett Stump Field versus Cambridge/Belle Valley Post 84/641, struck first off winning pitcher Aleks Zaneski by pushing a run across in the first.

However, Zaneski stayed the course and worked five innings of four-hit ball with no earned runs. He issued a quartet of free passes and struck out 10. Andrew Murdock moved from first base to the mound and finished off the five-hitter by tossing the final two frames with no walks and a punchout.

CJ McCartney got things going in the bottom of the first for Parkersburg, which was playing at St. Marys due to Relay For Life, with a single to right. Eli Davis, who pitched the final three innings in relief of losing pitcher Peyton West (4 IP, 4 BB, 4 SO), followed with the first of his two hits.

However, Zaneski then retired Evan Swain, Cam Cumpston and West via the strikeout as manager Mike Goodwin’s squad only scored once when McCartney crossed following a passed ball.

Parkersburg Post 15's CJ McCartney dives safely back to first versus Wheeling Post 1 during game one of Saturday afternoon's twinbill at St. Marys. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Chris Upton’s two-run single put Wheeling ahead to stay in the top of the second as Dom Fato and Brody Groome scored.

Murdock singled and stole second in the third before coming home on Nolan Yanchak’s RBI double to make it 3-1.

The score remained the same until the sixth when Post 1 got to Davis, who came in after West was dealing with an arm issue, for a pair of unearned runs. Groome walked and scored after Cooper Kelly reached on an error and Post 15 fell behind 5-1 after Upton got his third RBI via a sacrifice fly.

A leadoff walk in the seventh to Murdock led to the final run as Yanchak delivered a two-out knock to center.

It appeared as though Parkersburg had something going in the third when Davis walked with one away and Swain had an opposite-field single to left. However, Cumpston hit into a 3-5 double play in foul ground as Davis was tagged out at third after Murdock made a perfect throw across the diamond.

Parkersburg Post 15's Eli Davis, pictured here talking with manager Mike Goodwin during game one of Saturday afternoon's twinbill versus Wheeling Post 1 at St. Marys, had a two-hit performance. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

West walked in the fourth and stole second, but was left stranded.

McCartney and Davis were on again in the fifth, but they were left on the corners as Wheeling held Post 15 to a 1 for 10 showing with runners in scoring position.

Swain had to leave the game in the seventh after injuring his wrist while trying to make a grab on a popup about halfway down the baseline when Dom Fato collided with him.

Wyatt Boice had a two-out single in the sixth and the only other hit for Post 15 came with No. 9 hitter Cooper Anderson’s leadoff single in the seventh.

Cumpston went the distance in a tough 4-3 game two setback. He allowed eight hits, no walks and four earned runs with four strikeouts.

Parkersburg Post 15 right fielder Cam Cumpston makes a grab versus Wheeling Post 1 during game one of Saturday afternoon's twinbill at St. Marys. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Although Jake Brown worked a scoreless seventh, Tucker Doty (6 IP, 4 BB, 5 SO) earned the mound victory after giving up six hits and two earned runs.

Davis and Boice had two hits apiece in the setback. Anderson added a double while West and Nic Akers had the only RBIs.

Upton led the way for Wheeling, which got a solo homer from Groome, with a 3 for 3 showing and a pair of runs scored.

Braxton Billick also knocked in two runs for Wheeling, which is scheduled for an 11 a.m. twinbill today at Ritchie County Post 83.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

At St. Marys High School

GAME 1: Wheeling 6, Parkersburg 1

Wheeling 021 002 1 – 6 5 1

Parkersburg 100 000 0 – 1 6 2

WP: Aleks Zaneski 5IP, 4H, 1R, 0ER, 4BB, 10SO

Andrew Murdock 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1SO

LP: Peyton West 4IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 4BB, 4SO

Eli Davis 3IP, 1H, 3R, 1ER, 2BB, 1SO

Post 1 (1-0) hitting: Chris Upton 1-3, 3 RBIs; Murdock 1-2, 2 R, SB; Dom Fato 1-4 R; Nolan Yanchak 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Brody Groome 2 R; Cooper Kelly R

Post 15 (1-1) hitting: CJ McCartney 1-3 R; Davis 2-3; Evan Swain 1-3; West SB; Wyatt Boice 1-3; Cooper Anderson 1-3

GAME 2: Wheeling 4, Parkersburg 3

Parkersburg 010 100 1 – 3 7 1

Wheeling 100 020 x – 4 8 0

WP: Tucker Doty 6IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 4BB, 5SO

Jake Brown 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0SO

LP: Cam Cumpston 6IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 3SO

Post 15 (1-2) hitting: Davis 2-4; Cooper Cancade 1-4 R; W. Boice 2-4 R; West 1-2, 2B, RBI;

Anderson 1-2 R, 2B; Nic Akers RBI

Post 1 (2-0) hitting: Upton 3-3, 2 R; Braxton Billick 1-3, 2 RBIs; Murdock 1-3 RBI; Groome 2-3 R, HR, RBI; Brodi Prout 1-2 R

Next games: Wheeling Post 1 at Ritchie County Post 83, 11 a.m. (DH) today; Cambridge/Belle Valley Post 84/641 at Parkersburg Post 15, 1 p.m. (DH) today.