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BECKLEY -- Marshall Derrick's three-run homer in the second inning set the tone and Berkeley Post 14 added a five-spot in the third and never looked back in an 8-4 win over Parkersburg Post 15 to begin state tournament play Thursday at Linda K. Epling Stadium.
Post 15 will take on the loser between South Charleston Post 94 and Bridgeport Post 68 at 10 a.m. today in an elimination game while Berkeley will take on the winner at 4 p.m.
Derrick finished 3 for 4 with a homer, double and five runs-batted-in for Post 14, which improved to 18-7 on the year.
JP Sweeney pitched three innings of relief to earn the win. Jett Gross started and went two innings while Sven Dupree and Jamere Brown combined for two innings of relief.
Wyatt Boice pitched 2 1-3 innings for Parkersburg (17-10), allowing all eight runs and suffering the setback. Bronson Linville dealt 4 2-3 scoreless innings in relief to preserve the Post 15 pitching staff moving forward.
Linville and Boice had two hits apiece to lead the Parkersburg offense while Cam Cumpston doubled, scored a run and drove in a run. Easton Miller and Seth Menarchek each had an RBI.
Parkersburg scored a run apiece in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but Post 14's early 8-0 advantage was too much to overcome.
For Berkeley, Sweeney, Liam Healey, Cole Smith and Wyatt McClintock all had a double. Smith drove in two runs while Sweeney scored a pair. Post 14 out-hit Post 15 12-6. The winners committed three errors to Parkersburg's two.
At Linda K. Epling Stadium
W.Va. State Tournament
Berkeley (Post 14) 8, Parkersburg (Post 15) 4
B 035 000 0 -- 8 12 3
P 001 111 0 -- 4 6 2
WP: JP Sweeney 3 IP, 1 BB, 0 SO
Jett Gross 2 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO
Sven Dupree 1 IP, 1 BB, 0 SO
Jamere Brown 1 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
LP: Wyatt Boice 2.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO
Bronson Linville 4.2 IP, 1 BB, 3 SO
Berkeley (18-7) hitting: Marshall Derrick 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 Rs, 5 RBIs; Wyatt McClintock 1-4, 2B, R; Liam Healey 2-2, 2B; Sweeney 2-4, 2B, 2 Rs; Cole Smith 2-4, 2 Rs, 2 RBIs
Parkersburg (17-10) hitting: Cam Cumpston 1-3, 2B, R; Linville 2-2; Boice 2-4
Next game: Parkersburg vs. South Charleston/Bridgeport loser, 10 a.m. today at Beckley (Elimination Game)