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Wheeling Post 1 shortstop Jaxon Murray fires the ball to first base to start a triple play during action Thursday from the 37th annual Beast of the East Baseball Tournament at Patriots Field in the campus of Wheeling Park High School. Murray, a senior-to-be at Linsly, helped Post 1 win two games on the opening day. He had four hits and five RBI on the day.

WHEELING – It’s something about the Beast of the East Baseball Tournament that brings out the best in Wheeling Post 1. The opening day of the 37th annual event was much of the same.

The local squad scored 26 runs on 26 hits, received a pair of outstanding pitching performances and played rock-solid defense in winning two games – both by five-inning mercy rules – in the 19U bracket on sun-drenched Patriots Field on the campus of Wheeling Park High School.

“The Beast has been a big tournament in the Ohio Valley. It’s in our backyard and we don’t have to travel like most of the teams do,” Wheeling manager Scott Castilow said. We get to play on our home field. Even though it isn’t our tournament, there is some pride at stake. I feel like our guys take playing in this a little more seriously than some other games.”

Wheeling (15-5-1) defeated US WV Elite 13-1 in the opener before pouding Clarington (Canada) by a 13-4 count in the second game. Post 1 will play JM Monarchs at 10:30 a.m. Friday before facing Clarington at 1 p.m.

Wheeling 13, US WV Elite 1

Post 1 didn’t waste any time in asserting itself against the Buckhannon-based squad with four runs in the top of the first. Chris Upton doubled to start the game and scored on a two-strike single through the left side by Jaxon Murray. A stolen base and subsequent throwing error put Murray on third from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Zade Billings. Reece Davis was hit by a pitch and circled the bases when Rocco Digiandomenico doubled to the left field corner. Jack Selmon’s triple to the gap in right-center plated Digiandomenico.

A Murray single with two outs in the second drove in Upton to make it 5-0.

Henry Anderson started on the mound for Post 1. He went three innings, striking out two, walking none and allowing just one hit. That baserunner was erased on an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play. Jake Brown pitched the fourth and fifth frames. He fanned the side in the fifth.

“Henry pitched strong in his three innings and Jake came in from the (bull)pen and was strong,” Castilow said. “They both threw strikes.”

Wheeling bumped the margin to 10-0 with five runs in the top of the fourth when 11 batters went to the plate. Davis singled in a run; Digiandomenico delivered a sacrifice fly; Ryland Robb drew a bases-loaded walk; and Braxton Billick singled in a fourth tally. The fifth run crossed on one of three errors in the inning.

The US WV Elite avoided being shut out when Luke Kesling reached on an error leading off the bottom of the fourth. Landon Marple, who hit a pair of homers and drove in four runs against the JM Monarchs earlier in the day, was plunked by a pitch and James Vincell singled up the middle to score Kesling.

A clutch defensive play, sparked by a baserunning lapse, turned into a triple play. Second baseman Seth Cover fielded a grounder off the bat of Tony McBrayer and flipped to Murray for the force of Vincell. Murray relayed the ball to Digiandomenico at first to complete the second out. Digiandomenico alertly threw a strike to catcher Jack Selmon to easily nail Marple trying to score.

Three insurance runs in the fifth sealed the deal. Billick drove in two with a single.

Upton (single, double), Murray (2 singles), Billings (2 singles), Digiandomenico (single, double) and Billick (2 singles) all enjoyed multi-hit outings.

Wheeling 13, Clarington 4

Billick singled three times to drive in a run. He finished the day with five singles and three RBI from the No. 9 hole.

“That’s why we have Braxton in the No. 9 spot,” Castilow stressed. “He could be a leadoff hitter or just about anywhere in the order. He turns the order over for us and that is a big plus.”

Murray continued his red-hot hitting with a single, double and four RBI. Davis had three doubles that produced two runs and Upton had a trio of base hits that knocked in a run.

Brady Ernest picked up the win. He was one out from a complete game, striking out four and walking five. Donovan Jones finished out the game with four pitches.