Photo by Cody Nespor Wheeling pitcher Chris Vargo delivers to the plate against Parkersburg during Thursday’s Area 1 Tournament semifinal.

ELM GROVE — Parkersburg Post 15 and Wheeling Post 1 looked evenly-matched playing in the winners’ bracket of the Area 1 Tournament Thursday and just a couple of plays made the difference as Parkersburg won 4-3, moving into prime position to win a championship.

Both teams played near-perfect baseball at the I-470 Sports Complex Thursday, but Parkersburg took advantage of the only error of the contest to score four runs in the bottom of the second and a Wheeling blunder on the basepaths ended a fifth-inning rally as the hometown team ultimately fell one run short.

“It was a tough loss (Thursday), it just wasn’t championship caliber,” said Post 1 coach Jon-Michael Brunner. “Those small, little things add up and ended up biting us in the but a little bit.”

Parkersburg got its break in the bottom of the second when, with two runners on and two outs, nine-hole hitter Cater King hit a chopper to first base that seemed sure to end the inning. The ball took a bad hop that Wheeling’s Quinn Jamison could not handle, however, allowing King to reach base and extend the inning.

Post 15 took full advantage, knocking three straight run-scoring hits off W heeling starter Chris Vargo to push across four two-out runs.

Nic Menarchek hit an RBI single up the middle, Brett Haskins drove in two more with a line drive to left and Bently Kinzer added the fourth run with a flare the opposite way.

“It was huge,” Parkersburg skipper Mike Goodwin said of taking advantage of the two-out error. “All of our scoring was with two outs so that tells me this team is never going to stop, never going to give up until the last out. That’s what the leadership on this team has done all year.”

It was crucial for Post 15 to capitalize on that mistake, as Vargo pitched a tidy six innings overall. Outside of the second inning, Vargo allowed just five baserunners across five scoreless innings, with only one making it past first base. He struck out five in the complete-game effort, ultimately taking the hard-luck loss.

On the other side, Wheeling eventually wore down Parkersburg pitcher Andrew Manley, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth on a lead-off walk by Jack Selmon and back-to-back singles from Jamison and Alex Taylor.

Jared Marsh drove Selmon in on a fielder’s choice to short and then Zach Taylor hit a grounder into left field to send Jamison running home. The next batter, Dylan Gongola, hit a rocket that was caught on a line by Parkersburg third baseman Haskins, who then threw to second base to try and double-off Marsh. Marsh initially made it back to the bag safely, but overslid the base, coming off long enough to be tagged out to end the rally short after just two runs.

Wheeling threatened again in the sixth with consecutive singles from Michael Toepfer and Jack Scouvart to start the inning. That chased Manley from the game as Parkersburg called Drew Woofter to the mound. Woofter got a strikeout, a deep flyout to left and another strikeout to end the threat.

“That was was probably the biggest inning, pitching-wise, of the game for us,” Goodwin said. “He came in and shut the door with nobody out and two men on.”

Post 1 again got multiple runners on in the seventh, but fellow one run short as Toepfer drove in Marsh before the inning ended.

“It seemed like there were a couple of balls hit right at them and we had a couple of bone-head errors on the bases,” Brunner said.

Manley got the win, allowing two runs in five innings with a pair of punchouts. Woofter registered the save with two innings of one-run ball and a trio of strikeouts.

Toepfer had three singles and an RBI to lead Wheeling as neither team had an extra-base hit.

Parkersburg advances straight to the championship game and will need just one more victory to win the double-elimination tournament.

“We’re going to take the same approach every day,” Goodwin said. “There’s a sense of urgency that we want to play the next game and play it now and take care of business. That’s how we’ve taken it the entire year.”

Wheeling on the other hand will now have to win three times to claim the championship. Post 1 will play Follansbee in the loser’s bracket today at 5 p.m. The winner of that game will play Post 15 at 7 p.m. and then again on Saturday if necessary, needing to beat Parkersburg both times.

“Our backs are against the wall a little bit,” Brunner admitted. “Although it’s not ideal to have to win three games, these guys can do it. I know they can do it.

“They’re a resilient group, they’ve been resilient through 41 games. We expect to play two games (Friday) and be back here Saturday.”

Follansbee 12, Moundsville 2

WHEELING — Moundsville saw its season come to a close in an Area One Tournament elimination game.

Caleb Stephen pitched all five innings with five strikeouts and two walks to earn the win for Follansbee.

Spencer Zoladz continued to swing a hot bat for Post 45 with a single, a double and a RBI.

Carson Lauttamus doubled and drove in a run in the win, while Braelyn Sperringer and Garrett Hornick each singled and plated a run.

Zade Billings and Carson Gorby paced Post 3 with a single and a RBI each.

The game was even at 1-1 after one but Follansbee scored in every inning and blew the game open in the third with an eight-run frame.

Post 45 outhit Post 3 6-5 but Moundsville was done in by five errors.