Hayden Coulter pitched a complete game as Moundsville won a pair of games Thursday in the Beast of the East.

WHEELING – Although his team has a sub-.500 record, Moundsville Post 3 manager Tim Koontz has seen steady progress over the last week or so.

The move forward has resulted in a 4-game winning streak that was extended with a pair of wins in the 37th annual Beast of the East Tournament Thursday at sun-soaked Patriots Field on the campus of Wheeling Park High School.

Playing as the JM Monarchs in the 19U bracket, the local contingent defeated US WV Elite 7-4 in its opener before holding off Clarington (Canada) Elite by a 3-1 count to complete the sweep.

“We’re definitely playing better baseball,” Koontz said. “We’ve had good pitching all season. Our hitting is starting to come around and we play solid defense.”

JM Monarchs 3, Clarington Elite 1

Hayden Coulter turned in a complete-game effort on the mound. The recent John Marshall graduate recorded nine strikeouts and walked four. He needed 105 pitches, with 74 going for strikes. The lone run, which came in the top of the seventh with two outs, was earned.

The Monarchs scored twice in the first and once in the second to stake Coulter to a 3-0 lead.

Cain Martin delivered a run-scoring single with one out and Mason Markonich’s double to right-center with two outs bumped the count to 2-0.

Jesse McDowell reached with two outs in the second, stole second and went to third on a throwing error. He then sprinted home on a wild pitch with Martin at the plate.

The Orioles stranded a runner at third with two outs in the second and hit into an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play in the third. Coulter retired nine straight after the DP before Jonathan O’Reilly singled leading off the seventh. He would score on a two-out double by Graydon Taylor.

Hayden Hughes had a triple in the fifth.

JM Monarchs 7, US WV Elite 4

Tommy Clegg went the distance , striking out seven, walking three and yielding seven hits. He threw 107 pitches, with 75 being strikes. All four runs were earned.

The Monarchs led 5-2 after three innings, thanks to a 4-run third. They tacked on two runs in the sixth after the Buckhannon-based WV Elite tallied twice in the top of the fifth.

Kayden Knapp had a two-run single and Martin singled, doubled and plated a run. Hughes singled twice and knocked in a run, while Markonich and Jacob Cisar each had run-scoring singles.

JM Monarchs (9-14) will play Wheeling Post 1 at 10:30 a.m. in their lone game Friday at Wheeling Park.