Needing only one win in two games to capture the District 1 title on Saturday, the Cranston Western 12-year-old all-star team didn’t waste any time seizing the crown.

The Western stars scored three runs in the first inning and got a complete-game four-hitter from starter Hayden Parkes to defeat Elmwood 7-0 in the first game and advance to the four-team state tournament.

“It’s just a great feeling,” Western manager Gary Bucci said. “That’s why you do it.”

Colin Gershkoff, Dillon Bordeleau and Parkes each had two RBI in the win. On the mound, Parkes allowed just six total base runners, while striking out four.

Amazingly, four of the runners that reached base were erased on double plays, as Western turned twin killings in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings.

Twice, Parkes fielded ground balls back to him and fired to the shortstop Bordeleau at second base, who then made the turn. In the first inning, Bordeleau started a double play by himself after Elmwood had put its first two batters on base.

“Dillon is just unbelievable,” Parkes said. “This whole all-star season he’s just turned one double play every game, at least. He’s making crazy plays that no other kid would make.”

The team’s fourth and final double play came on the last play of the game. With one out, Parkes was at 84 pitches, which is one away from the maximum. But on the first pitch to Elmwood’s Stefon DeLeon, Parkes induced a groundball to Gershkoff at second. Gershkoff tagged a runner in front of him and threw on to first to end the game.

“You’ve got to fight through the heat, you’ve got to fight through those groundballs,” Bucci said. “Now, hopefully it just becomes second nature. That’s why we practice them like we do.”

Parkes was able to get some breathing room early, as Western struck three times in the first inning, twice in the second and twice in the third to seize control.

Steve Piscopiello and Steve Salisbury walked to open the first inning, before Bordeleau hit a fly ball that the Elmwood outfielder could not handle. That scored Piscopiello, put runners on second and third base and drove Elmwood starter Junior DeJesus from the game.

Jeffrey Feliz came in to pitch and got a strikeout, but a double by Gershkoff plated two more runs for the 3-0 lead.

“That one Colin hit, it just opened it up for us and from there we went,” Parkes said.

In the second inning, Piscopiello walked again and Salisbury lined a double to right. Bordeleau came to the plate and smoked a single up the middle, scoring two more runs.

Sammy Franco reached on an error with one out in the third, and a single by Connor Kiernan moved him up. Parkes brought them both in with a double for the game’s final runs.

Elmwood kept trying to come back, putting at least one runner on base in every inning but the fifth, but Parkes continually buckled down.

He did not allow a single hit with runners in scoring position to an Elmwood team that had hit five home runs in its previous game, a 14-6 win over Johnston.

“Hayden didn’t throw as hard as he could throw,” Bucci said. “He was around the plate, which was great, and he hit his spots. He truly is a pitcher. He didn’t have his best velocity, and he still managed.”

The win finished off a perfect run for Western, which didn’t lose a game in the tournament. It also produced more than a few signature moments – including a three-run walk-off home run from martin Goldberg against Johnston in the winner’s bracket final.

Next up is the state tournament, which will be held at Warwick West Side Little League. Western will play its first game in the double-elimination bracket on Saturday against Central Coventry at 4:30 p.m.