OLD ORCHARD BEACH – First Title Coach Mac McKew makes no attempt to hide his faith in pitcher Louie DiStasio.

It’s faith so strong, that, on Wednesday, DiStasio was facing a Pastime Club team that had a .305 batting average. Still, McKew bunted with nobody out to create a run. In the first inning.

That bunt led to a run, and when First Title scored again two innings later, that was enough. DiStasio pitched a four-hitter, and First Title put the game away with a six-run sixth for a 9-1 victory on the opening day of the American Legion state tournament at The Ballpark.

“Getting on the board first just establishes a place for us,” McKew said.

“You get one in the first inning, and he’s pitching? I’m already starting to think, if I’m over in that dugout.”

In the first, DiStasio singled off Pastime starter Corbin Hyde and moved to second on a bunt and third on a muffed grounder.

With runners at the corners, Harry Ridge got himself caught in a rundown and DiStasio dashed home.

JUNIOR LEGION

STANDISH POST 8, CHASE CUSTOM HOMES 3: Max Salevsky pitched a five-hitter as fifth-seeded Standish Post won a Southern Division play-in game against fourth-seeded Chase Custom Homes (10-9) in Gorham.

GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER 5, CUMBERLAND 4: Justin McKenna and Jesse Ricardi singled as visiting seventh-seeded Gray-New Gloucester (11-9) had both its hits in a four-run fifth to take a 5-0 lead against third-seeded Cumberland (13-6) in a North Division play-in game.

LIBBY-MITCHELL 3, LYMAN 2: Third-seeded Libby-Mitchell scored three runs in the fifth inning and held off sixth-seeded Lyman at Scarborough.

TWILIGHT LEAGUE

LENDERS NETWORK 8, AERO HEATING AND VENTILATION 1: Troy Thibodeau’s two-run homer helped stake Lenders (10-6-2) to a 3-0 first-inning lead against Aero (11-8) at Deering Oaks in Portland.

TUESDAY’S GAME

GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER 6, SOMERSET 1: Tyler Credit, Justin McKenna and Evan Harmer each had a pair of hits as seventh-seeded Gray-New Gloucester topped sixth-seeded Somerset in a play-in round game at Skowhegan.

Credit hit a two-run double, McKenna scored twice and Harmer also drove in a run.

Brandon Hubbard pitched a three-hitter with six strikeouts.