MARS — Jimmy Devine didn't just want the ball.

“He was begging me for it,” Mars player-manager Brendan Malone said.

And he knew what to do with it.

The right-hander threw 59 of his 84 pitches for strikes and tossed a four-hitter Saturday evening in leading Mars to a 6-1 victory over Saxonburg at Marburger Field. The win gives Mars a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five Eagle County League baseball championship series.

Devine is 6-2 on the mound this season — both losses coming against Saxonburg in the regular season.

“They got me twice,” he said. “I wanted to make up for that.”

Mission accomplished.

Saxonburg scored its lone run in the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles by Mick Fennell and Alex Ziegler with one out. That pulled the visitors within 2-1 at the time.

Mars had scored the game's first run without the benefit of a hit. With one out in the second, Sam Sibeto walked and John Popper was hit by a pitch. Sibeto scored when an infield grounder was thrown wide of second base.

With two outs in the third, Saxonburg pitcher Nate Buttenfield walked Dan Penberthy and Bob Spithaler, the former scoring on Sibneto's single to center.

Buttenfield struggled with his control at times Saturday, walking four batters and hitting two others. He threw 118 pitches in six innings.

“The walks hurt us,” Saxonburg manager Dan Cunningham admitted. “But Nate was throwing hard and this game was close before the home run.

“I have no problem with the effort he gave us. He pitched well enough to win.”

Penberthy singled and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. Mars' 3-1 lead was extended in the sixth when Malone drilled a two-out three-run homer to right field.

The blast was Malone's 11th of the season.

“I had a feeling he was gonna get one today,” Devine said. “He hits well in this park.”

Malone lauded the effort of his pitcher in Game 1.

“Jimmy was locating his pitches well,” he said. “The home run enabled him to go out in the seventh, relax and throw strikes. He was doing that all day.”

Devine struck out eight and did not walk a batter.

Game 2 of the series is at 6 p.m. today at Pullman Park.

“Our teams split four times during the season and this game was tight most of the way,” Cunningham said. “That's the way this series is going to be.”

Malone agreed.

“Runs are going to be precious. They will be tough to come by,” he said.

Saxonburg will pitch Colin McKee in Game 2. Mars has not determined its starting pitcher.

Mars (five) and Saxonburg (four) have combined to win nine of the past 10 Eagle County championships. Mars II won the other.

Eagle County Championship Series Game 1

Saxonburg 000 100 0 — 1 4 1

Mars 011 013 x — 6 7 1

W: Jimmy Devine 7IP (8K, 0BB). L: Nate Buttenfield 6IP (6K, 4BB).

Saxonburg (29-7): Dustin Lalle 1B, Mick Fennell 2B, Alex Ziegler 2B RBI, Ryan Fennell 1B

Mars (31-4): Nathan Statzer 2-1B, Brendan Malone HR 1B 3-RBI, Dan Penberthy 1B, Sam Sibeto 1B RBI, Nick Desanzo 1B

Monday: Game 2-Mars vs. Saxonburg, 6 p.m., Pullman Park