CHARLESTON, W.Va. — From 2014-2019, Bridgeport’s baseball program ran through Class AA, garnering a state championship each of the six seasons.
The Indians lost the opportunity to notch a title for a seventh straight year when the pandemic cancled spring sports in 2020.
Despite moving up to Class AAA in 2021, Bridgeport’s hardware collection isn’t coming to a halt.
The Indians scored three runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to overcome a two-run deficit and defeat Hurricane 10-4 in Saturday’s Class AAA final at Power Park.
“This is special,” BHS coach Robert Shields said. “This is a group of kids that worked really well together. Nobody can say anything about all the Class AA runs we had. For us to step up for the first year since 2010 and get a Class AAA state title and keeping the strong going too, they have something to remember for a lifetime. I’m so proud of them.”
It marks the ninth title for Bridgeport’s baseball program, all of which have come under the guidance of Shields. This is the program’s first championship at the AAA level.
Trailing 3-1 to start the fourth inning, the Indians (34-4) rally began with JD Love drawing a walk — one of 10 base-on-balls issued by Hurricane (33-2) pitchers.
After a one-out single from Anthony Dixon for the Tribe’s first hit, Chris Harbert reached on an error at short that allowed courtesy runner Trent Haines to score. Drew Hogue followed with a sharp single to plate Dixon and tie the game, and Harbert scored moments later on a wild pitch to give BHS its first lead at 4-3.
“I told them to choke up with one strike and we had to put the ball in play,” Shields said. “It seemed like we were a little more patient and we had to be able to control the barrel a little bit better. One time through the lineup and they pretty much made a good adjustment on their own.”
Ryan Goff, who relieved Bridgeport starting pitcher Ben McDougal with two outs in the third, struck out Bryson Rigney to end the home half of the fourth with two runners on base. Despite bulding the early advantage, the Redskins left eight on through the first four frames.
“We had some chances early to really break the game open. We left the bases loaded in the third,” Hurricane coach Brian Sutphin said. “We just didn’t play our style today. It wasn’t for lack of effort or because of attitude. I love our guys and that’s a good ball club. They earned it. They played well and we didn’t.”
Owen Gress replaced Redskins’ starting pitcher Joel Gardner to start the fifth, though it did nothing to slow Bridgeport’s momentum.
After Nate Paulsen singled to start the fifth, Gress retirned the next two batters before walking Dixon. Paulsen then stole third and scored on Harbert’s single to right for a 5-3 lead. Harbert moved to second on a stolen base and both he and Dixon scored moments later on Hogue’s single, giving the Indians’ No. 9 hitter three RBIs.
“Our batting order is our batting order, but one through nine I feel like we can break the game open at any point in the lineup,” Goff said.
Hurricane got a run back in the fifth to draw to within three as Brogan Brown scored on a wild pitch.
Gress struck out the first two batters of the sixth, but the Indians staged another two-out rally to take complete control.
Paulsen singled, Love walked and each stole a base that allowed both to be in scoring position, before pinch hitter Phil Reed delivered a two-run single to left. Aidan Paulsen, whom Reed pinch hit for, later touched the plate on a wild pitch for the Indians’ 10th and final run.
“This has been a team effort and we’ve had guys ready that know their roles,” Shields said.
There would be no Redskins’ rally against Goff, with the right-hander working 4 1/3 effective innings in relief to earn the win. Despite logging only 12 innings all season on the mound ahead of Saturday, the usual shortstop allowed just one run on one hit and struck out three.
“Last night, coach Shields told me I was going to be in relief. I kind of got my mind ready to go,” Goff said. “The biggest thing I wanted to do is throw strikes and I knew good things were going to happen. I have the best defense in the state behind me and the best team. It showed today.”
Hurricane scored once in each of the first two innings — on a Quarrier Phillips RBI single and Caden Johnson sacrifice fly.
Two-out walks drawn by Cam Cole and Frank Why on full count pitches led to Cole scoring on a Hurricane error for Bridgeport’s first run in the third.
“They were getting a lot of momentum and I knew I had to get on base somehow,” Cole said. “I got myself into a 1-2 count and started battling and fouling off pitches, taking pitches down low and up in the zone. Ended up getting a walk, stealing second and third and Frank got on. We caused some confusion with the throw that got me home and just took off from there.”
Rigney responded with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the third, allowing Hurricane to lead 3-1 before Bridgeport took control.
Eight of Bridgeport’s 10 runs were scored with two outs, while the Tribe added 11 stolen bases.
“They really battled and had good at bats all day,” Sutphin said. “And we walked too many guys.”
Gardner suffered the loss after allowing four runs in four innings. He struck out five and walked six. Gress was charged with six runs over 1 2/3 innings.
Nate Paulsen and Hogue had two hits apiece, combining for half of the Indians’ eight hits.
Class AAA All-Tournament Team
Ismael Borrero – Hurricane
Nate Paulsen – Bridgeport
Ethan Spolarich – Hurricane
Kamien Gonzalez – Jefferson
Will Campbell – St. Albans
Chris Harbert – Bridgeport
Cameron Cole – Bridgeport
Frank Why – Bridgeport
Quarrier Phillips – Hurricane
Joel Gardner – Hurricane