Bridgeport sweeps games with Wheeling Park, George Washington in McDonald's Classic

Following with the nightcap game, the Tribe was held without a hit until the bottom of the seventh inning. Bridgeport broke a tie on an error in a tumultuous game with George Washington to win 3-2.

Bridgeport is now 11-2 after the weekend.

“I’d like to be able to build from it,” Bridgeport coach Robert Shields said after the second win. “Earlier today, I thought (the win against Wheeling Park) was the best ball we’ve played. A very clean ball game. We had good pitching. We hit it hard against Wheeling Park. I thought we were going to build on that. We’re just not putting the ball in play enough.”

BRIDGEPORT 4, Wheeling Park 2:

Just a few hours after squeegeeing their home field before the sun rose, Bridgeport defeated Wheeling Park 4-2 in the Tribe’s first game of the McDonald’s Classic Saturday evening.

“It gives us an opportunity to play against top-notch AAA competition,” Bridgeport coach Robert Shields said of the Classic. “That’s what we need to do to get us ready for tournament time. I’m thankful that we can do this, for sure.”

Mark Biafore led the Tribe with a 2 for 2 outing, including a double and a run. Grant Lively poked a pair of RBIs during a 1 for 3 showing, scoring a run. Ashton Curry added a double. Overall, the Indians finished with six hits and three RBIs.

Wheeling Park entered the game having scored seven or more runs in 10 different games. The Tribe held the Patriots to a single extra-base hit.

Jacob Stavrakis secured a win, tossing six strikeouts and only allowing two hits and two runs in five innings of work. Carson Currey followed for the save, throwing two shutout innings.

“Jacob pitched a really good game,” Bridgeport coach Robert Shields said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he was good enough to limit runners and not get hurt. I’m really proud of him. Carson came in and did what he’s supposed to do. He closed the game with outs.”

After Stavrakis struck out two in the top of the first inning, Bridgeport’s Biafore knocked a double. He was ultimately stranded for a scoreless first inning.

Stavrakis kept it up, striking out two more Patriots before Bridgeport started a slow drip of scoring in the second.

After an error and a sacrifice bunt from Rowen Michaelis placed Lively at second, Curry’s double to center field brought home an RBI. The Indians led 1-0 after two innings.

That drip almost became a pressure washer in the third. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases before a Lively single scored two runs. Connor Blake scored on a passed ball to stretch Bridgeport’s lead to four, 4-0.

“We all felt that we had good quality at-bats today,” Shields said. “That’s something we’ve been striving for. We executed the bunt and got people over. We only had the one inning where we didn’t get anybody in with guys on second and third. That’s something we’ve gotta do.”

Wheeling Park’s answer came in the fifth inning. A pair of walks for the Patriots set up Yanchak to score on a passed ball before Simon singled to shortstop, scoring McGee.

Wheeling Park stranded the game-tying run, trailing 4-2 after five innings.

Currey entered in the sixth, tossing a pair of strikeouts to shut Wheeling Park down and secure the save.

Wheeling Park fell to 10-4 before defeating Buckhannon-Upshur 12-1 in their second game of the Classic. Bridgeport improved to 10-2 before their final game.

“I think we executed better,” Shields said. “We ran the bases hard. I’m really pleased with how we played today.”

BRIDGEPORT 3, George Washington 2:

All you need is one hit, and while most teams wouldn’t want a freshman to lead off the final inning of a tie game, most teams don’t have a Kasen Baun.

Baun had Bridgeport’s lone hit, a double in the bottom of the seventh inning, and was able to squeak home on a failed bunt attempt that turned into a throwing error as the Indians walked off George Washington 3-2 in seven innings late Saturday night.

“Kasen, the last couple of days, has been swinging the bat well,” Shields said. “He was on it earlier today. I like his approach at the plate. He burnt that guy to get to second, we held him there. We miss the suicide squeeze, luckily they threw it away.”

Pitcher Blake Butcher pulled the start and led Bridgeport with 5 1/3 innings of work. He totaled 10 strikeouts and let up just one earned run on two hits and three walks.

Justin Duvall followed with 2/3 innings of shutout ball before Brody Pierce threw three strikeouts in the seventh inning to seal the deal defensively, earning the win.

“Pitching was great,” Shields said. “We’ve just gotta keep working.”

Baun, of course, was the catalyst with his double, one of three extra-base hits in the game and the only hit for Bridgeport.

“That’s the only hit we had of the game,” Shields said. “I thought we had some good plate patience at times, forced some deep counts. We did good there, but putting the ball in play wasn’t very good tonight.”

George Washington’s Ty Nettles threw an unconventional five innings of no-hit ball, striking out seven but allowing two earned runs on eight walks and two HBPs.

Bridgeport scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a walk and an HBP with loaded bases. Four of Nettles’ walks came in the frame, and the HBP made five total bases that he gave up for free in the inning. The Tribe ultimately stranded loaded bases, leading 2-0 after the first.

Butchers’ 10 K’s came in a variety of ways, including three innings with two or more strikeouts as the Indians threatened to shut out GW entirely. Catcher Conner Benson also had a good game, starting behind the dish with Butcher and throwing out a runner at second.

“He’s a sophomore that’s been doing the double headers,” Shields said of Benson. “This was the best game he’s caught. He received well, threw a guy out, blocked the ball. Really nice job on that end.”

The game’s only run to come from a bat came in the top of the fourth. GW’s Eli Smith homered to center field on the third pitch of his at-bat against Butcher. It cut the Patriot deficit in half before Butcher struck out three batters in 16 pitches.

When you think of GW’s efforts to hold Bridgeport to just one hit, remember that the Tribe held the Patriots to three. Smith’s homer was four of seven total bases for the Patriots.

George Washington tied the game in the top of the sixth. Smith advanced to second on an erroneous throw during a pickoff attempt at first base by Justin Duvall. It allowed Chuck Kelley, previously walked, to score from third and tie the game.

Bridgeport had runners on second and third in the bottom of the sixth but failed to bring them home. Overall, the Indians stranded eight runners.

Baun doubled in the seventh, advanced to third on a passed ball, and was nearly tagged out in the game’s final play.

After a bunt didn’t connect, Baun escaped a pickle between home and third base by evading a tag and watching a bad throw let up the run. The error resulted in the walk-off.

Bridgeport will host Lincoln on Monday before making a trip to Parkersburg South on Tuesday evening. Both games will be played at 5 p.m.

“I’m proud of these kids,” Shields said. “They’re cheering, backing each other up. That’s a good positive.”

“We’re ahead of last year’s group,” Shields added. “Just some of the things we need to improve on are things that we did last year that really hurt us. I don’t know where to go on that end. There’s spots that are open for the mistakes that we’re making. There’s only so many opportunities you get. When you’ve got guys in scoring position, you have to execute. This isn’t the type of Bridgeport baseball that I’m accustomed to.”

George Washington falls to 8-7. Smith takes the loss by letting up the go-ahead hit and one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings of work, striking out two.

GROUP EFFORT

When mentioning the squeegeeing of fields, it’s worth noting that volunteers arrived at Bridgeport’s field as early as 5 a.m. Saturday morning to get it in playing condition.

This effort was reflected across Harrison County and throughout the regional area as Robert C. Byrd, Morgantown, Lincoln, Frank Loria Field and Fairmont Senior served as sites for Saturday’s games.

“It’s great for Harrison County to get all of these teams to come in,” Shields said. “This is a premier baseball classic in the state, having this many teams involved. There’s a lot of things that go into this. I appreciate Robert C. Byrd, Lincoln, Fairmont Senior, Frank Loria Field — The Bridge (Sports Complex) was going to allow us to play there. Buckhannon and Lewis County were going to host before the weather hit us.

Shields continued his appreciation for the group effort as 19 games were played in a single day after Friday’s storms.

“People reaching out,” Shields added. “Really appreciate the professionalism to make this such a super event.”