By Bill Nestor
The run is over for Bridgeport’s baseball team. It was one of the most impressive streaks in any sport in Mountain State history. The Tribe had managed to appear in the state tournament every year since 2011. The majority of those years, Bridgeport competed in class A A and most recently they made the move to class AAA. The constant throughout the impressive streak has been head coach Robert Shields. Shields has put himself in the conversation as one of the best all time coaches in West Virginia history.
It wa sthe University High Hawks that ended the Indians’ season this past Monday in Morgantown with a 3-0 victory. Pitching was pivotal for the home team, especially early on as starter Zach Harman allowed just one base runner to reach base out of the first nine batters to come to the plate.
Bridgeport was poised to strike first in the top of the third. Zach Rohrig claimed one of his squad’s two extra base hits. Rohrig’s double gave the Tribe its first runner in scoring position. He would steal third base and set the table for the game’s first run. A strikeout, however, would end the inning. The momentum of the stop would carry over for University to the bottom of the frame where they would plate the game’s first run.
Both teams would put players on base in the fourth and fifth innings, but there wasn’t a series scoring threat until the sixth frame. Bridgeport picked up a free pass on a Kasen Baun walk with one ut in the stanza. Phil Reed collected a double that would advance Baum to third base, giving the Indians a pair of runners in scoring position with one away. A pop up and a strikeout would end the scoring threat. In the bottom of the inning, the Hawks would plate a pair to extend their lead to 3-0. Bridgeport would get the leadoff batter on board when Domonick Peasack was hit by a pitch. The Tribe would strand Peasack with three consecutive outs to end the season and the long standing run
Lincoln’s softball team ended its postseason run after suffering back to back setbacks to Herbert Hoover this past week. The Cougars traveled to Falling Rock on Monday for the regional games. The outcome wasn’t what head coach Yancey Weaver and his squad wanted as they lost 7-0.
Game two on Wednesday moved to Shinnston and the Cougars utilized the home field advantage jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Alexis Williams picked up an RBI on a base hit and Emily Robey’s sacrifice fly provided run production for Delaney Haller. Once again, errors came into play as the Cougars would commit seven of them against the Huskies. Herbert Hoover would also collect five extra base hits including a pair of home runs. The Huskies would score five runs in the fourth and fifth innings combined to take a 6-2 lead. Lincoln would load the bases in the final frame, but slated just one run in their comeback effort.
Williams collected two hits to pace the Cougars. Kariss Drain, Aliyah Elder, and Angelina Wright all had hits. Lincoln ended its season with an impressive 24-5 record.
