The day after Bridgeport fell to Lincoln by a 4-2 score in the first game of Class AA sectional baseball play, veteran Coach Robert Shields said in a very matter of fact tone that “we’re going to find out what this team is all about now.”

 

After last night’s state tournament clinching 16-5 win over Frankfort in the Class AA, Region II title game in Short Gap, Shields found out exactly what his team was “all about.” Ever since the loss to the Cougars in that first, the Indians have turned up their game a notch.

 

Now, thanks to the recent postseason dominance the Indians will face Pikeview in the Class AA semifinal game at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston. The game next Friday is set for 12:30 p.m.

 

Just how dominant have the Indians been since losing to Lincoln?

 

In five games since the setback, Bridgeport has outscored its foes by a combined 55-7 score. Incredibly, the total was 39 runs to 2 heading into yesterday’s affair. Bridgeport has also outhit the opposition by a 78-40 count and when you couple that offense with relatively solid pitching and quality defense you have the recipe to get back to Charleston and defend your ‘AA’ state title.

 

“You have to really be pleased when you hear those numbers and know that the kids responded,” said Shields. “You look up and down our lineup and everyone is producing, which tells me everyone knows what’s at stake.

 

“The big thing is that we’re scoring runs by getting people in position to score,” he continued. “We’re getting bunts down for singles, working counts for walks and coming through with timely hitting. You add all that with us rarely striking out (one against Frankfort) and you can see why we’re getting a chance to go back to Charelston.”

 

Getting back, however, initially didn’t look easy. Although the Tribe led 2-0 after the top of the first thanks to a Houston Morris RBI single and Joe LaRocca working his way out of a rundown between third and home, the Falcons showed some early fight.

 

The hosts managed to bang out three hits off starter Logan Smith and take advantage of a pair of uncharacteristic errors to go up 4-2 after one inning of play. After that, however, Bridgeport’s bats and the dominant pitching of Jared Cleghorn took the game over.

 

Cleghorn came on in relief in the third and had to deal with two on and no one out and got the job done. He worked the final three innings. Cleghorn didn’t allow a run and yielded just one hit against two strikeouts, while not walking a batter.

 

“(Jared) was really strong. He gave up a little dinker right off the bat, but it was no big deal because our concern was getting out of the inning and we did,” said Shields. “We got a big double play between Dante (Bonamico) and Zach (Hineman) and then came back in the next inning and got another one. That kind of let me know that the defense that let us down in that first inning was responding.”

 

Bridgeport offense continued to respond. The Tribe’s bats exploded for five runs in the third, six in the fourth and three more in the top of the fifth to put the game on ice. Although the Tribe had plenty of hits early, the bulk of the team’s 14-hit attack came late in the game. The offense, coupled by five walks by FHS pitchers and four batters hit by pitches, was way too much for the Falcons to overcome. Bridgeport wouldn’t trail after the top of the third inning.

 

“We were still down 4-2 going into the top of the third and I know a lot of people don’t believe this, but I was actually calm. We had some player getting on each other, but I told them coming into the top of that inning to just relax and we’ll fine,” said Shields.

 

Three Bridgeport players finished the game with three hits. Dante Bonamico, Joe Dodrill and Elijah Drummond all were good for a trio of base hits. Drummond’s total included a double.

 

The win puts Bridgeport in its fourth straight state baseball tournament. The Indians will be looking to repeat as champions for the first time in school history.

 

“What I like right now is that we’re starting to show a killer instinct that I didn’t see earlier,” said Shields. “That’s got us to Charleston, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. We have to keep playing at a high level to take care of unfinished business.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows winning pitcher Jared Cleghorn, while Dante Bonamico throws to first as second baseman Zach Hineman looks on in the second photo. In the bottom picture, Hunter Mann congratulates teammates after an earlier win. File photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.