SUBMITTED BY COACH BILLY ESTOK

 

Friday’s game was the second of two games between Bridgeport Middle School and Lincoln. In the previous meeting played at LMS, the Lady Wildcats edged out a 11-10 win over the Lady Braves. This time, BMS prevailed 8-5.

 

Bridgeport opened the scoring with two runs in its half of the first. Katie Via led off with a walk and then stole second. Allie Clark brought Via home when she reached base on a LMS outfield error. Payton Merica followed with a single to score Clark. Two outs later, Alison Hanshaw and Makenzie Earp got back-to-back walks to load the bases. Courtney Ramage, the starting pitcher for LMS, then struck out her mound opponent, Johnna Hull, to get out of the bases loaded jam.

 

The scored remained 2-0 BMS until the bottom of the fourth. Ashley Hart, who entered the game in the top of the fourth inning, started things off by reaching first base on an infield error. One out later, Clark tripled bringing home Hart with the Lady Braves third run. Merica followed with a single that scored Clark and extended the Bridgeport lead to 4-0.

 

Hull held the Lady Wildcats scoreless through the first five innings of play. In the sixth, Madi Martin and Ramage singled in consecutive at bats. Both advanced one base on a BMS throwing error following Ramage’s hit. Martin scored on a passed ball and Ramage moved to third on the play. Katie Kuhens doubled to bring home Ramage. Kuhens advanced to third on ground out to third by Brook Shinn. Sofia Tate hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Kuhens; cutting the BMS lead to 4-3.

 

Bridgeport responded to the LMS rally by starting one of its own in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Via walked. She stole second and came around to score on a single by Clark. Merica brought Clark home when she tripled to center field. One out later, Shea Hefner singled and Merica crossed home plate with the Lady Braves seventh run of the game. Hefner moved to second on a stolen base and came around to score on a single by Hanshaw. After six innings of play, the scoreboard read BMS 8 and LMS 3.

 

With one out in the top of the seventh, Autumn Rogers reached first base on an infield error by BMS. Rogers stole second and scored on a single by Martin. Martin advanced to second when the ball was misplayed by a BMS outfielder. One out later, Shinn doubled and that brought Martin across the plate. Hull then retired Sofia Tate on a line drive caught by Merica, backhanded, fully extended, and moving to her right.

 

The win improved the BMS overall season record to 6-2.

 

Hull pitched a complete game victory for the Lady Braves. Her pitching line read seven innings, five runs, nine hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Hull improved her pitching record to 3-1 on the season.

 

Ramage also pitched a complete game LMS. Her line read six innings, eight runs, nine hits, five walks, and six strikeouts.

 

Via scored two runs for BMS, while Clark had three, and one each for Merica, Hefner, and Hart. Clark and Merica each had three RBIs in the game, with Hefner and Hanshaw registering one each.

 

The Lady Braves return to action on Monday with a home against Mountaineer Middle School. Game time is set for 5 p.m.