Bridgeport Little League Wins Herd Bracket, Advances to State 10-12-Year-Old Semifinals
By Michael Minnich on July 22, 2026
Riding stellar pitching performances and clutch hitting, Bridgeport Little League claimed the Herd Bracket championship at the West Virginia Little League 10-12-year-old state tournament in Barboursville on Tuesday night, defeating Mineral, 3-0.
Vance Wolfe threw four innings of no-hit ball, striking out seven, to pick up the win and Jacob Gissy worked the final two shutout frames, allowing only one hit and fanning three.
Brock Thompson hit a solo home run and Luka Dearing and Reed Cope both doubled for Bridgeport, which advances to Thursday’s 8 p.m. state semifinal against the second-place team from the Mountaineer Bracket, which will either be St. Albans, Huntington or Jefferson.
Bridgeport threatened in the bottom of the second as Thompson walked, Liam Manganello singled and Wolfe dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt, but Thompson was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Sutton Nicewarner’s squeeze bunt.
Bridgeport broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth.
With two outs, Julian Belcastro was hit by the pitch to extend the inning for Cope, who doubled to center to score the game’s first run.
Mineral was on the cusp of tying things in the top of the fifth, but a caught stealing ended the rally.
Thompson then launched his home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth.
Wolfe singled, then stole his way around the basepaths for the third Bridgeport run.
The state championship game is Friday at 11 a.m. or 6 p.m., with the victor advancing to represent West Virginia in the Southeast Region tournament, which begins August 4 in Warner Robins, Ga., with the champion moving on to Williamsport and the Little League World Series.
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