Editor's Note: Bridgeport not only won the Class AA state title in one of the wildest games in recent memory, but the Indians also won their fifth straight state title in one of the highest viewed prep sports stories of the year. Thanks to that, it finished in a tie for the top story in sports for 2018. The story that tied with it will be revealed at 9 a.m.

 

From a baseball purist’s standpoint, the Class AA state championship baseball game between Bridgeport and Wayne this afternoon was far from a work of art. From Coach Robert Shields, his Indians and the BHS faithful’s perspective, it was a Picasso.

 

The Tribe, in what could be argued was the wildest game in state tournament history, mounted a comeback for the ages to take a 17-15 win against the Pioneers at Charleston’s Appalachian Power Park.

 

With the win, BHS has won its fifth-straight championship – extending its own state record. This championship was the most improbable.

 

“This one had a big degree of difficulty,” said Shields.

 

Even that could be considered an understatement. Bridgeport trailed early and often and seemed dead in the water heading into the bottom of the sixth inning trailing by a 13-8 count. While the stage was set for the Indians to bomb, they instead produced one of the biggest innings in the program’s history by bombing the Pioneers.

 

“We had to get base runners on,” Shields said he told his team prior to going out to bat in the sixth. “(They listened). That helps in baseball where you can get a little bit antsy at the plate, but they weren’t tight.

 

“This comeback was big,” Shields continued. “A nine-run sixth inning is all I can say.”

 

Incredibly, Bridgeport sent 14 players to the plate in the decisive sixth frame. And it was the bottom part of the lineup that got things started.

 

Nick Stalnaker, batting from the fifth spot, began the inning with a double down the left field line and the offensive flood gates began to open. While two runs scored on an error, the first RBI came courtesy of Tyler Pitzer who singled sharply to left field. His hit was followed by an RBI single by Koby Kiefer as the top of the lineup got involved.

 

Cooper Hineman again showed his value after his return from injury as he followed Kiefer’s hit with a two-run double. The onslaught continued as Chapin Murphy came up big for Bridgeport by lacing a two-run single and then the final run of the inning came home courtesy of the bat of Brice Haines who singled to center.

 

“It was huge, just huge,” Shields said. “There is no quit in this team.”

 

There was no quit in Wayne either. Despite what had just took place, the Pioneers made Bridgeport sweat it out until the end.

 

WHS scored twice in its final at-bat after a walk and a double started the inning. A single by Cayden Ross drove in one run, while Zack Perry’s sacrifice fly drove in the other.

 

The Indians then did something they didn’t do all game to end the contest. They managed to get three straight outs after Pitzer – Bridgeport’s third pitcher – came on in relief in the seventh inning.

 

By game’s end, Bridgeport had 15 hits to go along with its 17 runs. BHS also drew nine walks, had three batters hit by pitches and only struck out three times.

 

To show just how dominant the offenses were in the game both ways, Wayne also pounded out 15 hits, which included five doubles.  The Pioneers collected eight walks and had one batter hit by a pitch, while six batters struck out.

 

The 32 runs proved to be the most runs scored in state tournament title game, in any classification, since records began being collected in 1984.

 

The game’s theme was set early and it came when the Indians got into trouble early, starting with the game’s first batter. Isiah Thompson worked a seven-pitch walk from Lesher and was quickly sacrificed to second by Josh Perry.

 

BHS looked ready to get out of the issue of having a runner being in scoring position as Lesher struck out the next batter before facing the Pioneer’s cleanup batter James Milum. Milum showed why he’s batting fourth as a freshman by lacing a single to right field that easily scored Thompson from second to give WHS an early 1-0 lead.

 

Bridgeport wasted little time in striking back. And the Tribe used a little two-out lighting to get the job done.

 

After the first two batters were quickly retired, Lesher helped himself out with a single to left and that was followed by another single to left by Murphy. The two-out hit parade continued with Stalnaker who dropped in a hit to center field.

 

The single was deep enough to score Devin Vandergrift, the courtesy runner for Lesher, to knot the score up. On the play, however, Murphy was thrown out at third to limit the damage for Wayne and leave the game even at 1.

 

While Bridgeport may have felt good about bouncing back, the top of the second inning was disastrous in every way imaginable as the Pioneers scored six runs on five hits, a pair of walks and an error. Zack Perry got things started with a single to center and then Wayne did what BHS does so well – play small ball.

 

The next batter, Ethan Blatt, drew a full-count walk. With runners at first and second, Grayson Pratt laid down a perfect bunt on the third base line for an infield hit. Even worse, the throw to first was off line and allowed Perry to score.

 

Wayne was far from finished. Corey Marcum, the number nine hitter, laid down a flawless sacrifice squeeze that scored Brandon Lusk, the courtesy runner for Blatt, from third. Pratt, who also moved to third on the bunt, then scored on Josh Perry’s single for a 4-1 advantage.

 

The next batter, Jeremiah Milum, walked on a 3-2 count as well to put runners on first and second with two outs. James Milum then drove home his brother with a single for a 5-1 score.

 

The big blow, however, was yet to be delivered.  Ross, the ninth of 10 batters in the frame, delivered a two-out double that drove in two and appeared to put the Pioneers in the driver’s seat at 7-1.

 

Bridgeport didn’t let the six-run deficit phase them. Instead, the Tribe sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the second. The result saw BHS score four runs with a pair of base hits, four walks and a hit batter.

 

BHS’s first three batters walked in the inning to load the bags. The fourth batter, Pitzer, then drew a bases loaded walk to make it 7-2. After Wayne got a line drive out for the first batter retired in the inning, Hineman’s fielder’s choice scored another run to make it 7-3.

 

The momentum continued to swing toward Bridgeport when Lesher was hit to reload the bases. That set the stage for Murphy in the cleanup spot. With two down and three Indians on base, Murphy delivered with a single that scored two to make it 7-5 after two innings.

 

The back and forth continued as Wayne exploded for three runs in the top of the third and it all came after Lesher retired the first two batters of the inning. Marcum got things going with a single and was followed by another full count walk to Thompson. Perry followed that with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-5.

 

Jeremiah Milum decided the Pioneers weren’t finished. He belted a double that nearly hit the left field wall that drove in the final two runs of the inning. The next batter, James Milum, nearly added to the total with a single, but a perfect Evan Ogden throw to his cutoff Stalnaker then to catcher Ethan Perry got Jeremiah Milum at the plate for the final out and a 10-5 score.

 

After the out, a rain delay of more than an hour took place. When the game resumed, the run scoring did as well. And this time it was Bridgeport’s turn in the third.

 

Bridgeport again loaded the bases with no one out as a walk, a hit batter and a bunt single by Ryan Goff got the bags full.

 

After a fielder’s choice led to a runner being thrown out at home, the next fielder’s choice produced offense. Kiefer’s grounder to the shortstop got a force at second, but the throw to first was not only late it was off the mark allowing two runs to score.

 

The bases would get reloaded when Hineman walked and Lesher got an infield single. Murphy then drew a four-pitch walk to drive home the final run of the inning to make it 10-8. Bridgeport’s hopes of more damage ended on a fly out to center field to leave them two runs behind.

 

After a scoreless fourth by both teams, Wayne again did damage to the Tribe. And again did it with two outs.

 

A single by Thompson and an intentional walk to James Milum brought Ross to the plate. Ross, for the third time in the game, collected a double. This time, his shot was just over the right fielder’s head and scored Thompson and Milum and put Wayne up 12-8 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

 

The situation became direr for the Indians in the sixth. The Pioneers added yet another run on a sacrifice fly by Thompson to make it 13-8 and set the stage for the incredible finish.

 

“This is the most resilient group I’ve ever had,” said Shields. “They’ve done this several times. I said sooner or later Father Time was going to run out on them, but they proved me wrong. They just have a never quit attitude.

 

“For them to do what they’ve done is awesome. I’m so pleased with them,” he continued. “There is so much fight in them.”

 

Murphy and Lesher led the Indians’ offense by both going 3-for-4. Murphy collected five RBIs in the game, while Lesher drove in three. Kiefer, Hineman and Stalnaker all had two hits in the game.

 

Kiefer picked up the win in one inning of relief.  He allowed one hit, three earned runs, walked three and struck out one. However, he was the pitcher of record when the Indians exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth.

 

Pitzer earned the save with one inning of action. He gave up one hit and struck out one.

 

James Milum and Ross led Wayne’s offense. Milum was 4-for-4 while Ross was 4-for-5 with three doubles and five RBIs.

 

The title is Bridgeport’s seventh baseball state championship – all in Class AA and all during Shields’ 32 years as a coach. Along with this being the fifth straight, the Indians won state titles in 1993 and 2000. When asked if they ever feel different after the game, the veteran coach said this.

 

“This one is special,” said Shields after the game.

 

Bridgeport ends the year 30-10. Wayne ends the year at 26-6.

 

Editor's Note: Photos by Joey Signorelli of www.benqueenphotography.com.