With a quick look at the hit totals from last night’s game between Bridgeport and Liberty in the Class AA, Region II baseball semifinal, it appears that the final would be close. After all, the Indians managed just five hits and the Mountaineers collected six.

 

When you dig a little deeper, however, you can see why the game proved not to be as close as that key statistic usually indicated. The Indians managed to collect seven walks, take advantage of a balk, one hit batter and four Liberty errors in what turned out to be a 10-0 victory in five innings of play.

 

“That was the type of game where we had the plate appearances we needed. We worked their pitching staff deep into counts, forced walks and also forced some errors,” said Bridgeport Coach Robert Shields. “We also ran the bases well whenever we got someone on. Looking back, the only time we really did not have things going the way we wanted was in the first inning. Still, I’m happy because we get to go to the next round.”

 

The next round kicks off tomorrow. Bridgeport will play Frankfort on the road tomorrow at 4 p.m.

 

The win moved Bridgeport to 34-3 on the year. Liberty closes the year at 16-12.

 

After a scoreless first, Bridgeport got all the offense it would need in the bottom of the second. And it came off the bat of Elijah Drummond. The talented junior, sporting a .515 batting average heading into the game, continued with the hot stick as he belted a three-run home run for the game’s first runs.

 

“He rarely has a bad at-bat for us,” said Shields. “That certainly wasn’t a bad at-bat.”

 

Bridgeport added two more runs in the third inning. A wild pitch plated one run and a Joe Dodrill RBI single plate the other. It was in the fourth when the Indians’ offense put the game away – and they needed just one hit to do it.

 

It was in this frame that walks, three errors and a hit batter spelled doom for the Mountaineers. To add to the woes by the visitors, Hunter Fain’s single scored two more runners for the Tribe.

 

BHS starting pitcher Sammy Aloi picked up his second postseason win of the season and has yet to allow an earned run. He struck out two Liberty batters, walked one and scattered six hits in his four innings of work.

 

“Sammy worked the ball in and out, which forced them into a lot of ground balls, which with the exception of the first inning error really benefitted us,” said Shields. “We played great defense again and that certainly helped.

 

Hunter Haddix also helped in relief. Any hopes of the Mountaineers extending the game were wiped out as he struck out the side in his lone inning of work.

 

Fain was the only player for BHS with multiple hits as he went 2-for-3 with a double. Joe LaRocca also added a double for the Tribe.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Elijah Drummond getting congratulated as he rounds third base by Coach Robert Shields after his 3-run home run in the second inning, while Sammy Aloi is shown pitching on his way to collecting the win for the Tribe. Photos by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.