When the 2014 baseball season began for Bridgeport High School’s baseball team, veteran Coach Robert Shields looked at his roster and saw a whole lot of pitching. While he didn’t necessarily see an ace right off the bat, what he did see were a lot of kids capable of giving him strong innings.

 

Shields said more than a month ago if the pitching was solid, he was pretty sure the defense and the offense would be more than enough to have a quality season. Fast forward through Monday and the recent Easter holiday weekend and the good pitching Shields was hoping for has been there all season long.

 

“Outside of the Wheeling Park game that we lost where we gave up, I think six runs and the Robert C. Byrd loss, we’ve not allowed anyone to have huge offensive games against us,” said Shields. “That’s allowed us to have a pretty good start to the season.”

 

Pretty good may be a bit conservative. The Tribe, ranked No. 4 in Class AA, stands at 13-2 and is coming off an impressive championship showing in the Jack Cook Wooden Bat Invitational in Huntington.

 

How impressive?

 

Bridgeport opened up the tournament with a 13-0 win in five innings over Spring Valley. In that game, Tyler Skidmore got the win as he struck out six and walked three.

The big inning was a seven-run third led by a two-run triple by Joe LaRocca and a Houston Morris 3-run home run. While the Tribe had several big moments offensively, what was most important was that it set the stage to advance and play Class AAA, top-ranked Hurricane.

 

Early on, the Indians looked to be in trouble. Hurricane went up 2-0 in the first inning with three hits and a BHS error, but it set the stage for a game where the Tribe refused to give up.

 

Dante Bonamico finally got the Indians rolling with an RBI double in the second, but BHS looked to have squandered a huge opportunity. The Tribe left the bases loaded and was down 2-1 after two innings.

 

Hurricane went back up by two runs thanks to two more hits and another BHS error in the third for a 3-1 advantage. Then, a sacrifice fly by HHS in the top of the fourth plated another run to make it 4-1.

 

It was in the bottom of the fifth where the Indians really got things going. A Hunter Mann RBI single made the score 4-2 and then Skidmore showed he was as strong at the plate as he was on the mound with a two-run single to make the score 4-4 after five innings.

 

After watching miscues lead to a pair of Hurricane runs earlier in the game, a botched play led to some Bridgeport offense in the bottom of the sixth. One wild pitch led to two Bridgeport runs and a 6-4 score that would prove to be the final.

 

“We refused to give up in that game and it was nice to see different parts of the lineup doing it in different innings,” said Shields. “That was a really good game by our guys and it was impressive because we could have just quit, and we didn’t.”

 

Joe LaRocca got the win for the Indians on the mound. The victory moved them into Saturday’s title game against Huntington; the host school.

 

The championship game lived up to its billing. The game was scoreless until the sixth when Bridgeport took a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Skidmore and Zach Hineman hit back-to-back doubles for a 1-0 lead and then Anthony Bonamico, who was strong on the mound, helped his own cause with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

 

The Tribe, however, wasn’t done. A.C. Caldera then got an RBI single of his own and it was 3-0 Bridgeport. And there was still more to come.

 

Shields, who no one can accuse of being old school conservative, threw caution to the win for the fourth run. A Mann safety squeeze plated the fourth run of the inning and left the Tribe up 4-0.

 

The Highlanders, however, wouldn’t go gently. After getting one run on three hits in the bottom of the sixth, they would threaten again in their last at bat. Despite getting two runs, it wouldn’t be enough as the Tribe took a 4-3 win.

 

“Tournaments like that can be a barometer to see how you’re going to do in sectional play and other postseason play,” said Shields. “We had to be focused from start to finish and that’s what you have to do in order to be successful. I’ve told the kids that they can’t afford to put their game on cruise control and they didn’t in Huntington. To play like that bodes well for us if we want to get to where we hope to be at the end of the year.”

 

Anthony Bonamico got the win going six-plus innings. He fanned eight before giving way to Sammy Aloi, who picked up the save.

 

Shields’ concerns of going on “cruise control” were eased Monday. The Indians played host to No. 10 East Fairmont and rolled to an 8-3 win – their fifth straight.

 

“We got on them early, and then played consistent. I don’t think we let up, but we also didn’t put them away early like you should when you go up that big that fast,” said Shields.

 

The coach was referring to the Indians’ quick start. The Tribe scored six times in the first inning and then held off the Bees. Caldera had two hits in the game, including a double, while Max Dodrill and Hunter Fain also had doubles in the win.

 

Morris pitched a complete game to get the victory. Over seven innings, he allowed four hits with one strikeout and one walk.

 

Bridgeport is back in action tomorrow.  The Indians will play host to Buckhannon-Upshur at 4:30 p.m.

 

Editor's Note: Please check out the photo gallery below by Joe LaRocca of www.joelaroccaphotography.com. Above and cover photos courtesy of Joe LaRocca as well. A bonus gallery by Joe LaRocca from the East Fairmont game to be posted tomorrow or Thursday.