Heading into this evening’s Class AA state title game, Bridgeport had a state record streak of five-straight state championships. The pitcher looking to run the streak to six had thrown a total of seven innings all season.

 

The decision by veteran Coach Robert Shields to start Nick Stalnaker had a championship payoff as Stalnaker’s five-inning effort on the mound helped pace the Indians to a 5-2 win against Frankfort at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston. That gives Bridgeport its sixth-straight ‘AA’ title – unprecedented in any class – and eighth title overall since Shields took over the program in 1987.

 

The right-handed Stalnaker gave up two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out one. It was only his second start of the season for the BHS junior.

 

“I decided to start Nick because he’s a gamer,” said Shields. “He’s a great athlete who thrives in big moments, so I wanted to put the ball in his hands.

 

“It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision.  We’ve been working on him throwing throughout the postseason and pumping him up because we felt it was time for him to step up,” Shields continued. “He went out and did it and whenever he got into any issues the defense was right behind him.”

 

As for Stalnaker, he had no idea he was pitching today - until early this a.m.

 

“This morning, coach called me and he was like, ‘You want the ball?’ I said, ‘Yeah.' I had heard there was a possibility I might go, so I was ready," said Stalnaker.

 

Shields said as pleased as he was with Stalnaker, he was more pleased with his defense. Double plays, extra effort and making almost all of the routine plays – along with an offense that steadily produced runs throughout – was the difference.

 

“That was as good as we’ve played defensively all year. We did what we had to do in all phases of the game against a team like Frankfort,” said Shields.

 

The victory by Bridgeport leaves it with a season-ending 31-7 mark. Frankfort closes the year at 27-6 with two of its losses to Bridgeport.

 

It was Bridgeport that would strike early. And they did it in typical BHS fashion – they took advantage of all the situations in front of them.

 

Ryan Goff led off the frame with a single up the gut to get things started. It appeared Goff might be part of an early double play when Vincenzo Cava’s grounder went right into the glove of the Frankfort second baseman.  However, the ball was bobbled and the throw to try and get Goff forced out was off line and drew the shortstop off the base to put runners on first and second with no one out.

 

The Tribe then turned to the bunt with their number three hitter, Stalnaker. Stalnaker placed a perfect bunt down the line to move runners up with one out and set the stage for two runs to be scored early. It wouldn’t be the last time the Indians would bunt to put themselves in position to runs on the board.

 

Ethan Perry drove in the first run as he hit a long sacrifice fly to right field that drove home Goff and moved Cava to third. The next batter, Drew Harbert, lived up to his role as the team leader in RBIs with a single that found just enough real estate in right field that plated Cava and gave the Indians the early two-run advantage.

 

BHS dodged a bullet in the top of the second. After two quick outs, the inning appeared to be over with a grounder to third. Unfortunately, an error on the play was followed by an infield single and another infield grounder that was ruled to be an error to load the bases.

 

Stalnaker was able to work out of the threat. He induced a fly ball to center field that Quintin Reep tracked down to end the threat and leave BHS in front.

 

Unfortunately for BHS, it would return the favor in the bottom of the second. A leadoff single by Trey Pancake was followed by Reep reaching after being hit by a pinch. Once again, with runners on first and second and no one out the Tribe opted to bunt, and Austin Sponaugle delivered to move up both runners.

 

With one out, Goff walked to load the bases and put Bridgeport in position to make things uncomfortable early for the Falcons. However, a fielder’s choice drew a force out at home and that was followed by Zack Whitacre getting a strikeout to end the inning and leave the score 2-0.

 

The score would remain the same until the bottom of the fourth when the Tribe added to their advantage. Pancake started the frame with a walk and then stole second base to put himself in scoring position.

 

This time, Sponaugle wasn’t asked to bunt. Instead, the number nine hitter hit a grounder with enough pop that it got past the Frankfort second baseman and allowed Pancake to score from second for a three-run advantage.

 

Frankfort made another big threat in the top of the fifth only to have the door shut on it by the Indian defense. The Falcons managed to get runners on the corners thanks to a Zack Whitacre one-out single and then moving to third on a successful hit and run single by Caleb Hare.

 

The momentum would be snuffed out two pitches later. A sharp grounder to Goff at short saw the sophomore step on second and then throw a rope to Trent Tucker at first for an inning-ending double play to preserve the three-run advantage.

 

FHS couldn’t return the favor of stopping BHS in the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Perry and Harbert, respectively, started the inning and then their courtesy runners – D’Andre Holloway and Jack Bifano – were both moved up on a yet another sacrifice bunt, this time by Evan Ogden.

 

“We just wanted to get a run in every inning and we got five in six. You have to get runs against a team like Frankfort that simply won’t quit,” said Shields. “The thing tonight is that we got runs by doing the correct things at the plate, like bunting, and they did those things in tough situations.

 

“When you move people around with less than two outs and can put the ball in play good things happen,” he continued.  “The good things happened tonight because we executed, and it happened more than once, including (the fifth).”

 

Indeed, it did. After the bunt moved up the runners in the fifth and produced the inning’s first out, J.D. Love pinch hit.  Love’s appearance paid dividends as he hit a deep fly ball that was good enough for a sacrifice fly to score Holloway and put the Tribe up 4-0.

 

The runs in those innings would be huge as Frankfort refused to go gently into the night. The Falcons managed to finally chase Stalnaker from the game at the start of the sixth inning and then loaded the bases with no one out before things got a little strange.

 

The next batter, Damon Spencer, hit a sharp line drive to right field that appeared to be caught by Cava. However, the play was ruled trapped by the umpire at first. The play was confusing enough that the runner from Frankfort never went home and, eventually, Goff took the relay and ran to step on home base for a force out.

 

Frankfort didn’t let the bad luck rattle them as the bases were still full. The next batter, Michael White, drove in FHS’s first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Brendan Whiteman and then the number nine hitter, Ben Nestor, followed with a single to left to score Sebastian Stewart and make it 4-2.

 

That would be it for FHS in the inning. Tyler Wilkinson ended up shutting the door in relief of Stalnaker to stop the rally.

 

In the bottom of the same frame, the Tribe got one of those runs back. With one down, Cava was hit by a pitch and then moved to second on a single by Pancake. That set the plate for Perry who got a single to sneak between the third baseman and shortstop and score Cava who was sprinting from second to make it 5-2.

 

It would prove to be the game’s final run. Connor Robe came on in the seventh and the Indians were able to celebrate a title after getting a game-ending and title clinching double play.

 

“This feeling never gets old and it’s because of the kids and the coaches I’m out here with,” said Shields.  “I’m so happy for these boys.”

 

Bridgeport finished with nine hits. Perry and Harbert both had two hits in the game with Perry collecting two RBIs. Through two games, the Indians did not have an extra base hit.

 

The Falcons finished with six hits. Hare was the only player with two hits in the game. Zack Whitacre was tagged with the loss as he went five and one-third innings and gave up nine hits, five runs (three earned), walked three and struck out four.

 

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