GRANVILLE, W.Va. — Offense was at a premium Saturday afternoon in a clash between two of the state’s premier baseball programs in Bridgeport and Jefferson.
In turn, every mistake was magnified at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
Fortunately for the Tribe, starting pitcher Jacob Stavrakis made few, if any, while holding Jefferson to five hits over a complete game shutout to lift the Class AAA No. 2 Indians to a 3-0 victory.
“The first inning was his toughest inning finding the strike zone,” Bridgeport head coach Robert Shields said, “but after that he was in control of all three pitches and he did a great job.“
Stavrakis struck out three and issued four base-on-balls, pitching effectively to contact and relying heavily on ground balls to help produce three double plays, all of which were imperative in the outcome.
The first came in the top of the second inning with the contest scoreless. No. 7 Jefferson had loaded the bases with no outs, before Stavrakis struck out Ty Vickers. Sam Hefner then stepped into the batter’s box and sent a ground ball to shortstop that resulted in a force out for the second out, but brought one run in. In an effort to complete the double play, Indians’ shortstop Kasen Baun fired to first base, but the throw got away and enabled what appeared to be a second Jefferson run to score. However, Cougars’ baserunner Cole Lewis was ruled to have interfered with Baun during his slide into second base, which resulted in a third out and both runs being taken off the scoreboard.
With the game still scoreless in the third, Bridgeport broke through. Michael Romano led off the frame with a bunt single and after he was retired on Zach Rohrig’s fielder’s choice, Rohrig came around to score on a Brody Pierce double to left.
“We were fortunate to get out of the bases loaded jam with the interference call. That could’ve been a big inning for them and instead, we capitalized the next inning,” Shields said. “It was good to get on top.“
The Indians (17-3) had a chance to add to their advantage when they put two runners on the next inning, but Gross induced a fly ball to left off the bat of Romano for the final out of the frame.
Jefferson (13-8) threatened to tie the game in the fifth when Hefner had an infield single with one out. He was retired on a Nayan Dominguez fielder’s choice, and although Dominguez successfully stole second base with two outs, and he took off for third when the ball squirted away, only to be thrown out in the process.
“Little plays are magnified. We don’t slide at second or we swing at a ball at our shoe tops or don’t keep the ball in front of you in the outfield, and that’s the difference in the game,” Jefferson head coach John Lowery said. “You try to emphasize the point that you never know when those plays are going to come. But they’re young and working hard, and if we learn from those things, it’s a plus.”
Bridgeport gained complete control in the home half of the fifth. Pierce drew a one-out walk and came around to score after Dylan Duvall’s well-struck hit that bounced over the head of the Cougars’ centerfielder and rolled all the way to the wall, resulting in an inside-the-park two-run home run.
“I was watching what was going on with the other two outfielders when they went after it, and they were so far away,” Shields said. “I was trying to hope that by the time they got to the ball, Dylan was close to third base. They’d have to make two good throws, so I was going to keep him moving.”
After Stavrakis walked Riley Morgan with one out in the sixth, he induced an inning-ending double play to second off the bat of No. 3 hitter Alex Tanner.
Gross retired the side in the bottom of the sixth and the Cougars didn’t go quietly in their final at bat.
Serf Guerra led off the seventh and laced a ball to left field that looked as though it had a chance to go for extra bases, only for Pierce to reach up at the last second and snag it for the first out. The play proved even more critical when AJ Spears followed with a single and a two-out single from Will Polivnale allowed Hefner to step to the plate as the tying run.
However, Stavrakis got Hefner to hit a pop up to shortstop on the first pitch, preserving his shutout and a victory for a team that had lost earlier Saturday to St. Maria Goretti (Md.), 5-4.
“We put the ball in play and sometimes you hit them at them and sometimes you get the base hits,” Lowery said. “Their left fielder makes a great play, and if he doesn’t make that play, we’d have an opportunity to tie the game.”
Spears was 2-for-3 and the only player with more than one hit in a game that featured nine between the two squads.
“We got the timely hits when we needed them,” Shields said. “That’s the way you have to do it against a quality club like Jefferson. You have to be able to scratch some runs across knowing it would be a low-scoring game.”
Gross allowed four hits, struck out six and issued three base-on-balls.
“We’re really excited with our pitcher. He’s only a sophomore and he’s consistent and establishing himself,” Lowery said. “When you get to tournament play and double elimination, you need three or four pitchers. He’s certainly shown he can be that guy.”