Rohrig's perfect plate appearances lift Bridgeport past Robert C. Byrd

“He was locked in today,” Bridgeport coach Robert Shields said. “He had good plate appearances. Really good approach at the plate. I’m happy with that, very pleased. He’s our lead-off hitter. We need him setting the tone.”

Grant Lively picked up a win, tossing 3.1 innings. He allowed four runs, three earned, and struck out five while allowing eight hits.

Connor Blake gets the save with 3 2/3 shutout innings, letting up just two hits and striking out four.

Lively started well with a pair of strikeouts to strand a Byrd runner in the top of the first.

Rohrig, Kasen Baun and Mark Biafore walked to load the bases in the bottom half.

After a mound meeting with assistant coach Basil Lucas, O’Mara threw four strikes in five pitches to play into a pop out and strand three Bridgeport runners.

Overall, Bridgeport stranded 12 runners. Byrd stranded four. Bridgeport stranded loaded bases in three different innings.

For Shields, there’s obviously room for improvement as the game could have been won in five innings if everyone came across.

“That’s the thing,” Shields said. “We’re getting guys on, doing what we’re doing. I just want a steady flow every inning. Execution. Get there. We’re getting guys on now, we just gotta start knocking them in.”

As for RCB coach Andrew Smith, there’s a bright spot in that multiple pitchers found themselves buoying loaded basepaths.

“To be in those situations and have it work out,” Smith said. “I think there was a situation where we made it out unharmed and one where we only let up one run after having no outs. It speaks to fortitude and resilience.”

Lively struck out the side in the top of the second, retiring the Eagles in 14 pitches.

Curry reached second with an error to third base to start the home half. Romano followed with a walk. It brought back leadoff hitter Rohrig to the plate.

Taking the first pitch, Rohrig knocked a skipping grounder for a fielders’ choice before stealing second.

Brody Pierce plucked a ball to centerfield to score them both. The single helped Bridgeport lead 2-0 after two innings.

Pierce finished 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs and a run. Rohrig’s run was his first of three to lead the Indians.

RCB’s Jaxson Maglowski curved his second hit of the game to left field to lead off the third. JD Ford followed with his own single, working back from an 0-2 start.

Corsini grounded to Dylan Duvall at third, who snuck back for the force out before firing to first for the double play. Rowen Michaelis stretched off the bag to make the catch before toe-tapping first in time.

Ford scored from second on an infield RBI single from Xavier Carvelli. RCB trailed 2-1 heading into the home half.

After Baun drew a walk, Biafore sent a ball for recess at the playground in left-center field. The two-run homer gave Bridgeport a three-run advantage.

Michaelis followed with a double before advancing to third on a passed ball. With no outs, Currey drew a walk.

O’Mara’s day ended after it. Robert C. Byrd’s Ashton Shaffer entered in relief.

An RBI groundout from Curry scored Michaelis and advanced Currey to second. Romano drew an HBP and Rohrig walked to load the bases once more.

Shaffer struck out Pierce and played into a deep flyout to stop the bleeding. While Bridgeport again stranded three runners, the Tribe led 5-1 after three innings.

“I’m perplexed that we aren’t just getting up there — see the ball and hit the ball,” Shields said. “And I mean hit it. Our pitching is there, our defense, everything’s been fine. We’re gonna grow and get better.”

Saverio Destito and Shaffer singled to lead off Byrd in the fourth.

Dobbins drew an 0-2 count before singling to right field. It scored James Barnett, serving as a courtesy runner for the catcher Destito, and cut the deficit to three.

“We’re not gonna roll over,” Smith said of the fight in his team. “But against a team like Bridgeport, you can’t make mistakes that we made tonight.”

After a walk, a pair of Bridgeport errors on throws in which the game ball ended up past the Bridgeport dugout allowed Byrd to score two more.

Lively’s day ended shortly after. Connor Blake entered in relief, pitching into a double play to end the inning and strand a runner. RCB trailed 5-4 after the top of the fourth.

An error at second allowed Biafore to reach first. A Biafore steal, a wild pitch and a passed ball allowed him to score. Bridgeport led 6-4 after four innings.

After a flyout, Rylan Rock singled for Byrd in the top of the fifth. With it, Rock became the seventh batter to record a hit for Byrd, who finished with 10.

“If you would’ve told me we’d scratch 10 hits across Bridgeport, I’d take that eight days a week,” Smith said. “Offensively, I don’t think we could’ve hit a lot better than we did. Unfortunately, we hit right to them and they turned double plays once we had guys in scoring position.”

Two quick pickoff attempts worked to perfection for Bridgeport as Rock was caught stealing before Blake struck out Destito for the final out.

Romano walked in the bottom of the fifth before a wild pitch and a steal got him to third during Rohrig’s at-bat.

Rohrig is one of the best at getting on base. As he approached the box, he had not recorded a hit yet had three total bases.

He’s also one heck of a hitter.

Smoking a ball to the championship banners in left-center field, Rohrig tripled to score Romano and give Bridgeport a 3-run lead. Rohrig then scored on a Pierce RBI groundout. Bridgeport led 7-4.

Duvall singled to right field, Baun walked and Biafore singled to center. With loaded bases and two outs, Currey came back to bat and singled to score Duvall.

Bridgeport doubled its hit total for the game in the fifth, entering with four and ending with eight. While they stranded bases for the third time in the game, the Tribe led 9-4.

“We turned it on in the latter innings,” Shields said. “But the key is having a good approach and hitting the ball hard. I was pleased to see us get some. We had about 10 hard hit balls today in 18 outs. That’s something we’re gonna build from there.”

Blake struck out two to end the top of the sixth as Byrd stranded two runners.

Maglowski entered to pitch in the bottom of the sixth.

Bifano singled, taking Romano’s place. Romano did a great job as the nine-slot hitter of getting on base and helping wrap the order, drawing two walks and an HBP in his plate appearances.

Rohrig’s perfect day continued with a single on the left field line. Pierce and Justin Duvall walked to score a run and keep loaded bases. Maglowski was then replaced with Reed Lowther on the mound.

Jacob Stavrakis reached on a fielders’ choice and picked up two RBIs in Rohrig and Pierce. Bridgeport led 12-4 after six innings before Blake retired Byrd in order, ending the game.

Byrd’s Owen O’Mara takes the loss, allowing five runs in two innings of work and walking six.

Bridgeport is now 10-2 and prepares for the McDonalds classic this weekend. Before that, the Indians travel to Morgantown for a 5 p.m. matchup, weather permitting.

Robert C. Byrd falls to 5-5 and travels to Preston on Thursday.