Morgantown Beats Bridgeport, 4-1, in Class AAA Region I Championship Game
By Chris Johnson on May 22, 2024
Tristan Milik allowed three hits in six innings with six strikeouts and drove in a pair of runs as Morgantown defeated Bridgeport, 4-1, in the Class AAA Region I championship game on Wednesday.
Judd Messerly closed the door with his fourth save of the season. 
With the victory, the Mohigans improve to 29-8 and advance to next week's state tournament.
The Indians end their season at 32-6.
“Ten great seniors, BHS coach Robert Shields said. “What a great group of kids. They epitomized the word family. They all led. They are great group of young men. That’s what I’m hurting for the most. I wanted them to get the chance to get to Charleston and try to have a chance of winning it. It’s a special group of kids.
“They had a great year. They were loyal. They had great attitudes. They grew through the program. Nobody wants to end on a sour note. We just didn’t hit. We had great pitching but no matter what you have got to score runs.
“It takes nothing away from what they’ve done. I’m going to miss this group and they are going to be successful in their future endeavors, there is no doubt in my mind.”
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kasen Baun ripped a single to left to lead off the inning. After the bases were eventually loaded, Baun scored on Mark Biafore’s RBI groundout.
Zach Rohrig also had a single in the first inning but after that, BHS would only get one more hit the rest of the way – a third-inning single from Brody Pierce.
In three regional tournament games against Morgantown, BHS collected a total of eight hits.
“Eight hits in three games, that makes it hard to win,” Shields said.
After two hitless innings, the Mohigans finally got to BHS starter Blake Butcher in the third. Weston Mazey led off the inning with a single but was promptly picked off. Koa Silvers later hit a two-out single and Milik helped his own cause by driving in Silvers with a single. Butcher got out of the inning with a strikeout.
Milik drove in another run in the fifth with a single and Morgantown added runs via Mazey scoring on an error and Dylan Travinski sacrifice fly.
Eight hits in three games, it’s hard to win.
Butcher, making his first start since an emergency appendectomy, was solid despite being tagged with the loss. He allowed five hits in four innings. Only two of his three runs allowed were earned. He did walk five but also finished with six strikeouts.
Ben Bifano added three strong innings of relief for the Indians. He gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Morgantown's Noah Fields (4) get to third base safely as Bridgeport's Dylan Duvall awaits a throw. In the bottom photo, Blake Butcher delivers a pitch.
