Bridgeport battles, but bows out of sectionals to University

“Sports are like that, though…best night of their life last night and then, today, heartbroken. They’re going to have to deal with that in life.”

Campbell finished with 13 strikeouts and also didn’t walk anyone in a complete game in the circle.

Bridgeport could not capitalize on Rachel Mason’s leadoff single in the first, their only one, as it turned out, as Campbell struck out the next two hitters, then Kileigh Pugh’s sharp liner to center was gloved.

Campbell led off the UHS first with a single, then Anna Argabrite walked.

Lauren Huebsch then hit into a fielder’s choice, with Argabrite being forced at second, but Campbell alertly rounded third and scored on the play.

After Campbell struck out the side in the second, the Hawks added on another run as Ally Jansen singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Kelsey Park’s single to right-center field.

Bridgeport once again got a leadoff runner in the fourth as Pethtel reached on an error, but Campbell quickly retired the next three hitters.

Bridgeport then had an excellent defensive inning in the bottom of the fourth as shortshop Addison Veigel snared a hard liner and second baseman Maddie Garner dove to catch a popout and keep the deficit at 2-0.

“We held them on the defensive side for five innings and really bluffed our hand,” Holcomb said. “The wheels fell off the wagon there.”

The Hawks broke through in the sixth, though, as Sophia Lehosit reached on an error, Jansen singled, and Bree Royce’s fly ball fell into shallow center for an RBI single.

An error brought Jansen in with the fourth University run.

Campbell then hit a grounder to third and Mason did well to get Jansen in a rundown, but, after a few throws back and forth, the ball was dropped, Jansen dove back to third, everyone was safe and the bases were loaded for Argabrite with one out.

Argabrite’s liner to center just fell in front of Kyleigh Anderson, scoring a run, then Olivia Masoner plated two with a single up the middle.

Huebsch was hit by the pitch to load the bases, but Garner didn’t hesitate to fire home for a force out on Lehosit’s grounder; that, plus a popout, kept the season alive for the Tribe for an inning more.

“Just to see the growth from the beginning of the season to this point, even with the loss, that’s all I can ask for. That group of seniors, it’s my second year with them, the growth they’ve shown is remarkable. Those seniors, I hate that it ended this way for them, but I’m glad we got last night for them. That’s what I want them to remember.”

Masoner had two hits and she and Park each drove in two runs to leave University offensively, while Campbell scored twice.

Five of the runs allowed by Pethtel on nine hits were unearned; she struck out two.

Bridgeport ends the year with a 13-15 record.

“If we had a couple more games, I think we’d stay rolling. But hats off to University and hopefully they keep it going in the regional,” Holcomb said.

University improves to 24-5 and advances to the best-of-three regional series next week against either Morgantown or John Marshall.