HUNTINGTON — Top-seeded Bridgeport spent most of Tuesday’s Class AAAA quarterfinal trying to avoid an upset against eight-seeded East Fairmont.
The Indians (31-4) found it just in time.
Guy Avolio delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Lucas Rohrig from third base and lifting Bridgeport to a 3-2 victory over East Fairmont at Jack Cook Field.
The win sends Bridgeport into the Class AAAA semifinals after the Bees (21-9) pushed the top seed to the brink for seven innings.
East Fairmont struck first in the opening inning. Owen Music worked a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored when River McClain lined an RBI double to give the Bees a 1-0 lead.
Bridgeport didn’t answer until the fourth.
Cole Arnett doubled down the left-field line with two outs before Anthony Julian punched an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at 1-1.
The score remained deadlocked until the sixth when East Fairmont capitalized on a Bridgeport error. Music reached on the miscue, moved to third on a groundout and crossed the plate on a wild pitch to put the Bees back in front, 2-1.
Bridgeport’s best chance before the seventh came in the fifth. Aidan Dunn was hit by a pitch and Rohrig followed with a bunt single before Jaxson McNally’s sacrifice advanced both runners into scoring position. East Fairmont escaped the jam when Owen Sondericker lined out and Kasen Baun grounded out.
The Indians finally broke through in their final at-bat.
Dunn was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and Rohrig followed with a ground-rule double to deep center field, putting runners on second and third with nobody out. McNally then grounded out to shortstop, bringing home Dunn with the tying run.
After East Fairmont intentionally walked Schnore and Baun, Rohrig and Sondericker executed a double steal to move into scoring position.
Avolio then lifted a fly ball to deep left field, allowing Rohrig to tag and score the winning run as Bridgeport escaped with the victory.
Rohrig finished 3 for 3 with two runs scored and a double to lead Bridgeport’s six-hit attack. Arnett added two hits, including a double, while Julian drove in the Indians’ first run.
Sondericker earned the complete-game victory, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out six over seven innings.
McClain and Music accounted for East Fairmont’s only hits. McClain drove in a run with his first-inning double, while Music scored both Bees runs.