NUTTER FORT, W.Va. — Sometimes, 24 hours can make all the difference.
After losing 11-0 in five innings on Friday at home, Frankfort bounced back and punched a ticket to Charleston, winning Game 3 of best of three Class AAA, Region II Final 10-6 over Bridgeport on Saturday at Frank Loria Field.
Tied at 6 after five innings, the Falcons (22-7) scored the game’s final four runs.
“We talked about it before the game with our guys,” Frankfort manager Matt Miller said. “Their pitchers, they’re good. But if we work counts, we can get guys on and we can hit. They can hit too, I mean my god, what a battle again. Our goal was to get guys on early, we did some more bunting than we usually do.”
With two on and one out, Jaxon Hare sent a ground ball past the shortstop into left for the go-ahead single in the top of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Jesus Perdew reached on an infield single to third.
Gunnar Bradshaw hit a grounder past the shortstop to score Perdew, then after Lanson Orndorf was intentionally walked, Blake Jacobs stepped into the box.
With two on and two out, he sent the first pitch on a line drive to left center for a two-run double to push Frankfort’s lead to 10-6.
“I knew I had to look for my pitch and they walked Lanson which he’s been hitting this whole tournament great,” Jacobs said. “Better than me, so I knew they were gonna go to that and I had to punish it. Look for my pitch and drive one.”
Hare gave up a two-out hit to Luke Rohrig in the bottom of the seventh, but forced a flyout to Uriah Cutter in right the next batter to end the game.
Hare allowed six earned runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
“It’s go big or go home,” Hare said. “You can’t worry about it. They score, you can’t worry about it. You gotta focus on the next play and keep your head up.”
In Game 2 on Friday, the Falcons were held to only four hits.
On Saturday, Frankfort produced seven in the first three frames and turned them into six runs.
“Patience at the plate, not trying to do too much,” Miller said of the difference in offense between the two games. “Yesterday, we were trying too hard at the plate. Today, we were letting the game come to us. We saw some good pitches to hit. We were more selective today, and that was the biggest difference.”
The Falcons scored on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded in the first and added another with a sacrifice fly with two on in the second.
Trailing 2-0, the Indians (24-10) evened the score in the bottom of the second on a single by Jacob Stavrakis.
“We had to get ahead of them to put a little pressure and at least change the mindset,” Bridgeport manager Robert Shields said. “Like I say, proud of our kids for fighting back. But I knew father time would run out on us. Being in that nature, it’s just a tough ballgame to fight, fight, fight.”
Frankfort answered with a four-run top of the third off a two-run single from Perdew and a two-run double by Lane Lease to take a 6-2 lead.
Bridgeport scored on a sacrifice fly in the third before adding two runs in the fourth on another sacrifice fly and a balk.
Now trailing 6-5 in the fifth, the Indians tied it at 6-all on another sacrifice fly.
“It’s a tough thing when you can’t get ahead of somebody,” Shields said. “You can do a lot of things as a coach differently when you’re up with a lead versus when you’re behind or tied. Kind of ties your hands running, hit-and-run it takes it away from you.”
With two on and two out, Perdew threw out the runner at third to end the inning and keep the game even at 6.
Orndorf, Jacobs, Hare, Perdew and Bradshaw each recorded a pair of hits and at least one RBI.
Bridgeport used three pitchers who combined to allow 10 earned runs on 12 hits and six walks.
“Everybody’s goal as a coach is get your leadoff runner on and they did that,” Shields said. “I mean, 12 hits, six walks, two hit batters, that’s a lot of men touching those bases. Hats off to my team, scrappy bunch, fought back.”
Frankfort advances to the Class AAA state tournament at GoMart BallPark in Charleston, West Virginia, beginning Friday.
The Falcons, the second seed, will play No. 3 Fairmont Senior approximately 50 after the 10 a.m. game between No. 4 Winfield and top-seed Ripley.
“This exact same thing happened last year,” Jacobs said of the Region Final. “We won game one, lost game two badly and we knew game three would be the exact same situation as last year. We were fine, we knew coming in we were gonna win.”
After winning the Class AA state title last season, the Falcons moved up to Class AAA this spring.
“I’m very happy to be 475 kids going to a Triple A state title when we should be in a Double A situation,” Miller said. “With the small group of kids we have, we battle, our kids have a lot of heart. I’ve said it all year long, I don’t care who we play, our kids are as talented as anyone. We can beat anybody and we’ve been proving that all year long.”