Bridgeport Little League Wins State Championship Before Large Hometown Crowd
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Bridgeport’s 9-10-11 Little League All-Stars captured a West Virginia state championship Sunday evening, defeating Ceredo-Kenova 11-1 before a large hometown crowd at The Bridge Sports Complex.
The championship completed an unbeaten week for Bridgeport. The All-Stars won all five of their state tournament games and outscored their opponents 41-3 during the run. Three of Bridgeport’s five victories came by at least 10 runs, while the team also showed it could win a close game with a 2-1 victory earlier in the tournament.
A full photo gallery from Sunday evening’s championship game, captured by Ben Queen, is included with this story.
Sunday’s victory provided a fitting conclusion to a full week of tournament baseball in Harrison County. The Bridge Sports Complex hosted teams from around West Virginia from July 5 through July 12, bringing players, coaches, families and supporters from communities across the state to Bridgeport.
Bridgeport opened the tournament with a 5-1 victory over Barboursville before defeating Jefferson 2-1. The All-Stars then posted a 13-0 victory over Hurricane and advanced to the championship game with a 10-0 win over Central Greenbrier.
That set up Sunday evening’s title game against Ceredo-Kenova.
With a state championship on the line, a large crowd of local supporters gathered around the field to watch Bridgeport complete its tournament run. The All-Stars took control of the game and secured the 11-1 victory, setting off a championship celebration on their home field.
The tournament also gave The Bridge another opportunity to serve as the site of a major statewide youth sporting event. For much of the week, the complex became a gathering place for Little League communities from across West Virginia, with multiple games determining which team would leave Bridgeport as state champion.
In the end, it was the hometown team that claimed the championship.
The title extends Bridgeport’s summer and sends the team beyond West Virginia. Bridgeport will next represent the state at the 9-11 Tournament of State Champions in Wilson, North Carolina, with teams scheduled to report the first week of August.
Bridgeport will make that trip after a perfect state tournament performance, a championship victory before its home community and a week that placed Harrison County at the center of Little League baseball in West Virginia.
