MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It didn't take long for Bridgeport senior Blake Butcher to find his rhythm Friday night against Frankfort.

After he did, the left-hander never looked back, and Butcher consistently worked ahead to record 11 strikeouts over a strong effort that spanned 6.2 innings, leading the Class AAA No. 1 Indians to a 6-2 victory over the AA No. 5 Falcons as part of the Monongalia County Classic at Dale Miller Field.

"He had command of all three pitches and he fought back real well whenever he got behind in some counts," BHS coach Robert Shields said. "When you keep people off base the way he did, you're going to be successful."

Butcher struck out a pair in the first inning, which ended with Frankfort (4-4) stranding a pair.

The Indians (6-2) scored when they came to bat for the first time on Owen Sondericker's single to right that brought in Luke Rohrig, who had drawn a walk and advanced to second on a successful sacrifice.

Bridgeport added a second run in the opening frame on a Talan Thomas fielder's choice that allowed Sondericker to score.

For a team coming off an 8-4 loss to Robert C. Byrd on Wednesday, it was the exact start the Indians desired.

"Yesterday in practice, we worked really hard on a two-strike approach and having a purpose at the plate," Shields said. "We tried to have a short-term memory because this is such a great event and playing these type of teams helps." 

Butcher worked around Rhett Sensabaugh's leadoff single in the second by striking out each of the next three Falcons.

The Tribe squandered a chance to add to its advantage in the second after loading the bases with one out, and FHS cut its deficit in half when it came to bat in the third as Jaxon Hare doubled to the gap in left-center, enabling Lanson Orndorf to score from first.

The Falcons ultimately stranded the tying run at the third to end that inning, and when they returned to bat in the fourth, they did so facing another two-run deficit after Anthony Julian singled to left to score Aidan Dunn, who had doubled an at bat earlier.

Butcher struck out the side in the fourth and the Indians gained their first three-run advantage in that inning when Jax McNally singled to right to score Rohrig, who had reached on an infield single and stole second.

Trailing 4-1 in the fifth, Frankfort had an opportunity to draw closer when two of its first three batters reached in that inning.

But Butcher induced a ground ball off the bat of Jesus Perdew for a fielder's choice and the second out, and Talan Thomas made a sliding catch in right field on a ball off the bat of Gunnar Bradshaw, ending the FHS threat.

Sondericker and Thomas delivered each delivered a run-scoring single in the sixth to make it 6-1.

"They know we're a good baseball team and we're just not playing the way we're capable of right now," Frankfort coach Matt Miller said. 

One out short of a complete game, Butcher was relieved by Cooper Straley in the seventh. He was immediately greeted by Perdew's single to plate Jacobs, before Bradshaw hit a ground ball to second for the final out.

Butcher walked three and scattered six hits over his strong outing.

Hare took the loss for Frankfort. He went three innings and allowed four runs on nine hits.

"Jaxon wasn't on his 'A' game tonight and he'd tell you that, but he still battled and kept us in the game," Miller said. "Their guy threw strikes all night and we kept taking fastballs and then swinging at bad pitches. When you take strike one and put yourself in a hole, it's hard to hit. We kept taking strike one and then chasing stuff out of the zone at times. He did a great job battling and threw a really good game tonight."

Of Bridgeport's 12 hits, Rohrig, McNally and Sondericker — the team's first three batters in the lineup — combined for six, with each player recording two.

The Indians also struck out only three times and finished with seven stolen bases, three of which Rohrig swiped.

"We put the ball in play and cutdown on strikeouts, which wasn't the case on Wednesday," Shields said.

Perdew and Sensabaugh both had two hits in defeat for a Frankfort team that totaled seven.