T-L Photo/SETH STASKEY SHADYSIDE SENIOR Jordan Joseph slides safely into second base with a steal during the third inning of Friday’s game as Bridgeport’s Ciarian Flanagan awaits the throw. The Tigers picked up a 9-2 victory at chilly Fleming Field.

SHADYSIDE – Shawn Selmon loves his pitching staff. The Shadyside skipper utilized three of those talented arms as his Tigers stymied visiting Bridgeport, 9-2, on a cold and windy Good Friday afternoon.

Junior Rhys Francis, freshman Carson Makris and classmate Tyler Stottlemyer combined on a three-hitter in helping the talented Orange improve to 4-0 on the season. The Bulldogs dropped to 0-2.

“We want to keep our pitch counts down so we were planning to use some of our younger arms today. It worked out well,” Selmon said. “I thought all three pitched well. Rhys threw a quality four innings while Carson and Tyler finished it out in solid fashion. Pitching is definitely our strength.”

Francis improved to 2-0 on the season, besting Bellaire in his season debut six days prior.

He struck out five and issued just two walks. Makris worked a six-pitch fifth inning before Stottlemyer closed out the affair with two innings of solid work.

The trio did not surrender an earned run. Bridgeport tallied both of its runs courtesy of three Tiger errors in the third inning.

Shadyside struck for a run in the first inning when junior dandy Mason Vannest walked, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Junior ace Korey Beckett plated Vannest via a sacrifice fly.

Selmon’s charges made it a 3-0 count with a pair of runs in the second inning. Senior Jordan Joseph singled in one run before the second came home courtesy of a Bulldog error.

The Orange made it a 4-2 lighting in the third, after the Dogs tallied their two runs in the top of the inning. Junior standout Ryan Florence singled, stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. The Tiger catcher subsequently scored on an Alex Baker single.

Shadyside broke the contest wide open with a four spot in the fourth frame. After a walk and an error, Francis delivered a two-run single. Vannest followed with a sacrifice fly while Florence capped the uprising with an RBI single.

The Tigers dropped the curtain on the scoring with a single run in the sixth. Vannest legged out a triple and scored on a wild pitch.

“We have been preaching to try and get early leads where we can get some of our younger kids some time,” Selmon said. “It worked well today as we got some of them at-bats as well as work on the mound. Our hitting is still not where it needs to be but it was very cold and we are just four games into the season.

“We did get a little sloppy in the field today. We handed them both of their runs,” he added. “But it was a nice workmanlike win in less than ideal conditions.”

Junior CJ Fouty started on the hill for Bridgeport and turned in a solid effort before giving way to Alex Moore with two outs in the fourth. Fouty fanned three and passed two while Moore struck out one and walked a like amount.

Cooper Dulesky slammed a double for the Bulldogs while Fouty and Aiden Tarr checked in with singles.

“I thought we swung the bats a little better today than we did in our opener. CJ also handled himself well. It was the first time he pitched in two years. He pounded the strike zone pretty good,” Bridgeport coach Zach Winland said. “I thought we showed improvement today and competed. We lost to an excellent team.”

Bridgeport will look to break into the victory column when it visits Conotton Valley for a twinbill today, starting at noon. Shadyside returns to action Monday at River.

Bridgeport 002 000 0 – 2 3 3

Shadyside 121 401 x – 9 8 4

Batteries: Fouty (3K, 2BB), Moore (4) (1K,1BB) and White. Gregorcic D, Fouty S, Tarr S.

Francis (wp 5K,2BB), Makris (5) (0K, 0BB), Stottlemyer (1K, 0BB) and Florence. Vannest T, S, SF, RBI; Florence 2S, RBI; Francis S, 2 RBI; J. Joseph S, RBI; G. Joseph S; Baker S, RBI; Beckett SF, RBI.