The ball gets past Frontier catcher Davyn Ferrell as Bridgeport’s Brode Brown slides home safely during Friday’s game in New Matamoras. (Photo by Mike Morrison)

NEW MATAMORAS – In a nearly 25-game high school baseball season there will be games you learn from, games you will always remember and games you would just as soon forget.

It’s certain that the latter would be the best way to describe Friday evening’s contest at home against Bridgeport for the Frontier Cougars as they had a three-game winning streak snapped in an 8-1 loss to the Bulldogs.

Bridgeport starting pitcher Connor Nelson fanned 13 Cougar batters as he tossed a complete game two-hitter, and the Frontier defense committed 10 errors as they lost for the second time on the season to the Bulldogs.

First-year Frontier head coach Corey Powers was quickly ready to erase the game from his team’s memory as they have to play again in less than 18 hours.

“So far this year we have relied on our defense to carry us and we have been solid defensively,” said Powers. “I guess you will have nights like this and we will just have to put it behind us.”

Things got off to a lackluster start for the Cougars as starting pitcher Luke Mendenhall was unable to retire any of the five Bulldog batters that he faced.

Mendenhall walked three batters, hit another and allowed a two-run single to second baseman Xander Wilson as the Bulldogs first four hitters crossed the plate.

Powers brought in Zerik Rinard to pitch and he walked a pair of hitters as well but got a pop-out double play to end the inning and minimize the damage with the Bulldogs taking a 4-0 lead.

While the Bulldogs batted around in the opening inning Nelson previewed what was to come as the right hander set the Cougars down in order in the bottom of the first.

Bridgeport added to their lead in the top of the second as shortstop Jaki Threet delivered a single that plated two more runs and extended the lead to 6-0.

The Cougars put their first runner on base in the bottom half of the second inning on a Bridgeport error but Nelson got Rinard to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

After walking four of the first six batters he faced, Rinard settled down on the mound and retired the Bulldogs in order in the third.

Threet delivered his second run-scoring hit of the game in the top of the fourth to make it a 7-0 game.

Nelson would only get stronger and stronger as the game went along as he fanned all six Cougar hitters he faced in the third and fourth innings.

“He’s our ace and he sure pitched like it tonight,” said Bridgeport head coach Bill Timko of Nelson, who threw just 75 pitches. “He can go 86 or 87 on his fastball and they weren’t catching up to it so he just kept throwing it.”

After being no-hit over the first four innings, the Cougars eliminated the possibility of both a no-hitter and a shutout as they plated a run in the fifth off of Nelson.

Center fielder Austyn Kephart got the mini-rally started by singling up the middle and after he stole second and third base, he came in to score on an RBI hit by Rinard.

The Cougars caught a bit of bad luck to end the inning when first baseman Ethan Rinard hit the ball hard only to have the Bulldogs turn his line drive into an inning-ending double play.

Nelson would not allow a single base runner the rest of the way as he retired the final seven in the game.

“That’s the hardest throwing kid and the best pitcher we have seen all year,” said Powers of Nelson. “He throws hard and throws strikes and we just haven’t seen anyone like that.”

In addition to his 13 strikeouts, Nelson did not walk a single batter and faced just one batter over the minimum to get the win.

Tinko’s team has had off nights like Frontier had and he realized his team was fortunate to catch the Cougars on an off night.

“I’ve been there when you don’t have much pitching left and you just hope for the best but nothing goes your way,” said Timko. “They did the best they could with what they had and they’ve got a good ball team over there that has quite a few wins left in them.”

The Cougars (4-6) have no time at all to lick their wounds as they are right back in action Saturday morning against a very good Cameron team.

“We told them to forget it because we’ve got another one in the morning,” said Powers.

Bridgeport improved to 5-6 with the win.

at Frontier High School

WP: Connor Nelson: 7IP, 2H, ER, 13 SO.

LP: Luke Mendenhall: 0IP, H, 4ER, 3BB

Zerik Rinard: 4.2 IP, 4H, 3ER, 5BB, 2SO

Mason Arnold: 2.1 IP, R, 0ER, SO.

Leading hitters

Bridgeport (5-6): Jaki Threet 2-3, 3RBI, Nelson 1-4, 2R, Brode Brown 1-2, 3R, Xander Wilson 1-2, R, 2RBI.

Frontier (4-6): Austyn Kephart 1-3, R, Zerik Rinard 1-2, RBI.

Next Game: Saturday, Frontier at Cameron.