In the fourth inning of his team's 8-6 loss at MCI on Friday, Waterville pitcher Brian Bridger made one of the most astute plays you'll see in high school baseball this season.

With a runner on first and nobody out, MCI's Chris Cook hit a high pop-up that fell in short center field, between the shortstop, second baseman and center fielder, who all converged on the ball but couldn't make a play.

The ball wasn't hit sharp enough for MCI's Matt Delaney to take off from first base immediately. He had to wait to see if the ball would be caught. When it wasn't, Delaney took off for second. Most times, he would have been safe, with both the shortstop and second baseman going after the ball and neither covering the bag.

That's where Bridger earns points for hustle. Bridger came off the mound to cover second, and the Panthers were able to make the play and force out Delaney, while Cook's single became a fielder's choice.