Rosewood downs Princeton baseball
By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on May 8, 2010 11:44 PM
PRINCETON -- There was no storybook ending this time.
Archrival Rosewood spoiled Princeton's senior night with a 12-0 victory in the Carolina 1-A Conference baseball regular-season finale for both teams Friday evening.
The Eagles left little doubt from the second inning on.
Jonathan Franks stroked a lead-off triple and was plated by a wild pitch. Will Beasley walked, Scott Pate singled and Trevor Cox delivered a base hit, and Pate scored on an error.
Taylor Price belted a sacrifice fly and Matt Neal added to the outburst with an RBI double. Cody Harris singled and Will Winslow capped the scoring with an RBI base hit.
When the dust cleared, Rosewood led 6-0.
"It was one of those innings that just started to snowball," said Princeton head coach Bruce Proctor. "A couple hits, a walk, an error ... a lot of things went wrong there."
Beasley added to the Eagles' lead with a solo homer in the third.
After collecting an additional run in the fourth, Rosewood put the game away in the fifth. Cox was hit by a pitch, Will Grantham singled and Price delivered an RBI base hit.
Neal plated a run with a single. Two runs scored when Winslow reached on an error.
"We really hit the ball well tonight up and down the order," said Eagles head coach Jason King. "We got some timely hits, and Matt Neal did a good job of controlling the game and staying focussed."
Neal earned the mound win by striking out four Bulldawg batters and scattering six hits.
The only trouble he faced in the game came in the first inning when Tyler Daniels and Dylan Myers each tallied base hits. Neal got out of the jam by inducing a weak ground ball and then picked Myers off at first base.
Rosewood (14-6 overall, 10-0 CC) returns to action at home Friday in the opening round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs.
"We have home field advantage and we need to have a good week of practice," said King. "Hopefully we can keep the momentum from tonight as we head into the postseason."