Errors prove crucial in Princeton loss

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on May 1, 2013 1:47 PM

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PRINCETON -- Six errors proved too much for Princeton to overcome in an 11-6 loss to Carolina 1-A Conference baseball foe Ayden-Grifton on Tuesday evening.

Eight of the Chargers' 11 runs were unearned.

"That is not Princeton baseball for sure," Princeton head coach Bruce Proctor said. "We know that defense wins you close ballgames and, tonight the hitting was there and the defense was not."

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Matt Edwards reached on an error and later scored on Josh Boykin's RBI double.

Ayden-Grifton (16-6 overall, 6-3 CC) answered immediately.

Jake Wilkins singled to lead off the second inning and moved into scoring position when Zach Johnson drew a walk. Clay Wilson followed with an RBI single. Johnson scored on Mike Stancil's ground ball and Blake Allen plated a third run when he hit into a fielder's choice.

Princeton cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning, but could not hold the momentum.

Ayden-Grifton benefited from four Bulldog errors in the top of the fifth and pushed five runs across the plate. The Chargers added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh to make the score 11-4.

Princeton (7-12, 3-6) started a rally in its final at-bat when Jonathan Croom walked and Edwards reached on a fielder's choice. Matt Daughtry was hit by a pitch and Boykin followed with an RBI single.

Daughtry scored on a passed ball two pitches later to make the score 11-6, but the Bulldogs could get no closer.

Connor Bowen pitched a complete game for the win on the pitcher's mound. Michael Wooten suffered the loss for the Bulldogs despite allowing just three earned runs over 5 2/3 innings.

"The only reason we had to go get Michael was due to pitch count," Proctor said. "He was getting ground balls, but we were not making the plays defensively to get out of the innings."

Princeton travels to Rosewood on Friday night.

"We have put ourselves in a position where we have to go and hopefully get a win on Friday night if we want to have any chance to make the playoffs," Proctor said. "The only way we have a shot is to earn a wild card, which means we need as many wins as possible."