1A PLAYOFFS: Princeton softball team shuts out Perquimans

By Staff Reports
Published in Sports on May 22, 2016 1:47 AM

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PRINCETON -- Top of the seventh.

Bases loaded with two outs.

A trip to the east regional championship series on the line.

Would there be a dramatic rally?

Not on this night.

Princeton catcher Kelsey Peedin stood her ground and tagged out Perquimans' Megan Denson, which capped a 4-0 victory in fourth-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A softball playoffs Friday evening.

The top-seeded Bulldogs (20-1 overall) open regional play at home Tuesday against defending state champion North Duplin, which advanced with an 8-5 triumph over Pinetown Northside.

Game one in the best-of-three series is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start.

Bulldog right-hander and Pirates' hurler Kaitlyn Christian locked up in a pitcher's duel during the first 31/2 innings. The lone hit came from Brianna Myers, a single to center field.

Princeton finally struck in the fourth inning.

Myers ignited a three-run uprising with a double to center field and scored on Taylor Carroll's single over the second baseman's head. Beth Braswell plated Myers and Wood, who singled earlier in the inning, raced home on Casey Mitchell's run-scoring double up the middle.

Braswell provided an RBI double in the sixth.

Myers and Braswell combined for four hits on the night.

But Perquimans threatened one more time. Megan Denson reached on an error to start the seventh and moved into scoring position when Wood walked Amanda Pulley.

An infield error juiced the bases for the Pirates.

Wood induced a game-ending groundout, and finished with a one-hit, 10-strikeout effort on the rubber.