1A SOFTBALL: Princeton captures east regional championship

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 29, 2016 1:47 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

PRINCETON -- A new focus at the plate, a quick-strike strategy and determination.

Princeton put all three to good use Friday evening.

Disappointed from their offensive production that resulted in just three base runners 24 hours earlier, the Bulldogs took extra batting practice hours before a standing-room-only crowd arrived at the ballpark.

Head coach Terry Braswell decided to put a wrinkle in his offense -- small ball.

And his hungry, title-hunting Bulldogs -- for 91 minutes -- relentlessly pursued their prey.

It ended with Hailey Wood's 10th strikeout of the night. The senior righty pumped her fist by her side as Princeton dethroned reigning state champ North Duplin, 7-0, in game three of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A eastern regional series Friday evening.

The celebration began in the outfield and carried into the infield.

"It feels amazing," PHS junior second baseman Brianna Myers said.

There were no nerves this time.

Braswell urged his players to relax and enjoy themselves. And, he had a little fun, too. The veteran coach pulled the old stand-by, the bunt game, out of the playbook during the first two innings.

Myers legged out a bunt single that led to Wood's RBI sacrifice fly, which scored Megan Bryant in the first inning. Consecutive sacrifice bunts in the third inning set up Princeton's second run -- a two-out single that Taylor Carroll chopped over the head of Rebels' third baseman Haley Brogden into left field.

Braswell smiled.

"They're (North Duplin) a really good team and it helps to surprise them sometimes," he said.

Another sacrifice led to the Dogs' third run in the fifth inning. They all but salted away the outcome with a four-run, sixth-inning uprising against Brogden, who relieved starter Rylee Pate at the top of the fifth.

In all, top-seeded Princeton (22-2 overall) ended the night with eight hits and had 16 runners reach base. Myers and Carroll provided two hits apiece.

"I don't think we were ready last night," Myers said of the one-run loss Thursday at Calypso.

"I just think we weren't in it. Tonight, we talked to each other and got some motivation within ourselves. We came out here earlier today, hit some balls, got in the field and we got our heads right."

The Bulldogs' defense flashed some leather, too.

Myers helped turn two double plays -- a 1-4-6 twin killing that turned back the Rebels in the second, and a 1-4-3 rally-ending strike in the fourth.

Wood limited North Duplin to four hits.

"We were under pressure, but we got out of it like we usually do," Myers said. "We have each other's backs and we don't let each other down."

The second-seeded Rebels concluded the season 21-5 overall with four losses coming in six meetings against the Bulldogs. It was the final game for two seniors -- catcher Mikayla Koch and shortstop Shaily McCarty.

ND will return seven starters in 2017.

"We just kept battling and battling, but things just didn't work out for us tonight," Rebels head coach Ricky Edwards said. "I told the girls we've had a great two years regardless of what happened tonight.

"They can't let one game determine what their season was and I told them that before we ever started tonight. It's been a great ride."