Errors Sink Steamers
August 12, 2013 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, N.C - Peninsula (35-22, 3-1) scored nine runs on 12 hits and the Steamers (42-13, 2-2) committed four costly errors in a 9-0 drubbing at the hands of the Pilots on Sunday night at War Memorial Stadium in game one of the East Division Championship series.
Nick Miller (University of Northern Colorado) took to the mound in Hampton, V.A. against Justin Bhatti of the Pilots.
The Pilots came out of the gate flying, scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning on three straight RBIs. Alex Close hit an RBI fielder's choice followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Jordan Negrini and Josh Silver following two Steamer miscues.
Peninsula kept the pressure on in the very next inning, picking up a two-out infield single by Zach Lopes and after a throwing error moved Lopes to second base, Patrick Grady knocked him in with a single for a 4-0 lead.
Miller then put together back-to-back scoreless innings in the third and the fourth, facing only three batters in each frame to hold the line at 4-0 Pilots.
Peninsula blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth, chasing Miller before it was over. The pilots picked up five hits and a walk in the inning and Edenton committed their fourth error of the ball game. The error came on an RBI single by Alex Close that allowed the next two runners to score. Close came home on an RBI double by Negrini and Matt Dickason drove in the final run of the inning with an RBI groundout for a 9-0 lead.
Miller's night came to an end after four plus innings on the mound, allowing nine hits and nine runs (six earned). He walked two batters and struck out one, taking the loss and falling to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in the postseason.
Edenton meanwhile mustered just five hits in nine innings at the plate and none after the fifth inning. Bhatti pitched six strong innings for Peninsula allowing five hits and no runs, he walked one and struck out three. He improved to 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the postseason.
Edenton, who led the Coastal Plain League in fielding average, has now committed 11 errors in four Petitt Cup Playoff games and had an error in all three innings that Peninsula scored in.
Game two is in Edenton at Historic Hicks Field tonight, first pitch at 7:00 p.m. and the gates open at 6 p.m. The Steamers are faced with a do or die situation, needing to win two in a row at their home ball park if they want to advance to the Petitt Cup Championship for the fifth time in franchise history.
The Edenton Steamers are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 17th season in 2013, the CPL features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts.
Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,000 alumni drafted and 63 alums - including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander -make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as cplbaseball).
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Coastal Plain League Stories from August 12, 2013
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- Errors Sink Steamers - Edenton Steamers
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