By BOB REDD
PRINCETON — The Mercer Cup is headed back to Princeton.
Knuckleballer Joey Callender pitched a complete game six-hitter as the Princeton Rays beat the Bluefield Orioles 3-1 in the second game of a twin bill Thursday night at Hunnicutt Field after dropping the first game 2-0.
Kipp Schutz hit Callender’s second pitch of the second inning over the wall in right to give the Baby Birds a 1-0 lead in the nightcap.
In the Princeton second, Julio Cedeno reached on an Orioles error and David Wendt blooped a single to center to put Rays on the corners. Brandon Holloway nearly worked out of the jam as he got the next two Rays out. But Dan Rhault singled up the middle to score Cedeno and knot the game at 1.
The contest settled into a pitching duel between Callender and Holloway. Both teams got runners aboard and both defense turned double plays that snuffed out potential rallies.
Princeton broke through in the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Rowe and Spracher and a bunt single by Ty Morrison loaded the bases. Brian Bryles hit a grounder to second and the force out was made and interference was called on Morrison as he went into second and a double play was awarded to the Orioles. However on that play, Rowe crossed the plate to give Princeton a 2-1 lead. Spracher scored when Bluefield shortstop Javier Santana collided with the center fielder and second baseman and dropped a pop up in short center. That ended the night for Holloway as Ryan Palsha came on in relief and shut the door.
The Orioles went to pinch hitters in the seventh and Mike Flacco got a two-out pinch-hit single. But Callender recorded the final out to win the game.
The first game was just as dramatic. Before Roscoe the Rooster could adjust his uniform the Orioles tagged a run on the board. Javier Santana led off with an infield single and went from first to third when Wilking Rodriguez’s pickoff throw sailed down the right field line. Santana scampered home on Mikey Planeta’s groundout to first.
Matt Hobgood retired Princeton on nine pitchesd on both the first and second innings. Princeton got its first base runner when Kyle Spracher reached on an error with two out in the third, but he was stranded. Cody Rogers got the Rays’ first hit in the fourth with one down. Ryan Wiegand followed with a single, but a double play ended the Princeton threat.
Rodriguez was stellar on the mound for the Rays. Following Santana’s leadoff hit he retired the next 16 Orioles in a row. The string was broken when Dashenko Ricardo singled to the hole at short in the sixth inning.
Santana followed with a single tro right to put runners on the corner and at that point Rays manager Jared Sandberg called on Kirby Yates with two on and one out. Casamayor’s infield single scored Ricardo to make it 2-0.
Andrew Heubner took the mound for Bluefield to open the sixth, relieving Hobgood and set the Rays down in order.
Bluefield got its first two runners aboard in the seventh when Jose Kianes singled and Cory Thomas walked. Luis Ramirez grounded out and moved the runners 90 feet ahead. Yates then retired the next three birds to end the inning. Princeton donned the rally caps in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally never came and the Orioles got the shutout win. Hobgood got his first professional win as he worked five innings, allowed two hits and struck out two. Huebner worked the final two innings to earn the save. Rodriguez suffered the loss. He worked 5 1/3 innings, allowed two runs but only one earned, gave up only two hits and stuck out seven.
Bluefield (27-23) and Princeton (27-20) play again tonight at Hunnicutt Field. Pirst pitch is set for 7 p.m.
