Published: June 27, 2008 11:30 am            

Rays season off to rocky start

PRINCETON — It’s been a rough season so far for the Princeton Rays.

With nine games in the record books, the Rays recorded just two wins, but as General Manager Jim Holland pointed out, the numbers could be deceiving. Of the seven losses, only two of the contests were by margins more than 1 point, and the embattled Rays forced opponents into extra innings to claim three of the victories.

“You know, if you look at the record, we’ve lost six games, but we’ve only lost those six games by a total of eight runs,” Holland said Wednesday, before the Rays squared off against the Danville Braves at home.

The Braves and Rays took Hunnicutt Field in a series tied 1-1, but by the end of the night, the Braves’ hitting would prove hot, and errors would take a toll on the Rays’ game. Danville claimed the series with a 7-1 win in Princeton.

Righthander Alexander Colome took the mound as the Rays’ starting pitcher and held the Braves scoreless through the first inning, but both the Braves and the errors struck in the top of the second.

Danville’s Gerardo Rodriguez reached first on a fielding error at third base. He advanced to second when a force attempt and an error by shortstop Diogenes Luis sent Chris Shehan to first. Both runners moved up a base when Jon Gilmore got to first on catcher interference.

With the bases loaded and one out, the Braves’ Chris Anderson doubled to center, driving two of the runs home. Kuyannis Miles grounded out with a ball fielded by first baseman Eli Sonoqui, but Gilmore still had time to run home, bringing the score to 3-0.

The Rays tried to rally in the bottom of the second, as outfielder Ramon Novas singled on a grounder to center field. But, D.J. Jones and Dustin Biell were unable to continue the charge, flying and grounding out.

The Braves continued the raid in the top of the third when lead-off hitter Chais Fuller singled to center, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball by catcher Tomas Francisco. After a walk to L.V. Ware and a strikeout by Rodriguez, Fuller scored on a wild pitch, and Ware went home on Shehan’s ground-out to first.

At the close of the third inning, the Rays were trailing by 5 runs.

Their only answer came late in the fourth quarter, when second baseman Elias Otero started off with a triple hit toward right field. Rays third baseman Burt Reynolds grounded out, but first baseman Eli Sonoqui reached first on a line drive to left field, sending Otero home.

With the score standing at 5-1, Ramon Novas flew out to center, and D.J. Jones went down swinging.

The Braves returned in the top of the fifth with a homer by Rodriguez.

A hit and error again sent Rodriguez around the bases in the top of the eighth inning. He hit a long single to right field, but an error by Jones pushed him to third base. Gilmore sacrificed to bring Rodriguez home for the Braves’ seventh run of the night.

The Rays got one more chance in the bottom of the ninth. Novas hustled to first on a pop-up to center field, and a walk to Justin Reynolds put Rays on first and second bases. It looked like a Rays rally could be in the works, but a double play on Francisco’s hit to first ended the game.

The Braves’ Casey Hodges recorded the win, while Colome scored the loss.

The loss came just a day after the Rays handed Danville, the Appy League East’s top-ranked team, its second defeat of the season. It was a game of ups and downs, but the Rays came out on top for good in the eighth inning Tuesday night at Hunnicutt Field.

The Braves brought pitcher Derick Himpsl into the game in the top of the eighth, and he immediately walked Diogenes Luis to open the half-inning.

Luis capitalized on opportunity, stealing second and scampering to third on a wild pitch. When catcher Mayo Acosta sent a single into right field, Luis completed his circuit home and scored the winning run of the night.

The Rays’ Chris Luck, of Raleigh, N.C., got credit for the win, and Woodland, Calif.’s Matt Long picked up the save. The Braves’ Himpsl was listed as the losing pitcher.

The Rays were set to stay at home through Saturday, facing Burlington.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.

        

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