Rays down on the farm September 9: Princeton season ends with loss

It was a great season for Princeton, but ultimately they blew one too many leads against Greeneville in the short series.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (74-70)

Durham's season is over.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (43-27)

Montgomery was off.

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (1-0)

Brent Honeywell was sharp, and Charlotte's offense continuously added on in the Stone Crabs' 14-1 win over Palm Beach in Game 1 of the Florida State League semifinals. Charlotte scored an individual run in each of the first three innings while Honeywell was perfect the first time through the order. Palm Beach did score in the fourth, but Charlotte closed the game with 11 unanswered runs. The Stone Crabs piled on six in the eighth, and Steven Souza's three-run home run in the ninth completed the rout.

Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods (32-36)

Bowling Green's season is over.

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (39-37)

Hudson Valley's season is over.

Rookie Princeton Rays (3-3)

Princeton's season came to an end with a difficult 8-7 loss to Greeneville. The championship-deciding Game 3 had five lead changes, capped by a three-run sixth for Greeneville. Landon Cray's three-run homer in the second gave Princeton a 3-1 lead, but Kyle Tucker answered immediately with a three-run shot of his own. Peter Maris' homer in the bottom of the third tied the game at four, but again Greeneville got that run back the next half inning.

Once again, Princeton was able to answer. After Greeneville conceded the tying run on a groundout, Jonathan Popadics' RBI single put Princeton ahead. In the top of the sixth, Greeneville's three-run inning gave it the lead for good. Landon Cray's second home run of the game in the home half of the inning was not quite enough.

Starter Eduar Lopez struck out five in four innings but allowed five runs, and Alberto Casanas was tagged with three runs in one-plus innings.

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Notable performances

A+ 1B Casey Gillaspie: 3-for-6, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
A+ OF Granden Goetzman: 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 K
A+ OF Justin Williams: 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
R+ C David Rodriguez: 0-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB
R+ OF Landon Cray: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
A+ RHP Brent Honeywell: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

R+ OF Zacrey Law: 0-for-5, 2 K
R+ RHP Eduar Lopez: 4 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
R+ RHP Alberto Casanas: 1+ IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham's season is over

Montgomery is off

Charlotte v. Palm Beach 6 PM (radio stream)
German Marquez (7-13, 3.56) v. Luke Weaver* (8-5, 1.62)

Game two of a best-of-three series (Charlotte leads, 1-0)

Bowling Green's season is over

Hudson Valley's season is over

Princeton's season is over

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Palm Beach Cardinals
0-1
Offense: 471 R (10th) .629 OPS (10th)
Pitching: 2.65 ERA (1st) 1.17 WHIP (1st)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Luke Weaver (12), C Carson Kelly (13), SS Juan Herrera (17), OF C.J. McElroy (28), RHP Nick Petree (31), IF Danny Diekroeger