Simply put - the worst defensive performance ever by a Green Hope baseball team. The 7 errors ties a 2007 team record, but there were several other "mental" errors (which also allowed base runners to advance) to clearly put this game into the history books. The fact that it comes against the first place team in the Tri-9 only adds to the disappointing display turned in tonight. The Falcons only played the 5th inning tonight, scoring ALL their runs and all but 1 run with 2 outs. The other 8 innings produced a grand total of 3 hits and only 4 base runners (1 from a FV error). Of course credit should also go to Fuquay Varina as their 4 pitchers - Austin Yarborough, Travis Long, Craig Mitchell, and Garrett Suggs - didn't walk or hit anyone, so Green Hope had to produce all their offense by actually getting hits - something they have not done all year. Add in the fact that Green Hope would not only commit 7 errors, but also give up 8 walks and 2 hit batters - made this game hard to watch if you were a Falcon fan. Green Hope gave up only 1 earned run tonight - fittingly it was the winning run, but even that run was scored via only 1 hit (a double).

Fuquay's Collin Carver hustling dive to first beats Green Hope infielders for a single

Povse makes the catch but Fuquay's Phillip Cotten takes advantage to advance to 3rd

Green Hope's starter Adam Boghosian pitched a great game tonight, but was not rewarded with a win. Boghosian was relieved with two outs in the six, after striking out 11, allowing 4 singles, but also walking 5 and hitting 2. He didn't allow an earned run, but was charged with 4 unearned runs.

Fuquay opened the scoring in the 4th inning, after Boghosian struck out the first two batters, a batter was hit, followed by a single to center, the resulting throw to 3rd was wild allowing the batter to advance to 2nd. A grounder to short produced another throwing error to score 2, Fuquay up 2-0 after 4 innings.

In the 5th, Will Yoder led off with a home run to centerfield, just barely over the fence. After the next two batters were retired, Grant Shambley singled followed by Joe Pistacchio's home run also to center but well over the fence. Wesley Clark followed with a double to left and was driven in by Nick Addona's single to put Green Hope up 5-2 after 5 innings. However Green Hope would only have 1 base runner (a single from Yoder) for the rest of the game (4 more innings).

Pistacchio throws to Clark who tags out the Fuquay runner attempting to steal 3rd in the 6th

With a 3 run lead, the 6th inning started with another throwing error from short stop, followed by a past ball to put the runner at second with no outs. After Boghosian's 11th strikeout, inexplicably the runner tried to steal 3rd and was thrown out by Pistacchio for the 2nd out. What looked to be the 3rd out was a weak grounder to third, but FV leadoff man Zach Orrison beat the throw to 1st for a hit.

A walk put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs for one of Fuquay's best hitters - Aaron Olive. Olive hit a high fly ball to right which looked like it would end the inning, but was dropped scoring 2 runs to make the score Green Hope 5-4 after 6 innings.

Fuquay's Aaron Olive's 2-out fly to right is dropped to score two FV runs

Defensively, things only got worse for Green Hope in the 7th inning. Daniel Sondag, now pitching for Green Hope, gave up a line shot to right which Boghosian almost made a diving on, but lost the ball when he hit the ground and couldn't find it, allowing the batter to advance to 2nd. Max Povse was brought in to pitch, but his first batter lifted a high fly to first which was dropped, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs and Green Hope up by only 1 run.

Fuquay's Collin Carver is safe at first as the fly to first is dropped

Povse was able to strike out the next Fuquay batter for the first out, but a grounder to 2nd was booted to load the bases. The next batter hit a slow roller in front of home plate, Pistacchio ran out from his catcher's position, picked up the ball, and dove to tag home, just beating the runner for the 2nd out, and the defensive play of the game. But a single by Orrison tied the score and Green Hope was able to tag out what could have been the winning base runner from second who fell running home. Tie game after 7 innings.

After 3 GH errors in the 7th, Pistacchio retrieves a "swinging bunt" and dives to tag home before the runner

The loss was inevitable as Green Hope had no offense in extra innings, while Fuquay had 2 base runners in the 8th, and 2 in the 9th. The winning run scored via a walk, double, and sacrifice fly to right field. Fuquay wins 6-5 in 9 innings.

Povse (0-1) takes the loss, Green Hope moves to 2-2 in the conference and 2-3 overall. The Falcons are on pace to break 2 dubious all-time records this year. Besides tying the all time errors for a game, they are well on their way to setting the season record for errors which is 52 (the current pace of 3 errors per game will easily surpass 52). The other all time record in play would be worst team batting average for a season. The current record is .262 in 2004 (the only year which Green Hope's average was below .290). Currently Green Hope is hitting just .242 as a team (well below the record).