Princeton beat host Camden County 5-2 on Friday to win the N.C. High School Athletic Association Eastern Regional 1-A baseball title and advance to the state championship series.

The Bulldogs (23-6), who won two state titles in the 1990s, are back in the state championship series for the second time in four years. The Bulldogs will meet the winner between East Surry and Cherryville next weekend.

"This is what I've thought about all the time, since we were there last," said Princeton senior catcher Daniel Gerrell, one of four Bulldogs from the 2004 regional title squad. "It's as great feeling to have a chance to play for a state title again."

Princeton went up 1-0 on Adam Nethercutt's RBI single in the top of the first. In the bottom of the first, back-to-back first-pitch doubles by Weston Dodson and Chase Riggs keyed a two-run first go around for the Bruins.

"Those first couple of innings, it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong," Princeton coach Bruce Proctor said.

Junior right-hander Chris Hinton struck out two in the second, third and fourth innings and held the Bruins (19-10) to just one hit over his final four innings of work.

Dustin Pate started Princeton's comeback with a towering home run in the fourth.

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