Rams take slugfest at C.B. Aycock

Published in Sports on March 11, 2005 2:05 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- How did he know?

Before the start of his game with Greene Central C.B. Aycock baseball coach Charles Davis would only say "this one is going to be tough."

Little did he know how right he was going to be as the visiting Rams won their first game of the year, 10-6, while his Golden Falcons lost their first.

"Any time we play Greene Central with their tradition of excellence, the games are always like this," he said.

C.B. Aycock will take a 2-1 record to LaGrange this afternoon to square off with North Lenoir. Greene Central will have a rematch with Farmville Central, Saturday at 2 p.m. in Snow Hill, and attempt to avenge a prior loss.

The Rams wasted little time making their presence known.

Shortstop Hunter Chase, just back off the injured list opened the game by whacking the fifth offering of starter Adam Williams over the left-center field fence. Chase had three hits.

The Rams were not done.

With the wind blowing briskly out to center field catcher Lance Murray made it 3-0 with a two run shot that headed directly at the flag pole. Seventy-five pitches later, Williams retired from the mound as Greene Central batted around in the third, scoring four more runs and building up a 7-2 lead.

Center fielder Travis Rouse provided the big hit -- a two-run homer to left field.

Aycock ever so slowly chipped away at starter Drew Sowers. They picked up two in their half of the second. With one out, Bradley Taylor walked and came home on Travis Bartlett's two run homer to left center.

They picked up single runs in the fourth and fifth. Taylor scored his second run of the game after reaching on an infield error, and went to third. He scored as Drew McGowan tapped into a fielder's choice.

Designated hitter Thomas Pilkington cut the lead to 9-4 with a solo homer to left center. That was as close as they would get to Sowers. In picking up his first win of the season, he threw 83 pitches and allowed just four hits in six innings.

Although Aycock would score twice more in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Blake Taylor, they were unable to capitalize on four scoring opportunities. Fly balls by Pilkington, McGowan, and Bartlett were caught at the fence by Greene Central outfielders.

Shortstop Will Spence's liner with two on in the fourth was snared by his counterpart Chase. The Falcons left eight runners on base. They also coughed up the ball seven times for errors.

"You won't beat anyone making that many mistakes," said Davis.

"We were fortunate to get those big hits early in the game," said Greene Central coach Russell Brand. "Drew Sowers did a great job pitching for us," he said. "We would have liked to have him complete the game, but he got tired."

"The effort was there," said Davis. "Greene Central did the little things and caught the breaks. We didn't. That's baseball ... a game of inches."