Golden Falcons surge past West Craven

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on March 5, 2006 2:18 AM

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PIKEVILLE -- Garrett Davis collected three RBI in a fifth-inning uprising as state-ranked and unbeaten Charles B. Aycock claimed a 14-6, non-conference victory over West Craven on Friday afternoon.

Davis concluded the day 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Joseph Toler added two hits, including a home run and four RBI, in four plate appearances. K.C. Kartch added two hits in three at-bats.

"That was a good, quality win for us against a good ball team," said veteran Aycock coach Charles Davis.

West Craven led 3-1 after 31/2 innings, but Toler ripped his first home run of the season -- a two-RBI shot -- in the bottom half of the fourth inning. That tied the contest at 3-3.

"That was a big blow to get us back even," said coach Charles Davis.

The Eagles, a former Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference opponent, charged back ahead 5-3 in the top half of the fifth. The Golden Falcons, ranked No. 9 among the state's 3-A teams by ImpactBaseball.com, responded with an 11-run outburst.

Aycock sent 15 batters to the plate and chased two Eagle pitchers -- starter Zach Vanvoorhees and reliever Shaun Armstrong -- from the mound. Vanvoorhees threw to one batter, while Armstrong lasted for one out.

Garrett Davis provided all of his offensive production during the 11-run surge. Tolder and Will Spence each added a two-RBI single. Bradley Taylor contributed an RBI single.

Brandon Price emerged the winning pitcher in relief of Davis. Price collected six strikeouts and yielded two runs (one earned) on three hits in a three-inning stint. Davis scattered five hits and struck out seven in four-plus innings.

"Garrett had a little tenderness in his arm and it's the first time he had been on the mound in two weeks," said coach Davis. "He was actually sharper than I anticipated and he'll get better. I thought Brandon came in and did a good job for us."

C.B. Aycock (2-0) is the guest of Spring Creek next Tuesday.

W. Craven 200 120 1 -- 6 7 3

Aycock 010 2(11)0 x -- 14 11 1

Leading hitters -- West Craven -- Zach Vanvoorhees 2-4, RBI; Chris Ipock 1-3, HR. C.B. Aycock -- Garrett Davis 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; K.C. Kartch 2-3; Joseph Toler 2-2, HR, 4 RBI; Will Spence 1-3, 2 RBI; Bradley Taylor 1-3, RBI.

IP H R ER BB SO

West Craven

Vanvoorhees 4 3 5 4 3 5

Armstrong (L) 1/3 4 7 6 2 0

Wetherington 12/3 4 2 2 1 1

C.B. Aycock (2-0)

Davis 4 5 5 2 3 7

Price (W, 1-0) 3 2 1 1 0 6

Saints suffer

first loss of year

FAYETTEVILLE -- Jack Britt left-hander Lucas Fordham yielded one hit and recorded nine strikeouts in an 8-1, non-conference victory over Southern Wayne on Friday afternoon.

The Saints' Tyler Edwards foiled Fordham's no-hit bid with a single in two plate appearances.

Transfer Sterling Grice endured the mound loss, giving up five runs (two earned) on four hits to go along with five strikeouts. Byron Powell provided 12/3 innings of two-strikeout, three-hit relief.

Jack Britt's Gabe Villegas ripped a solo home run to start the second inning, and finished the day with two hits and three RBI. Trey Joyner contributed two hits, including a double, and two RBI.

Southern Wayne (1-1) travels to West Craven next Wednesday.

So. Wayne 001 000 0 -- 1 1 3

Jack Britt 031 031 x -- 8 7 3

Leading hitters -- Southern Wayne -- Tyler Edwards 1-2. Jack Britt -- Gabe Villegas 2-2, HR, 3 RBI; Trey Joyner 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI.

IP H R ER BB SO

Southern Wayne (1-1)

Grice (L, 0-1) 41/3 4 5 2 3 5

Powell 12/3 3 3 2 2 2

Jack Britt

Fordham 7 1 1 0 1 9

Wayne Christian

doubles up Cresset

Wayne Christian opened its season and Carolina Christian 1-A Conference play with a 12-6 victory over Durham Cresset Christian on Friday afternoon.

Tyler Thomas emerged the winning pitcher and notched five strikeouts in five innings of work. Adam Brannan provided two innings of three-strikeout relief.

Billy Smith and Jeremy Jefferson led the Eagles with two hits and two RBI apiece. Andrew Bass doubled and plated two runs. Jeffrey Barfield also doubled for the Eagles, the reigning CCC champions.

Wayne Christian returns to action Monday at CCC foe Johnston Christian.

Tennis

Eagles collect home

win over FMA

Wayne Christian seized two of three doubles points and turned back Flora MacDonald Academy 6-3 during Friday afternoon's non-conference match on the John Allen Farfour Courts at Herman Park.

Top-seeded Taylor Gray-Patrick Kornegay and third-seeded Dylan Smith-Daniel Glover each claimed a victory in doubles action to secure the match win.

The Eagles (1-1) grabbed a 4-2 lead in singles.

Gray, Smith, Woody Sasser and Kenneth Giordano each prevailed in their respective pro-set (eight-game) match.

Wayne Christian entertains Southern Wayne on Monday.

Wayne Christian 6

Flora MacDonald Academy 3

Singles -- No. 1 Taylor Gray (WC) d. Tanner Smith 8-0; No. 2 Andrew Diemer (FMA) d. Patrick Kornegay 8-2; No. 3 Justin Tyson (FMA) d. Clay Pinkerton 9-7; No. 4 Woody Sasser (WC) d. Kincent Carter 9-7; No. 5 Kenneth Giordano (WC) d. Daniel Jutsen 8-2; No. 6 Dylan Smith (WC) d. Parker Smith 8-5.

Doubles -- No. 1 Gray-Kornegay (WC) d. Diemer-Tyson 8-2; No. 2 Smith-Carter (FMA) d. Pinkerton-Giordano 8-3; No. 3 D. Smith-Daniel Glover (WC) d. Jutsen-Smith 8-5.

Softball

Pridgen yields

three hits on road

HOLLY RIDGE -- Jessica Pridgen threw a three-hitter as North Duplin doubled up Dixon 6-3 in non-conference play.

Pridgen surrendered three unearned runs and struck out six Bulldog batters in a complete-game effort.

Kristen Jones paced the Rebel offense with two hits and two RBI. Elizabeth Lane doubled and singled in five plate appearances. Pridgen, Heather Hudson and Ashley Cartwright (two RBI) each contributed a base hit.

North Duplin (1-1) entertains Lakewood next Tuesday afternoon.

Lofton delivers

key hit for SW

DUDLEY -- Brianna Lofton delivered the game-winning, two-RBI single in the seventh inning as Southern Wayne rallied past Greene Central 4-3 on Friday afternoon.

Cassie Webb drove in the Rams' third and final run in the top half of the seventh inning for a 3-1 advantage. Greene Central could have scored more, but the Saints defense turned in two big plays to keep the non-conference contest close.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Saints got big hits from Beth Brown and catcher Lindsey Pearsall. Each runner moved into scoring position on a passed ball. After a strikeout, Lofton ripped the game-winning hit to give Southern Wayne its second win three tries this season.

"A lot of things happened in this game," said veteran Southern Wayne coach Brad Matthews.

The Saints left eight runners in scoring position at either second or third base. They managed nine hits against Greene Central pitchers Jessie Moore and Webb, who appeared in relief in the fifth inning.

"We could have busted it open early if we had gotten a big hit," said Matthews.

The Rams (0-2) banged out nine hits against Saints' right-hander Lauren Darden. They could have gained a larger offensive margin in the sixth inning, but Southern Wayne turned an inning-ending double play.

Pearsall (RBI), Lofton (2-for-4) and Lynn Grantham (2-for-3) emerged the Saints' top offensive hitters in the seven-inning affair. Alyssa Bradshaw provided an RBI in four at-bats.

Elizabeth Cooper and Blair Carraway each had two hits for the Rams. Webb picked up an RBI in the first, fifth and seventh innings.

Southern Wayne entertains Wilmington Laney on Monday, while Greene Central plays host to Kinston.

Greene Cent. 100 010 1 -- 3 9 2

So. Wayne 000 100 3 -- 4 9 2

Game-winning run scored with two outs.

Leading hitters -- Greene Central -- Elizabeth Cooper 2-4; Blair Carraway 2-3; Morgan Albritton 1-3, 2B; Ashley Oakes 2-3; Cassie Webb 1-3, 3 RBI. Southern Wayne -- Alyssa Bradshaw 1-4, RBI; Lynn Grantham 2-3; Lindsey Pearsall 2-4, RBI; Beth Brown 1-1; Brianna Lofton 2-4, 2 RBI.

IP H R ER BB SO

Greene Central (0-2)

Moore 4 5 1 1 3 1

Webb (L) 22/3 4 3 3 2 5

Southern Wayne (2-1)

Darden (W) 7 9 3 2 1 3

JV softball

E. Duplin shuts

down So. Wayne

BEULAVILLE -- Southern Wayne managed just four hits in its season-opening 2-0, non-conference loss at East Duplin.

Kristen Bova, Katlyn Thornton, Tara Hirsch and Elizabeth Evans collected hit apiece for the Saints.

Hirsch endured the mound loss. The freshman right-hander yielded two runs (one earned) on six hits to go along with six strikeouts.

Southern Wayne (0-1) entertains Wilmington Laney on Monday.

JV baseball

Greene Central

falls to J.H. Rose

GREENVILLE -- Tanner Merritt recorded 13 strikeouts in a complete-game effort as the J.H. Rose ninth-grade squad shut out Greene Central 9-0 on Friday afternoon.

Alex Brann, Chris Leggett and Chris Nethercutt each collected a single for the Rams. Nethercutt took the pitching loss and allowed eight hits in a four-inning stint.

Aubrey Dixon led the Rampants with three hits, including a double.

Greene Central (0-2) travels to D.H. Conley next Tuesday afternoon.

Middle schools

Spring Creek baseball 16, Brogden 6 -- Winning pitcher Eric Evans recorded eight strikeouts. Dontay Boseman and Chris Boseman, who are brothers, provided three hits apiece for the Gators. Jesus Sandoval and Tre Faison each had two hits for Brogden. It was the season-opening game for both teams.

Spring Creek softball 17, Brogden 2 -- Amy Parker provided a triple and scored two runs for the Gators. Six players had a least one hit for Spring Creek, which won its season-opening game. Winning pitcher Alyssa Potter had 13 strikeouts.

Rosewood baseball 11, Grantham 1 -- Matt Neal batted 2-for-3 and recorded five strikeouts on the mound. Hunter Hamilton notched two strikeouts. Rosewood (1-0) travels to Mount Olive on Monday.