Area playoff pairings remain in doubt

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 14, 2006 2:16 AM

• Print
• Email

A few area baseball and softball teams know of their playoff fate, while others wait for the N.C. High School Athletic Association to officially release the opening-round pairings.

In baseball, Southern Wayne is the guest of Rocky Mount Senior High on Tuesday in the Class 3-A baseball ranks.

The Saints fell 3-2 to archrival Charles B. Aycock in the Eastern Carolina Conference tournament final, and drew the No. 2 seed.

Rocky Mount (19-4) is the NEW Athletic 6 champion.

C.B. Aycock, ranked No. 2 in the latest ImpactBaseball.com poll, is expected to play host to D.H. Conley. Conley won the 4-A state title last season and had several players to participate on the American Legion Post 39 team that advanced to the Southeast Regional.

In 2-A, defending state champion North Lenoir (23-1) will entertain Hillsborough Orange. Orange (19-8) upset Northwood and regular-season champion Cedar Ridge in the Mid-State Conference tournament.

In 1-A, Princeton emerged the Carolina Conference champion and plays host to East Carteret. The Mariners (11-9) won the Coastal Plains regular-season title.

The softball pairings remain in doubt.

Defending eastern 3-A champion C.B. Aycock will face former ECC foe South Central next Friday. Washington and South Central tied for the Coastal 3-A/4-A Conference regular-season crown. The Pam Pack edged the Falcons in the final game, and seized the No. 1 seed for the postseason.

South Central is led by senior pitcher Jessie Odom.

North Duplin earned its first-ever playoff berth on the fast-pitch level with a second-place finish in the Carolina Conference. The Rebels travel to perennial power Pender next Thursday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Reigning 2-A champion North Lenoir lost in the semifinals of its conference tournament. The Hawks (15-9) are on the playoff bubble.