March 2007 archives

View Archive

Friday, March 30, 2007

Greater Goldsboro Run scheduled for Saturday

More than 150 runners are expected to compete at the 29th Annual Greater Goldsboro Road Run will be held Saturday. Registration and packet pickup will be from 7 to 8 a.m. at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, across from the...

Eastern Wayne netters claim sole possession of ECC

Eastern Wayne, the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference tennis king, bounced co-habitant Charles B. Aycock from its throne Thursday afternoon. The Warriors collected two critical 10-point super tiebreakers in singles play and turned back the Golden Falcons 6-3 on the...

Reloaded Wayne Christian knocks off Goldsboro

The Wayne Christian Eagles don't rebuild -- they reload. The Eagles lost six seniors off a team that won three consecutive Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference titles, but haven't skipped a beat this season as Wayne Christian has surged out...

Local digest

Eagles claim PK shootout over Cape Fear Christian Wayne Christian converted three penalty kicks and doubled up Cape Fear Christian Academy 4-2 in their Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference battle Thursday afternoon. Devan Isenhower provided the Eagles' lone goal in...

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Spring Creek miscues prove costly versus Princeton

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Both Princeton coach Bruce Proctor and Spring Creek coach Heath Whitfield acknowledge this should have been a close game. Instead, Spring Creek made mistake after mistake in helping state-ranked Princeton to a 10-2 road victory in the...

Rosewood stays unbeaten with win over Princeton

Although the overall outcomes have been favorable, Rosewood women's soccer coach Eddie Maldonado remains concerned about his team's early-season success on the field. The Eagles have yet to play a complete game, and continue to struggle with communication and organization...

Local digest

Lancaster perfect for Golden Falcons SNOW HILL -- Julia Lancaster followed up last Friday's no-hitter by throwing a perfect game in Charles B. Aycock's 12-0 blanking of Greene Central on Wednesday evening. The senior right-hander struck out seven Rams on...

ECU wins 14th straight

GREENVILLE -- Junior shortstop Dale Mollenhauer went 4-fo-5 with a double and scored three runs, including the game winner Wednesday night as the No. 19 East Carolina Pirates erased an eight-run deficit to pick up its 14th consecutive win and...

Serra named player of the week

Guillherme Serra, who defeated the nation's 30th-ranked singles player, has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week for the second week in a row, it was announced Wednesday. The award is the fourth overall for Serra,...

Mount Olive netters pick up win

MOUNT OLIVE -- With one match remaining to decide a winner, Mount Olive head women's tennis coach Burt Lewis had no problem with the final outcome resting on his lone senior, Lauren Harris. After all, she's been there before. Lauren...

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Carolina 1-A opener: Rosewood edges A-G in 8 innings

With a back-and-forth game full of blood and bruises, it was easy to see why Rosewood coach Josh Smith called his team's game Tuesday against Ayden-Grifton a battle. It only made sense then that the two teams would need extra...

Aycock rebounds, dismantles Wilson Hunt

PIKEVILLE -- No one's laughing now. Coming off a shocking extra-inning loss at Kinston on Friday, the state-ranked Charles B. Aycock baseball team bounced back by drilling visiting Wilson Hunt 11-1 in five innings Tuesday afternoon. N.C. State-bound Grant Sasser...

C.B. Aycock takes battle of ECC softball unbeatens

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock didn't challenge Wilson Hunt right-hander Brittany Farmer during the first two innings of Tuesday afternoon's Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference battle. Farmer retired the Golden Falcons in order on five groundouts and one fly ball...

Local digest

Evans-Quinn helps CBA preserve ECC shutout in tennis PIKEVILLE -- C.B. Aycock's No. 2 doubles of Ben Evans-Dylan Quinn rallied from a one-game deficit and helped the Golden Falcons preserve a 9-0 shutout over Wilson Hunt on Tuesday afternoon. Evans-Quinn...

No. 15-ranked Trojans sweep Wingate

MOUNT OLIVE -- Casey Hodges and Tom Layne combined on a three-hit shutout as nationally 15th-ranked Mount Olive completed a doubleheader sweep and extended its winning streak to 14 with a 2-0 victory over Wingate in game two of a...

Jackson receives another CVAC softball honor

Jenny Jackson, who threw a seven-inning perfect game and helped herself with a home run in Mount Olive's 2-0 win over Coker Saturday, has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week, it was announced Tuesday. The pitcher...

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Conquerors crush Berean Christian

Oh what could have been. Faith Christian pitcher Jay Henson had retired eight of the nine Berean Christian hitters he had faced on strikeouts and was staring at a possible perfect game when coach Walter Sloan pulled the hurler from...

Darden stars in Southern Wayne's win

DUDLEY -- Lauren Darden is in a groove. The Southern Wayne right-hander turned in another phenomenal performance in the pitcher's circle Monday afternoon. Darden notched 12 strikeouts and retired the final 11 batters she faced in the Saints' 3-0, non-conference...

Jackson continues to dominate; Leads Trojans to win

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jenny Jackson tossed her second consecutive shutout and helped herself at the plate with a pair of two-run doubles to lead Mount Olive to a 7-0 victory in game two of a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference softball doubleheader...

Trojans move to No. 15

MOUNT OLIVE -- On the strength of a 12-game winning streak, Mount Olive earned its highest ranking of the season, jumping five spots to No. 15 in this week's Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 30 Poll, it was announced Monday....

Local digest

WILSON -- Charles B. Aycock has a score of 642 after two matches to lead the pack in the Eastern Carolina Conference held at Willow Springs. Host Wilson Hunt trails by two strokes. Eastern Wayne is in third with an...

Moberg and Freeman pace Mount Olive

MONROE -- Kristin Moberg and Kristen Freeman are both in the top 20 and Mount Olive is sixth out of nine teams after the first round of the Ralph Hargett Women's Golf Invitational Monday at the Stonebridge Golf Club in...

Monday, March 26, 2007

Trojans claim another CVAC sweep on baseball diamond

WILSON -- Jason Sherrer's seventh-inning three-run homer helped break open a one-run game and Josh Carter belted a grand slam home run in the eighth as nationally 20th-ranked Mount Olive extended its winning streak to 12 and completed a three-game...

Sunday, March 25, 2007

WCDS right-hander Langston tosses six-hitter against Spring Creek

Trent Langston isn't known for going for the distance on the mound. But the soft-throwing right-hander presented a strong case to become part of Wayne Country Day's starting pitching rotation Friday afternoon against Spring Creek. Langston, in his first start...

Reigning NCCSA 2-A softball champs struggle past Mt. Calvary

Despite picking up a much needed win, Faith Christian coach Jeff Stocks was anything but pleased. His Conquerors -- the defending N.C. Christian Association Class 2-A state champions -- had just beaten Mt. Calvary-Hookerton 3-2 on Friday afternoon to improve...

Aycock's (Julia) Lancaster hurls no-hitter against Kinston

KINSTON -- Charles B. Aycock right-hander Julia Lancaster hurled a no-hitter and notched a season-high 13 strikeouts in a 9-0 decision over Kinston on Friday afternoon. Lancaster walked one Viking batter in a complete-game effort and claimed her second mound...

Aycock, Goldsboro High, Wayne Christian and Greene Central recognize winter athletes

Charles B. Aycock, Goldsboro High, Wayne Christian and Greene Central recently concluded their respective winter sports seasons with an awards ceremony. Here are the award winners: C.B. Aycock * JV cheerleading: Coaches Award -- Kelsey Holloman; Kelsey Brooks. * Varsity...

Jackson hurls perfect game in MOC opener; Coker salvages CVAC split in nightcap

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jenny Jackson tossed a seven-inning perfect game and helped her own cause with her team-leading, eighth home run of the season as Mount Olive defeated Coker (S.C.) College 2-0 in game one of a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference...

No. 20-ranked Trojans take CVAC twinbill from archrival Barton

WILSON -- Dustin Richardson led a six home-run attack with two home runs as No. 20-ranked Mount Olive dumped archrival Barton 13-9 in game two of their Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Nixon Field. Anthony Williams and David...

Friday, March 23, 2007

Battle at Pikeville: State-ranked Hawks upend state-ranked Golden Falcons

PIKEVILLE -- Nothing was going to stop Sthil Sowers. Not the fatigue. Not the tough Charles B. Aycock lineup. Not the pressure of pitching in front of pro scouts. Sowers was going to finish what he started for North Lenoir....

Greene Central's Browning resigns

SNOW HILL -- A positive influence and integral part of a tradition-rich athletics program at Greene Central has left the men's varsity basketball team. Second-year head coach Robert Browning officially tendered his resignation to principal Randy Bledsoe and athletics director...

Rebels' Lloyd tosses five-hitter

CALYPSO -- Junior right-hander Doug Lloyd tossed a five-hitter and North Duplin eased past Hobbton 7-2 on Thursday afternoon. Lloyd fanned 10 Wildcat batters, walked four and yielded two earned runs in a complete-game effort. Billy Mello paced the Rebels'...

Men's college volleyball: Trojan sweep Division III Newbury

MOUNT OLIVE -- Two road-weary teams showed flashes of brilliance on the Kornegay Arena volleyball court Thursday evening, but Mount Olive had just enough vigor to turn back Newbury (Mass.) College. Six-foot-6 middle hitter Jose Lanier delivered a match-high 11...

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Davis pitches Saints to win

DUDLEY -- Pitcher Lauren Darden has undoubtedly spoiled her Southern Wayne teammates this season. The right-handed sophomore hasn't allowed many hits and has sent numerous opposing batters back to the dugout with a "K" -- strikeout -- by their name....

Trojans stay hot; sweep Chowan

MURFREESBORO -- Phillip Pennington allowed only two hits in six scoreless innings and Patrick Ball recorded his fourth save of the season as nationally 20th-ranked Mount Olive defeated Chowan 3-0 in game one of a non-conference baseball doubleheader Wednesday. The...

Mount Olive splits double-header

PEMBROKE -- Tiffanie Pittman's two-run single highlighted a four-run fifth inning and put Mount Olive ahead to stay as the Trojans defeated UNC Pembroke 5-3 in game one of a non-conference softball doubleheader Wednesday. In the nightcap, Jenny Jackson and...

ECU preparing for scrimage

GREENVILLE -- After a shaking off some rust Monday following a 10-day layoff, East Carolina conducted another two-hour workout on Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex Wednesday afternoon and completed preparations for its first official intra-squad scrimmage Friday....

Local digest

WILSON -- Every hitter in the Wayne Country Day line-up recorded a hit as the Chargers pounded Greenfield 16-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Fleming Stadium. The onslaught was highlighted by a nine-run second inning, which included 11 of the Chargers'...

Barton in Final Four

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Senior guard Anthony Atkinson dribbled the length of the floor and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer to lead Barton to an 83-81 overtime victory over Grand Valley State in...

Serra named player of the week

MOUNT OLIVE -- Guillherme Serra, who picked up two wins in nationally 37th-ranked Mount Olive's 9-0 conference victory over Coker, has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week, it was announced Wednesday. The award is the...

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Hill scores lone run; Warriors snap 4-game skid

That dark, bothersome cloud hanging over the Eastern Wayne baseball team finally revealed a much-welcomed silver lining late Tuesday afternoon. And it couldn't have happened at a better time. Right-handed pitcher John Wooten turned in another superb outing and the...

Aycock softball opens ECC season with 8-inning thriller

PIKEVILLE -- Julia Lancaster needed this win. The senior pitcher from Charles B. Aycock entered the game with an 0-3 record and had thrown eight scoreless innings Tuesday against Wilson Beddingfield. Lancaster had risen to every challenge the Bruins threw...

Local digest

Johnson's game-winning RBI part of Eagles' seventh-inning comeback ROCKY MOUNT -- Doug Johnson delivered the game-winning RBI and Wayne Christian seized a come-from-behind, 12-10 victory at Faith Christian-Rocky Mount on Tuesday afternoon. Johnson's single occurred during the Eagles' six-run, seventh-inning...

Hodges receives CVAC baseball honor

MOUNT OLIVE -- Casey Hodges, who recorded 11 strikeouts in six scoreless innings in nationally 20th-ranked Mount Olive's 3-0 win over Bryant, has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week. The award is the fourth this season...

Trojans split twinbill with Pace (N.Y.) College

MOUNT OLIVE -- Bailey Harrell hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Mount Olive went on to defeat Pace 5-2 in game one of a non-conference softball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The Trojans' seven-game...

MOC golf teams fare well at St. Andrews Invitational

VASS -- Mount Olive carded a team total of 296 in the second round to overcome a seven-shot deficit and capture first place out of nine teams at the St. Andrews Men's Golf Spring Invitational Tuesday at Woodlake Resort and...

Pittman recognized by CVAC softball peers

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive outfielder Tiffanie Pittman, who hit .667 with 12 RBI in six games last week, has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Softball Player of the Week. Pittman becomes the sixth different Trojan in the last five...

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

MOC baseball moves up to No. 20

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive matched its highest ranking of the season, jumping six spots to No. 20 in this week's Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 30 Poll, it was announced Monday. The Trojans, which have ranked in the top...

ECU baseball in top 25

GREENVILLE -- One week after the East Carolina baseball team cracked the top-25 in three of the four major polls, the Pirates find themselves ranked No. 22 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, No. 23 in the National Collegiate Baseball...

ECU prepares for scrimage

GREENVILLE -- Skip Holtz and his East Carolina football program resumed its spring practice schedule Monday afternoon after enjoying a 10-day spring break layoff. The two-and-a-half hour workout, conducted on Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex, was the...

Local Digest

North Duplin demolished Union 24-0 in non-conference action on Monday afternoon. The combination of Rock Bennett and Doug Lloyd combined on a no-hitter for the Rebels. Will Lewis finished a single short of the cycle for North Duplin, going 3-for-6...

Trojan golfers place second

VASS -- Scott Woodard is tied for fourth out of 48 golfers and Mount Olive is in second place after the first round of the St. Andrews Men's Golf Spring Invitational Monday at the Woodlake Resort and Golf Club in...

Trojan women's golf places first

VASS -- Kristin Moberg is atop the leaderboard and Mount Olive has a share of the lead after the first round of the St. Andrews Women's Golf Spring Invitational Monday at the Woodlake Resort and Golf Club in Vass. Eastern...

Monday, March 19, 2007

Trojans stay hot in the cold

MOUNT OLIVE -- A depleted St. Andrews College bullpen, down to its lone fresh pitcher, was no match for offensive juggernaut Mount Olive College on Sunday afternoon. The Trojans hammered right-handed starter Ryan Kirkman in the opening inning and pounded...

Mount Olive College sweeps Chowan

MOUNT OLIVE -- Morgan Whaley hit two home runs in the first game and Shauna Cowdrey tossed a three-hit shutout in game two as Mount Olive extended its winning to six with a doubleheader sweep over Chowan 12-4 and 4-0...

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Cougars' Kornegay named News-Argus boys player of the year

Randy Jordan speaks of frustration. Tim Kornegay speaks with confusion. The source of their anguish is -- how could one of the more talented basketball players in North Carolina be without a school for next fall? The answer has nothing...

Faith Christian's Jeff Stocks named boys coach of the year

Jeff Stocks finally caught himself relaxing. The butterflies of nervousness were beginning to be replaced with feelings of excitement. Faith Christian was about to capture its first ever N.C. Christian Schools Association Class 2-A basketball championship. "We went up by...

Warriors' Brent Holland earns News-Argus coach of the year accolades

Jacksonville. North Lenoir. Wilson Fike. South Central. Southern Nash. Fourth-year Eastern Wayne girls' basketball coach Brent Holland looked over the non-conference schedule and wondered how his team would survive before league play began. Could a successful junior varsity team blend...

Rosewood's Murray sets Carolina 1-A record in pole vault

Rosewood's Heather Murray established a new Class 1-A Carolina Conference record in the pole vault, but visiting Ayden-Grifton captured the team win during a recent meet. Murray posted a height of 8 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault and...

Trojan softball sweeps Anderson, improves to 6-0 in CVAC

MOUNT OLIVE -- Junior catcher Bailey Harrell drove in two runs with a two-out single in the first inning of game one and hit a 250-foot home run in game two as Mount Olive swept Anderson (S.C.) University 6-2 and...

Friday, March 16, 2007

McCormick scores twice, Rosewood shuts out WCDS

Rachel McCormick trotted off the field and leaned against the fence. Hands on hips, she caught her breath and took a few swigs from the water bottle. It was a well-deserved break. McCormick provided the offensive firepower and her Rosewood...

Eagles, Chargers combine for 27 runs in baseball

As March Madness was tipping off around the country, Wayne County saw some "madness" of its own as Rosewood and Wayne Country Day got together and put on one of the wildest innings of baseball anyone will ever see. The...

Local digest

DUDLEY -- Southern Wayne wanted revenge -- and got it. Lindsey Pearsall smacked a two-RBI double in the third inning and helped lead the Saints to a 3-0 upset of state-ranked D.H. Conley on Thursday evening. The victory erased Tuesday's...

Carter, Nordan spark Trojans to non-conference rout

MOUNT OLIVE -- Josh Carter drove in six runs and Stephen Nordan added four runs batted in as nationally 26th-ranked Mount Olive set a school scoring record with a 27-1 victory over Indiana (Pa.) in non-conference baseball Thursday at Scarborough...

Pittman, Jackson pace MOC softball to CVAC doubleheader sweep

LAURINBURG -- Tiffanie Pittman went 3-for-3 in both games and Jenny Jackson hit a grand slam home run in game two as Mount Olive swept a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference softball doubleheader over St. Andrews 12-0 and 9-0 Thursday. Pittman set...

Thursday, March 15, 2007

A jack of all trades

Sitting at his desk a few years back, Randy Jordan prepared for his team's upcoming practice when one of his players stumbled into his office bruised and scraped. His talented freshman Daquan Joyner had been walking to Goldsboro High School...

Aycock netters roll over winless Hawks

PIKEVILLE -- Saddle up and ride again. After dropping three singles matches in tiebreaking fashion Tuesday afternoon, the Charles B. Aycock men's tennis team rebounded in dominating fashion Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Falcons posted five straight-set decisions in singles play...

Trojans clobber Crimson Hawks

MOUNT OLIVE -- Following Mount Olive's thrashing of Indiana (Pa.) at Scarborough Field on Wednesday night, coach Carl Lancaster issued the biggest understatement of the evening. "We swung the bats pretty good tonight," a smiling Lancaster said. The No. 26...

C.B. Aycock again triumphs over Princeton

PRINCETON -- In its second matchup in a weeks span, state ranked Charles B. Aycock knocked off ranked Princeton 11-2, in non-conference action on Wednesday evening. Zach Wright went 1-for-2 with a three-run homer for the Golden Falcons. Joseph Toler...

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Spring Creek plays hard, knocks out Greene Central

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Whether it was first baseman Lucas Potter slamming into the fence to catch a popup or catcher Steven Best getting slammed into by a baserunner -- Spring Creek came to play. The Gators' hard-nosed play was a...

Sowers' seventh-inning double sparks Hawks

John Wooten wanted to finish this outing. The Eastern Wayne hurler had thrown a brilliant game for six innings against state-ranked North Lenoir. When two of the first three batters reached base in the seventh, Warriors coach Jabo Fulghum took...

Edmundson turns Rosewood wrestling program into powerhouse

Wrestling mats -- with no turnbuckles? Branch Pope, then Rosewood athletics director, made that quip when the delivery truck arrived with the equipment in the fall of 1992. Bill Edmundson replied "not in this kind of wrestling." Pope answered, "well...

Local digest

Eagles' Rose takes medalist honors in CCC meet RALEIGH -- Clark Rose seized medalist honors with a 73 and sparked the Wayne Christian men's golf team to victory in the Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference opening meet at Wildwood Greens....

Hodges, Trojans shut out Bryant

MOUNT OLIVE -- Casey Hodges recorded a collegiate-high 11 strikeouts and took a perfect game into the fifth inning as nationally 26th-ranked Mount Olive defeated Bryant 3-0 in non-conference baseball Tuesday at Scarborough Field. Hodges allowed only one hit in...

Trojan men ranked among nation's volleyball leaders

Jose Lanier ranks second in aces and Mike Carroll is tied for sixth in hitting percentage as Mount Olive continues to be ranked among the nation's individual and team men's volleyball national statistics leaders. Lanier has 38 service aces in...

Trojans sweep CVAC softball awards for 3rd time this season

MOUNT OLIVE -- For the third time in four weeks, Mount Olive swept the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference softball weekly awards as sophomore Kensie Cobb was named CVAC Player of the Week and senior Shauna Cowdrey was named CVAC Pitcher of...

Bitzenhofer, Moberg pace MOC men's golf team

WILSON -- Chris Bitzenhofer finished 10th out of 85 golfers and Mount Olive placed ninth out of 13 teams at the Lee Nissan/Barton College Men's Golf Intercollegiate, which concluded Tuesday at Wilson Golf Club. Bitzenhofer carded a 36-hole total of...

Shaw resigns from women's soccer position at MOC

MOUNT OLIVE -- Chris Shaw, who won Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Women's Soccer Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and guided Mount Olive to its first-ever conference championship, has stepped down as head women's soccer coach at Mount Olive to...

Trojan baseball: Smith named CVAC pitcher of the week

Judson Smith, who tossed eight shutout innings in nationally 26th-ranked Mount Olive's win over Coker, has been named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week, it was announced Tuesday. The award is the third this season for the Trojans'...

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

North Duplin blanks Union

CALYPSO -- Jessica Pridgen is her own worst critic. Despite tossing a three-hitter against Union on Monday afternoon, the North Duplin pitcher felt she could have done better. Done better? Pridgen retired the final seven batters she faced and posted...

ECU women headed to NCAA tournament

GREENVILLE -- Not a single player on the current East Carolina women's basketball team was born when the Lady Pirates last advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1982. In fact, head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener was just 14 and had yet...

Local digest

CALYPSO -- Brad Rhodes came home with the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning via a wild pitch, giving North Duplin a 3-2 walk-off victory over Union. Rock Bennett had another stellar game on...

Monday, March 12, 2007

Chargers knock off Shannon Forest (S.C.) Christian School

WILSON -- Wayne Country Day banged out a season-high 10 hits and cruised past Shannon Forest (S.C.) Christian 9-3 at historic Fleming Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Ryan Ford provided three hits and two RBI for the Chargers, who remained unbeaten...

Trojan diamond 9 when 3rd CVAC series of season

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Josh Carter and Erik Lovett powered a 17-hit attack with four hits apiece as nationally 22nd-ranked Mount Olive defeated Coker 13-5 in the rubber game of their three-game Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball series Sunday. The Trojans have...

Trojan softball finishes 3-2 at FMU Invitational

FLORENCE, S.C. -- With an early start to daylight-saving time and an early game time, the Mount Olive softball team found itself four runs down to the 11th ranked team in the nation. But the Trojans would eventually get the...

Mount Olive netters remain unbeaten in CVAC play

Nationally 38th-ranked Mount Olive improved to 4-0 in conference play this season with a 6-3 victory at Queens in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's tennis. But the Trojans suffered their first conference loss Saturday, falling to No. 36 Limestone 6-3. Mount...

Pirate trio helps ECU complete 3-game sweep of Cal State-Fullerton

GREENVILLE -- Ryan Tousley, Stephen Batts and Ryan Wood combined for seven of East Carolina's nine hits, while driving in 9-of-11 runs to help complete the series sweep over Cal State Fullerton Sunday afternoon, 12-5, inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the...

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Mount Olive loses overtime heartbreaker

WILSON -- Settle down and set up the offense. Millersville (Pa.) University junior Charlie Parker silently repeated the mantra to himself during Mount Olive's late second-half run that carried over into the early stages of overtime. Parker drained a short...

Golden Falcons' bats waking up

PIKEVILLE -- Swing the bat. It's a simple enough concept to grasp, yet in the first two games this season, Charles B. Aycock failed to do so and ended up posting a 1-1 record while hitting a paltry .133 as...

ECU blanks Cal State Fullerton

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina starter Dustin Sasser tossed 61/3 innings of shutout ball as the Pirates handed No. 7 Cal State Fullerton their second loss of the series 2-0 inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium Saturday afternoon. In front of...

Trio of Rams will play college football

SNOW HILL -- J.J. Thompson, Harrison Walston and Brandon Sutton have been inseparable since their childhood days. It's not unsual to see them together at a movie, laughing in a restaurant or sweating at tryout camps. They've developed a special...

SW softball team improves to 6-0

DUDLEY -- Southern Wayne pitcher Lauren Darden felt the pressure when she yielded a two-out walk in the seventh inning. The tension increased when perennial Class 2-A softball power South Lenoir loaded the bases on back-to-back infield errors. "We have...

No. 22 Trojans split twinbill

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Judson Smith allowed four hits in eight shutout innings and Dustin Richardson powered the offense with a home run and three runs batted in as nationally 22nd-ranked Mount Olive defeated Coker 8-0 in game one of a...

Local Roundup: Aycock softball team falls to D.H. Conley

GREENVILLE -- D.H. Conley held Charles B. Aycock to two hits as they blanked the Golden Falcons 3-0, in non-conference action on Friday evening. Jasmine Dobbin and Shelly Lancaster scratched out the only hits for Aycock. On the mound, Julie...

Friday, March 9, 2007

Back to the Big Dance: MOC men face Millersville (Pa.)

MOUNT OLIVE -- Experienced and loaded. Mount Olive College men's basketball coach Bill Clingan used those two words to describe Millersville (Pa.) University, the Trojans' opening-round opponent in this weekend's NCAA Division II East Regional. He's not wrong. The Marauders...

Wayne Country Day opens season with 5-3 win at North Duplin

CALYPSO -- The players sitting in the Wayne Country Day School dugout watched in awe as North Duplin pitcher Doug Lloyd set down the Chargers 1-2-3 in the first inning. The nervousness of an opening game and going against a...

Golden Falcons' Talton signs with Pitt Community College

PIKEVILLE -- Junior Bailey is on a mission to find -- and sign -- the best softball talent eastern North Carolina has to offer. The second-year Pitt Community College head coach hasn't done too bad, so far. Before Bailey pulled...

Local digest

Lancaster (Shelly) delivers game-winning hit PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock put together another seventh-inning rally Thursday evening and turned back Clayton, 2-1, on the Golden Falcons' diamond. Emily Jordan drew a one-out walk. Heather Farmer, Jordan's courtesy runner, scored when...

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Mount Olive comes up short

MOUNT OLIVE -- Standing as the potential tying run at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mount Olive's Scott Houin crushed a ball deep to left-center field. Francis Marion center fielder Justin Greene raced...

Warrior tennis falls

Two defeats against quality Class 4-A men's tennis programs this season hasn't forced Nancy Dawson to hit the panic button ... yet. But the veteran Eastern Wayne coach is concerned and probably has that button close at hand after Wednesday...

EW's Frazer chooses St. Andrews

Sam Frazer had seen these soccer drills before. Players get into a circle or triangle, knock the ball back and forth and switch positions. Normally a person who quickly pulls a ball from the bag and kicks it around, Frazer...

Local digest

Southern Wayne pounds East Duplin BEULAVILLE -- Southern Wayne erupted for seven runs in the first inning and cruised the rest of the night to a 16-5 win over East Duplin in five innings. Garrett Barfield went 2-for-5 with a...

Trojans win two in at Smash Hit Tourney

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Shauna Cowdrey tossed five shutout innings and Courtney Wallace keyed a pair of three-run innings with RBI doubles as Mount Olive defeated Seton Hill (Pa.) 7-0 in the Smash Hit Softball Tournament Wednesday at Savannah, Ga. Cowdrey,...

Area players update

Goldsboro High senior Daquan Joyner has been selected to play for the North Carolina squad in the annual N.C.-S.C. All-Star men's basketball game. The showcase game, which pits the top 10 players from the Carolinas, is scheduled for March 18...

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Rosewood diamond nine hand Farmville Central first loss of season

Matt Neal began preparing for this season back in November and practiced throughout the winter in sometimes frigid conditions. Little did the freshman pitcher from Rosewood know, one of his first starts would occur on an evening that reminded fans...

Long, Eason power Ashley past Southern Wayne

DUDLEY -- Opposing teams know about Southern Wayne's scrappy reputation on the baseball diamond. That notoriety went unobserved Tuesday evening. Ben Long and Chris Eason slugged back-to-back home runs in the first inning and sparked Wilmington Ashley to a 9-2,...

Local digest

Grantham's two-run HR sparks Saints' late offensive surge Lynn Grantham smacked a two-run, sixth-inning home run and Southern Wayne captured a 5-3, non-conference victory over county rival Rosewood on Tuesday afternoon. Grantham's round-tripper highlighted the late-inning surge for the Saints,...

Lovett's two-RBI single spearheads late MOC rally

MOUNT OLIVE -- Erik Lovett's two-run single broke a 5-5 tie and highlighted a five-run eighth inning as nationally 22nd-ranked Mount Olive rallied for a 9-5 victory over No. 27 Francis Marion in non-conference baseball actioni Tuesday at Scarborough Field....

Trojans split twinbill on road

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Jenny Jackson and Morgan Whaley both hit two-run homers in the fourth inning and Jackson added a two-run double in the fifth as Mount Olive defeated Davis and Elkins 6-0 in the Trojans' opening game at the...

MOC's Jackson earns yet another CVAC honor

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jenny Jackson, who set a Mount Olive school record and tied for the fifth-highest single-game RBI total in NCAA II softball history, was named Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Softball Player of the Week, it was announced Tuesday. The...

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Five free passes in seventh inning allows Gators to rally

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek literally walked to a non-conference victory over Union on Monday evening at "The Swamp." The Gators benefited from five seventh-inning walks and nipped the previously-unbeaten Spartans 4-3. Spring Creek improved to 3-0 under the direction...

Local digest

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Union hammered two home runs off Spring Creek pitching en route to a 11-1, five-inning victory on Monday evening. Hanna Hall had a double for the only extra base hit for Spring Creek. The Gators drop to...

MOC golfers faring well

Mick Moberg has a one stroke lead over teammate Tyler Rainear and both are among six Mount Olive players in the top 10 as two Trojan teams hold down the top two spots after the first round of the MOC...

Pirates have first full-pad workout

GREENVILLE -- After two non-contact orientation sessions in shorts and helmets, third-year head coach Skip Holtz and the East Carolina Pirates began their spring practice schedule in earnest Monday afternoon by working two-plus hours in full pads on Hight Field...

Monday, March 5, 2007

Nine is just fine for MOC's Jenny Jackson

ELIZABETH CITY -- Jenny Jackson tied for the fifth-highest single-game RBI total in NCAA II softball history in game one with nine runs batted in and Shauna Cowdrey struck out a career-high 13 batters in game two as Mount Olive...

Local digest

PIKEVILLE -- Lizzie Sodoma booted two shots into the back of the net to lead Charles B. Aycock to a 4-0 shutout of South Central on Friday. Sodoma also added an assist on a second half goal by Amanda Schlaeppi....

MOC golf

Mount Olive College plays host to the inaugural MOC men's and women's golf tournament today and tomorrow at Lane Tree Golf Course. The men's tournament features an eight-team field, including two Mount Olive teams, while the women's tournament features three...

MOC basketball

Mount Olive advanced to NCAA postseason play for the fourth consecutive year as the Trojans earned the No. 6 seed in the East Regional of the 2007 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship. Mount Olive takes on No. 3 seed...

MOC baseball

MOUNT OLIVE -- Dustin Richardson hit two home runs in game one and Erik Lovett belted his conference-leading ninth home run in the nightcap as nationally 27th-ranked Mount Olive swept a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball doubleheader over Erskine on Saturday...

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Eastern Wayne walks past Greene Central

The Eastern Wayne coaches preach patience at the plate to their hitters. On Saturday afternoon, the selectivity of the batters allowed the Warriors to draw six walks -- four of which came during a key four-run fifth inning that lifted...

MOC volleyball goes 3-0

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Trojan men's volleyball team won a pair of matches Saturday on the second day of the 2007 Mount Olive College men's volleyball tournament at Kornegay Arena. Mount Olive defeated Lees-McRae 3-0 (30-24, 30-19, 30-24) in their...

ECU completes second workout

GREENVILLE -- The East Carolina Pirates conducted their second official spring workout with a 150-minute practice late Friday afternoon at High Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex. After beginning camp with a pair of introductory workouts in shorts and...

Lady Pirates headed to C-USA championship game

TULSA, Okla. -- No. 2 seed UAB found itself in another nail-biter, but No. 3 seed East Carolina ultimately hung on for an 85-81 win in the semifinals of the 2007 C-USA Women's Basketball Championship at Donald W. Reynolds Center...

Wolfpack defeats ECU in 10 innings

GREENVILLE -- Mike Roskopf's pinch-hit RBI single with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th plated Ryan Pond and helped No. 24 N.C. State defeat East Carolina 5-4 in front of a record crowd of 5,523 on day...

Cowdrey tosses no-hitter for Trojans

Ten days after throwing her first collegiate no-hitter, Shauna Cowdrey tossed her second no-hitter as Mount Olive defeated Bluefield State 8-0 in game two of a non-conference softball doubleheader Friday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. In the opener, an error...

Mount Olive college sweeps Erskine

Tom Layne went the distance and Stephen Nordan singled home the game-winner with one out in the bottom of the ninth as nationally 27th-ranked Mount Olive defeated Erskine 4-3 in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball Friday at Scarborough Field. Mount Olive...

Southern Wayne tops Greene Central in extra innings

SNOW HILL -- Rachel Reynolds' single with two outs and two strikes drove in the winning run to lift Southern Wayne to a 3-2 victory over Greene Central in eight innings on Friday evening. After tying the game at 1-1...

No. 3 Tigers beat No. 2 Golden Falcons

WILSON -- A strong start ended with a disappointing result for the state-ranked Charles B. Aycock baseball team Saturday morning. North Carolina signee Garrett Davis drilled a two-out, two-run home run -- his first of the season -- in the...

Friday, March 2, 2007

C.B. Aycock rebounds, shuts down Fike 9-2

PIKEVILLE -- The only thing not working for Charles B. Aycock on Thursday evening was the lights. With the lights surrounding the diamond malfunctioning and darkness falling, the game between Aycock and Wilson Fike was called in the bottom of...

Davis, Eagles open season with lopsided victory

Traci Davis recorded 11 strikeouts and provided two hits in Wayne Christian's season-opening, 17-1 thrashing of Hobgood Academy on Thursday afternoon. Davis yielded two hits in the non-conference affair, which was shortened to 41/2 innings due to the 10-run mercy...

Trojans split non-CVAC twinbill at Pfeiffer University

MISENHEIMER -- Scott Houin hit a three-run homer and Phillip Pennington allowed only four hits in five innings as nationally 27th-ranked Mount Olive salvaged a split with an 8-2 victory over Pfeiffer in game two of a non-conference baseball doubleheader...

Trojan mens' basketball: Coffield, Rouse, Easley receive league honors

MISENHEIMER -- Mount Olive seniors Elton Coffield and Elijah Rouse were both named to the first team and Kendrick Easley was selected as Freshman of the Year as the 2006-07 All-Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men's basketball honors were announced Thursday during...

Trojan womens' basketball: Corley, Moore recognized by CVAC

MISENHEIMER -- Mount Olive junior Keona Corley and freshman Helen Moore were both named to the second team as the 2006-07 All-Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women's basketball honors were announced Thursday during the awards banquet at the 2007 CVAC Tournament at...

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Mount Olive advance in CVAC tourney

MOUNT OLIVE -- "Pick it up and have fun." Senior Elijah Rouse, in so many words, offered that advice to his Mount Olive College teammates during halftime of Wednesday evening's contest against Coker (S.C.) College. The Trojans undoubtedly felt pressured...

Trojan's prepare for tournament

Mount Olive plays host to the MOC Men's Volleyball Tournament this weekend at Kornegay Arena. The Trojans take on Eastern Mennonite (Va.) Friday at 7 p.m. in the opening match. Four matches take place Saturday, beginning with Eastern Mennonite vs....

Trojan women finish season

LAURINBURG -- With the shot clock running down, junior Erika Thompson hit a 10-foot jump shot with 21.2 seconds left to lift No. 4 seed St. Andrews Presbyterian College to a 62-60 victory over No. 5 seed Mount Olive College...

Mount Olive softball swept

MOUNT OLIVE -- Colleen Thomas' first collegiate home run in the fifth inning tied the game, but nationally 27th-ranked Wingate struck for two runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Mount Olive 3-1 in game two of a...

Spring Creek one-hits Hobbton

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Ray Grady threw four innings of one-hit baseball while striking out seven, to lead Spring Creek to a 9-0 win over Hobbton, Wednesday evening. Paul Hayes was 1-for-2 with two RBIs while Tim Rogers, Josh Gammon and...

Southern Wayne wins slugfest

DUDLEY -- East Duplin catcher Josh Kennedy watched helplessly as Garrett Barfield crossed home plate with another Southern Wayne run. Kennedy threw his mask off, looked to the sky and shook his head in disgust. Barfield had scored the Saints'...