May 2007 archives

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Thursday, May 31, 2007

C.B. Aycock goes for second state title

PIKEVILLE — In each of Charles Davis previous 16 years, the end of the season has always come too soon. The Charles B. Aycock head coach would watch as opposing players and coaches celebrate, advancing to play another day,...

Princeton seniors want nothing less than state crown

PRINCETON — Princeton’s senior class is happy to return to the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A baseball championship series. Is the group satisfied? No. “My freshman year we heard about how good South Stokes was and we...

Wayne County survives walk parade

MOUNT OLIVE -- Whether it was the strike zone or nerves, balls were plentiful on Wednesday night. With a couple of inexperienced pitchers on the mound, Wayne County Post 11 would issue 12 free passes on the night. Most of...

K-Tribe powers past Wilmington

KINSTON -- Josh Rodriguez slugged a sixth-inning grand slam and Kinston seized a come-from-behind, 10-8 decision over Wilmington at historic Grainger Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Rodriguez's slam, the K-Tribe's first this season, highlighted a six-run uprising. John Drennen scored on...

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Wayne County Post 11 wins opener

MOUNT OLIVE -- Wayne County Post 11 didn't squander its second chance with the bases loaded Tuesday evening. After wasting a scoring opportunity in the seventh inning, Post 11 capitalized in the eighth against Garner Post 232. Nolan Lancaster's RBI...

Tar Heel Tour comes to Wayne County

Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey of the Golf Channel's Big Break is registered to play in a three-day, Tarheel Tour event which began this morning at Walnut Creek Country Club. More than 100 professionals are vying for a purse of $15,000...

Wilmington defeats Kinston

KINSTON -- Wilmington right-hander Rowdy Hardy yielded two hits in an eight-inning stint as the Blue Rocks turned back Kinston 4-1 at historic Grainger Stadium. Hardy (6-0) held the K-Tribe hitless after the first inning and retired the final 16...

Local digest

SNOW HILL -- Snow Hill Post 94 overcame a 3-0 fifth-inning deficit to defeat Beaufort County 7-3 on Tuesday night. Hunter Chase had three hits including a triple at the plate to lead Snow Hill. Other leading hitters for Post...

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Wilmington nips K-Tribe in the ninth

KINSTON -- Jose Duarte crossed home on a ninth-inning wild pitch and Wilmington nipped Kinston 6-5 at historic Grainger Stadium on Monday evening. Duarte started the Blue Rock ninth with a double and advanced to third on a groundout. K-Tribe...

Monday, May 28, 2007

Powerful Rice offense tops East Carolina

GREENVILLE -- Rice scored eight runs in the bottom of the second inning on five hits and held on to defeat East Carolina 16-8 in the Conference USA championship game Sunday afternoon. The top-seeded Owls (49-12 overall) won their 13th...

Local digest

CLINTON -- Snow Hill Post 94 triumphed 8-6 over Duplin County and remained unbeaten on the American Legion baseball scene Saturday evening. Tyler Chase paced Snow Hill's offense with three hits and two RBI in four plate appearances. Lance Murray...

K-Tribe tops Winston-Salem

KINSTON -- Mike Butia belted a fourth-inning home run and Kinston salvaged the weekend series with Winston-Salem 7-2 at historic Grainger Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Carolina League Southern Division rivals battled to a 3-3 split. The K-Tribe remained four...

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Davis shuts down Knights

PIKEVILLE -- Charles Davis' tear-stained face told the story Saturday evening. Three-plus decades of frustration had finally ended for the Charles B. Aycock baseball program. An emotional Davis took a moment to hug every player and not a dry eye...

Pate's HR sparks Princeton

CAMDEN -- Dustin Pate clubbed a fourth-inning home run and Ryan Daughtry earned his second postseason save as Princeton -- again -- rallied for a come-from-behind 5-2 victory over Camden County on Friday evening. The No. 8-ranked Bulldogs swept the...

North Lenoir dumps Whiteville

WHITEVILLE -- After blowing through the 2007 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A baseball playoffs, the North Lenoir Hawks got their first test of the postseason on Friday night. As they have all season, the Hawks passed with flying...

Prirates reach CUSA title game

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina capitalized on three first-inning errors and tallied runs in each of the final three innings during a 9-4 victory over Tulane in the Conference USA baseball tournament at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The second-seeded Pirates (39-20 overall) advanced...

Black Heritage Swim Meet

The Goldsboro Family YMCA is hosting the Fifth National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet this weekend. Also sponsoring the competition is the North Carolina Aquablazers Swim Team and North Carolina Swimming. The Aquablazers, made up of minority swimmers from North...

Post 11 preview

MOUNT OLIVE -- A 2007 roster dotted with new faces and 11 returnees should provide divdends for Wayne County Post 11 this season. But that youth and how well it meshes with the experienced players will determine the final payoff....

NCCSIA honors five trojan baseball players

ROCKY MOUNT -- Mount Olive College junior Erik Lovett, the 2007 Daktronics Division II Player of the Year, highlights this year's College Division All-State team announced by the N.C. Collegiate Sports Information Association. The Trojans also put starting pitcher Tom...

Fishing news

MOREHEAD CITY -- The first money spent from Coastal Recreational Fishing License sales will go toward a public fishing access project and a marine resources education project. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have agreed...

Friday, May 25, 2007

Dawgs come back versus Camden

PRINCETON -- Dustin Pate could feel the fatigue set in. The right-handed hurler just hoped he could survive at least one more inning and keep his team in the game. He did. The Princeton senior kept his poise, relied on...

C.B. Aycock steals game one

PIKEVILLE -- In the bottom of the first inning C.B. Aycock's Will Edgerton was thrown out trying to steal second base. The play was significant in the fact that it would be the only time all night Northern Nash would...

Erik Lovett named national player of the year

MOUNT OLIVE -- The postseason awards continue rolling in for Mount Olive College first baseman Erik Lovett, who received the nation's most-coveted prize Thursday. Lovett, who plays first play, was named the national player of the year on the 2007...

Williams tops Eastern Wayne in east finals

Eastern Wayne's historic, season-long run in men's tennis came to a grinding halt Thursday afternoon at Herman Park. The Warriors didn't seem to mind. A stinging 5-1 loss to perennial power Burlington Williams in the eastern dual-team final couldn't dampen...

North Lenoir pounds Whiteville

LaGRANGE -- East Carolina signee Sthil Sowers and Tyler Smith each slugged a two-run home run in a seven-run first inning, as the two-time defending Class 2-A state baseball champion North Lenoir pummeled Whiteville 16-4 in five innings on Thursday...

Steal of home lifts Pirates

GREENVILLE -- Harrison Eldridge stole home in the bottom of the tenth inning to give No. 2 East Carolina a 2-1 win over No. 3 Southern Miss Thursday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium in game eight of the 2007 Conference USA...

K-Tribe splits doubleheader

KINSTON -- Kinston split a doubleheader with Winston-Salem on Thursday night as the Warthogs took game one 2-1 in eight innings. The K-Tribe bounced back in game two and pounded Winston-Salem 8-2 to stay four games ahead of the Warthogs...

Mudcats need 11 innings to win

ZEBULON -- It took the Carolina Mudcats (18-30) more than nine innings to end their six-game losing streak to the Birmingham Barons (21-27). The Mudcats needed 11 innings to prevail 2-1 on Thursday night. The game featured strong starting pitching...

Thursday, May 24, 2007

ECU advances in C-USA tourney

GREENVILLE -- Harrison Eldridge hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to help second-seeded East Carolina claim a come-from-behind 4-2, opening-round victory over seventh-seeded Tulane in the 2007 Conference USA baseball tournament. Jake Dean legged...

Avalanche slips past K-Tribe

SALEM, Va. -- Catcher Justin Tellam provided a bases-loaded, walk-off double in the ninth inning and Salem nipped Kinston 5-4 in Carolina League play. Mark Ori started the Avalanche ninth with a single. Mitch Einertson drew a walk from Kinston...

Mudcats fall to Barons

ZEBULON -- Adam Russell tossed 62/3 solid innings and Thomas Collaro homered as visiting Birmingham edged Carolina, 5-3, on Wednesday evening at Five County Stadium. Russell (5-3) surrendered three runs -- two earned -- on five hits while striking out...

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

C.B. Aycock rallies past Fike

PIKEVILLE -- With Charles B. Aycock and Wilson Fike locked in a 3-3 game in the sixth inning, Charles Davis turned to his bench and Evan Medford. The starting center fielder was hit for by designated hitter Brandon Price for...

Eastern Wayne netters eliminate C.B. Aycock

Nancy Dawson is living a dream right now. She hopes nobody wakes her up. Eastern Wayne continued its historic run on the men's tennis scene Tuesday afternoon with a 5-2 conquest of county archrival Charles B. Aycock. The Warriors (17-3...

Princeton reaches regional final

PRINCETON -- Dustin Pate provided a game-winning, walk-off single in the eighth inning and Princeton edged Topsail 3-2 in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A baseball playoffs Tuesday evening. The Dawgs (21-6 overall) advanced to the eastern finals...

Local digest

GREENVILLE -- Southern Wayne's state playoff run came to an abrupt end on Tuesday night as they fell 3-0 to the D.H. Conley Vikings in the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A eastern playoffs. Vikings...

Sales doubles up K-Tribe

SALEM, Va. -- Kinston mashed 14 hits, but it wasn't enough in a 12-6 loss against Salem on Tuesday evening. The Avalanche snapped the K-Tribe's seven-game win streak despite three-hit efforts from Michael Aubrey and Chris De La Cruz. Aubrey...

Barons hammer Mudcats

ZEBULON -- Despite having one of the league's worst team batting averages, Birmingham erupted for 12 hits and hammered Carolina 12-4 at Five County Stadium on Tuesday evening. The Barons entered the Southern League contest with a team average of...

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Area high school teams return to action

Three eastern semifinal tilts and two grudge matches highlight today's schedule as the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs resume in baseball, softball and men's tennis. No. 2-ranked Charles B. Aycock is making its first semifinal-round appearance since 2003 and...

Local digest

WILSON -- Russell Turner fended off four match points and emerged the No. 1 flight singles winner in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A men's tennis championships. Turner turned back top-seeded Chris Cash of Greenfield 6-7 (5), 6-3,...

K-Tribe pounds Avalanche

SALEM, Va. -- Kinston pounded out 13 hits and claimed its seventh straight win, 15-4 over Salem on Monday evening. Chris De La Cruz, Nathan Panther, Michael Aubrey, Stephen Head and Wes Hodges recorded two hits apiece for the K-Tribe....

Mudcats fall to Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A.J. Ellis' sacrifice fly capped an eighth-inning rally and Jacksonville edged Carolina 4-3 on the Baseball Grounds diamond Monday afternoon. Carolina reliever Blake McGinley issued two walks to the first three batters he faced in the eighth....

Monday, May 21, 2007

WCDS takes NCISAA 1-A title

WILSON -- Ryan Ford had been in this situation before. In Wayne Country Day's season opener against North Duplin, Ford got the Chargers out of a bases loaded jam to close a two-run victory. Ironically, the same scenario played out...

Mount Olive's NCAA run ends

KINSTON -- Columbus State prevented Mount Olive College from flexing its offensive muscle on the final day of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional. The nation's eighth-best pitching staff limited the Trojans to a single run in 18 innings...

North Lenoir advances in playoffs

Bryce Grady homered and two-time defending champion North Lenoir shut out Bunn 6-0 in round three of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A baseball playoffs. Grady also doubled in a 2-for-2 showing. Sthil Sowers, Tyler Smith, Josh Bass...

K-Tribe rallies past Nationals

WOODBRIDGE, Va. -- Niuman Romero delivered a tie-breaking, two-hit in the eighth inning and Kinston turned back Potomac 4-3 on Sunday afternoon. Romero's game-winning hit scored Wes Hodges and the K-Tribe claimed a three-game series sweep of the Nationals. Kinston...

Mudcats roll past Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Ryan Bear homered and drove in four runs, Carolina snapped a six-game losing streak against Jacksonville, 9-4, on Sunday afternoon at the Baseball Grounds. Brett Hayes added a two-run homer for the Mudcats, who improved to 17-27...

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Wayne Christian takes state title

Brittany Sullivan had seen a steady diet of off-speed pitches from Cape Fear Christian right-hander Olivia Scarborough in three meetings this season. Sullivan, in fact, never touched a base. The Wayne Christian catcher seemed destined for the same outcome Saturday...

Local Digest

WINDSOR -- Lindsay Pearsall slugged her second home run of the season and Southern Wayne dumped Bertie 7-3 in their N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A playoff game Friday. Pearsall finished with two hits for the Saints, the Eastern Carolina...

West resigns at C.B. Aycock

PIKEVILLE -- David West flipped the light switch one last time on Charles B. Aycock softball diamond late Friday evening. Misty-eyed, he silently stared as the rain-soaked field faded into darkness. "It's been a great ride," said West. Indeed. West's...

Hodges one-hitter lift Mount Olive to title game

MOC Sports Information KINSTON -- Casey Hodges retired the last 19 batters he faced and finished with a one-hitter as top-seeded Mount Olive College defeated Georgia College & State University 5-0 in the South Atlantic Regional on Saturday afternoon. Hodges'...

South Central eliminates C.B. Aycock

PIKEVILLE -- The look on the face of Julia Lancaster told the story for Charles B. Aycock. The senior could only watch helplessly as Shakemia Edwards and Kim Bolhinhouse raced around the bases to score South Central's second and third...

Reid named new GHS football coach

Goldsboro High football is entrenched with Eric Reid. A 1990 graduate of Goldsboro High School, Reid played three seasons with the Cougars on their offensive line and spent time coaching the junior varsity and varsity program over the past seven...

Wayne Country Day splits DH in bid for state title

WILSON -- Four outs was all Wayne Country Day needed for a state title. Having already beaten Lawrence Academy 5-4 in game one of the best-of-three series at Fleming Stadium, the Chargers held a 3-2 lead in the top of...

C.B. Aycock outlasts West Brunswick

PIKEVILLE -- During the past month, Garrett Davis has emerged the top closer on the Charles B. Aycock pitching staff. The senior right-hander delivered in clutch fashion Friday evening. Davis entered the seventh inning with Aycock ahead 10-8 and two...

Friday, May 18, 2007

Trojans open NCAA play with win

KINSTON -- Timing is everything and Mount Olive College couldn't seem to catch a break during opening-round play in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional. A hit-and-run situation led to Virginia State turning a first-inning triple play and etching...

Pennington shines for Trojans

KINSTON -- The last time Phillip Pennington took the mound at Grainger Stadium he was a wide-eyed freshman pitching against the Kinston Indians in an exhibition game for Mount Olive College. Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA...

Daktronics All-South Region team

KINSTON -- Erik Lovett's return to the Mount Olive College baseball team hasn't gone unnoticed this season. Then again, Lovett has made plenty of noise in batter's box. The former Southern Wayne graduate added another postseason award to his constantly-growing...

South Atlantic Regional scoreboard

KINSTON -- Relief pitcher Matt Howard retired the final five batters he faced and Rich Janofsky provided a two-RBI, eighth-inning single as Georgia College & State University dumped Armstrong Atlantic State 6-3 in opening-round play of the South Atlantic Regional...

Local digest

Middle schools Spring Creek baseball 14, Mt. Olive 13 -- Spring Creek defeated Mt. Olive in eight innings in a wild game. For Spring Creek Cory Howell and Ryan Vivarette both tallied two hits while Dillion Coates added a double....

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Spots still available for WCMA

Does an extra dose of adrenaline pulse through your veins when you hit a solid approach from the fairway and get the ball to bite on lush, rolling greens? Then Neil Bartlett is looking for you. Organizer of the Wayne...

Games will be played today at Grainger

KINSTON -- Despite a late Wednesday night rain, play is expected to begin today in the 2007 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional at Grainger Stadium. Third-seeded Georgia College & State University (44-13) started the proceedings at 11 this morning...

Local digest

PRINCETON -- Brittany Baker delivered a key late-game RBI and Princeton escaped Holly Ridge Dixon 5-4 in their opening-round, N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A softball playoff game. Holding a precarious 4-3 advantage, Sarah Eonta's lead-off single started the...

Kinston destroys Frederick

KINSTON -- Chris Gimenez slugged three home runs and produced six RBI in Kinston's 16-4 victory over Frederick at historic Grainger Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Gimenez orchestrated a 15-hit parade which included solo home runs from Stephen Head and John...

Mudcats down Huntsville

ZEBULON -- After being outscored 18 runs by Huntsville in the first three game of the series, Carolina provided some offensive firepower in a 9-2 victory Wednesday evening at Five County Stadium. Scoreless the first two innings, the Mudcats tallied...

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Mount Olive South Atlantic Regional preview

MOUNT OLIVE -- When the Mount Olive College baseball team stepped between the lines at Scarborough Field during the fall, veteran coach Carl Lancaster knew he had something special on his hands. Boy, did he ever. The talented crop of...

Well-rested Trojans anxious to play for real

MOUNT OLIVE -- Camping at the beach, Putt-Putt, Frisbee golf and water balloons. Mount Olive has had plenty of time to enjoy the finer things in life during its break of nearly three weeks in between games. It was back...

C.B. Aycock outlasts West Craven

PIKEVILLE -- West Craven nearly engineered an unbelievable comeback and almost derailed Charles B. Aycock during its journey in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A baseball playoffs Tuesday evening. But the Golden Falcons stayed on track. Senior right-hander...

WCDS advance in state playoffs

Instead of being confident facing a team Wayne Country Day had beaten four previous times this season, coach Michael Taylor was nervous. Those fears were further fueled when he saw his Chargers go down 2-1 to Faith Christian of Rocky...

Jordan's birthday shutout leads C.B. Aycock

PIKEVILLE -- In a unique twist, it was Emily Jordan who was giving out presents on her birthday. The left-hander celebrated the day with a complete game shutout as well as three hits and two RBIs to give Charles B....

Wayne Christian captures state title

PINEHURST -- Conference archrival Durham Cresset Christian put pressure on first-day leader Wayne Christian during final-round play Tuesday afternoon, but couldn't keep the momentum. The Eagles compiled a stellar back-nine score and emerged the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class...

Davis throws no-hitter for Wayne Christian

Wayne Christian pitcher Traci Davis nearly turned in a spotless worksheet Tuesday afternoon against Pungo Christian Academy. The right-handed hurler missed a perfect game by one batter in a 10-0 dismantling of the Raiders in quarterfinal-round play of the N.C....

Local digest

County men's tennis archrivals Eastern Wayne and Charles B. Aycock are headed for another showdown after posting second-round victories in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A dual-team playoffs Tuesday afternoon. Eastern Wayne (16-3 overall) advanced with a 6-0...

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Aggressive base running, solid defense helped FCA

By RUDY COGGINS News-Argus Sports Writer Faith Christian softball coach Jeff Stocks thinks an early-season, non-conference loss at Wilmington Christian Academy might have been the turning point for his team this spring. "The next three or four practices, the girls...

Goldsboro golfers experience season of learning

By ROB CRAIG News-Argus Sports Writer Credit Tiger Woods for helping revive the Goldsboro High School golf program. Well, at least indirectly. When Woods joined the PGA Tour it brought the sport of golf to a younger and more diverse...

Herrmann tosses four-hitter

KINSTON -- The series opener between the Carolina League's top two teams favored Southern Division leader Kinston on Monday evening at historic Grainger Stadium. Frank Herrmann allowed four hits and one earned run in an eight-inning stint, and the K-Tribe...

Longwell feels team is prepared

By RUDY COGGINS News-Argus Sports Writer Despite injuries and a late-season slump, Wayne Christian is in prime position to contend for the 2007 N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1-A softball championship. And the third-seeded Eagles have an added incentive....

Stars edge Mudcats, 5-4

ZEBULON -- Lou Palmisano's ninth-inning groundout broke a 4-4 tie as Huntsville beat Carolina for the ninth straight time, 5-4, at Five County Stadium on Monday night. Carolina (14-24) lost its fourth straight game, and had to surprisingly start Jarrett...

Monday, May 14, 2007

Mount Olive gets NCAA regional

MOUNT OLIVE -- The NCAA selection committee announced No. 10-ranked Mount Olive College will host the 2007 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional late Sunday evening. The six-team, double-elimination tournament is scheduled for Thursday-Sunday at historic Grainger Stadium in Kinston....

Conquerors get second consecutive state title

Faith Christian repeated as the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A softball champion with a 4-1 decision over Union Grove on Saturday afternoon. But the Conquerors repeated as state champion in the most-unlikely fashion. Faith Christian (14-3 overall) scored...

Pirates sweep UCF

GREENVILLE -- Kyle Roller drove in a career-high six runs and East Carolina swept UCF in its final home Conference USA series. Roller batted 3-for-4 with a home as the No. 30-ranked Pirates crushed the Knights 13-8 inside Clark-LeClair Stadium...

Kinston splits with Potomac

KINSTON -- Carolina League rivals Kinston and Potomac settled for a split on Sunday afternoon at historic Grainger Stadium. The K-Tribe belted three consecutive home runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to hand the Nationals an 8-7 loss...

Huntsville wallops Carolina

ZEBULON -- Huntsville utilized a big inning for the second straight game and disposed Carolina 10-2 on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium. One day after scoring 13 runs in the eighth inning, the Stars (18-17 overall) pushed across five...

Sunday, May 13, 2007

C.B. Aycock advances

PIKEVILLE -- Every opponent in the playoffs scares Charles B. Aycock coach Charles Davis. What bothered Davis even more was facing a team that had literally just gotten a second life. Northeast Guilford was out of the postseason picture just...

Somek receives honor

MOUNT OLIVE -- Kate Somek, a four-year member of the Mount Olive College women's golf team, was selected as the recipient of the Thomas R. Morris Award for Academic Excellence during commencement ceremonies Saturday at Mount Olive College. Somek graduated...

C.B. Aycock's Vail wins regional

Charles B. Aycock's Blake Vail emerged the N.C. High School Athletic Association eastern regional singles champion Saturday afternoon on the Barton College Tennis Complex courts. Vail, a freshman, turned back Griffin Benton 6-1, 6-0 in the finals. Teammate Addison Westbrook...

Wayne Christian moves on

Timely hits weren't a commodity during the early innings of Wayne Christian's baseball game Saturday afternoon. So the Eagles did the next best thing. They capitalized on United Faith Christian errors and cruised to an 8-3 victory in their opening-round,...

Mount Olive awaits destination

MOUNT OLIVE -- To charter a bus or spruce up the place for company -- that's the question the Mount Olive College baseball team expects to have answered tonight. Nationally 10th-ranked Mount Olive, which has already clinched a post-season bid,...

Prep soccer playoff action

BARCO -- Freshman Brandi Dean collected her second game-winning goal in the postseason and Eastern Wayne turned back Currituck County 2-1 on Saturday afternoon. Dean scored in the 60th minute and catapulted the Warriors (14-7 overall) into the third round...

Goldsboro's Kornegay signs

Tim Kornegay scribbled his signature onto the paper and within 30 seconds, terminated 16 frustrating months of waiting for a college recruiter to offer him a scholarship. Kornegay officially signed a national letter-of-intent with the University of South Carolina at...

Prep baseball playoff action

Rosewood erupted for eight runs in the first two innings combined and hammered Pamlico County 10-4 in their opening-round, Class 1-A N.C. High School Athletic Association baseball playoff game Friday evening. David Smeltzer supplied an RBI single and Taylor Allen...

West Carteret nips E. Wayne

Nolan Lancaster's fourth-inning, tape-measure home run seemed to deflate West Carteret's pride Friday evening on the Eastern Wayne diamond. Until Joe Montuori stepped into the batter's box in the seventh inning. The No. 9 hitter in the Patriots' lineup, the...

Friday, May 11, 2007

Princeton thumps Hobbton in 1-A playoffs

PRINCETON -- Princeton needed just 70 minutes to dismantle Hobbton in their opening-round, N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A baseball playoff contest Thursday evening. Bulldog right-hander Chris Hinton threw a two-hitter in an 11-0 triumph on the Fred Bartholomew...

NASCAR Driver takes to the skies

Jon Wood knows first hand, you're only as good as the rest of your teammates. He has learned that over an 11-year racing career that has taken him from go-karts in Virginia to his No. 21 Air Force car in...

Mount Olive puts in bid to host tournament

MOUNT OLIVE -- Wait and see. That's the approach the Mount Olive College athletics staff is taking this weekend as they await the completion of the Peach Belt Conference baseball tournament. The Trojans, ranked No. 1 in the final South...

Eages, Chargers ready for playoffs

Wayne Christian baseball coach Tim Brannan keeps setting the bar higher each season for his program. And each time, the Eagles respond. Despite graduating six seniors off last year's Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference championship team, Brannan refused to let...

Mount Olive College to add track and field

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College director of athletics Jeff Eisen announced that will men's and women's outdoor track and field will be added in 2007-08. Beth Green, who serves as the men's and women's cross country coach, has been...

Local digest

WASHINGTON -- Led by a pair of talented freshmen, second-seeded Charles B. Aycock shocked top-seeded Washington 5-1 in their opening-round, N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A dual-team playoff match Thursday afternoon. As they have so often this season, freshmen...

Keys slip by K-Tribe

FREDERICK, Md. -- Mark Fleisher slid home under the tag of Kinston catcher Chris Gimenez and Frederick's defense protected the lone run in a 1-0 victory Thursday morning. Fleisher scored on Justin Johnson's RBI double. K-Tribe starter David Huff (3-2)...

Mudcats rally past Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Lee Mitchell slugged two home runs and Chase Lambin provided a three-run homer as Carolina rallied past Chattanooga 9-6 at AT&T Field on Thursday evening. Mitchell (4-for-5, four RBI) ripped a two-run shot in opening inning and...

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Britt named new Rosewood football coach

Robert Britt understands football-oriented communities. He grew up and played at Bunn High School, a tradition-rich program which benefited greatly from its community support. There wasn't a Friday night that didn't pass when the stands weren't packed full of football-crazed...

Freshman leads Warriors to win

Eastern Wayne freshman Brandi Dean played with energy and displayed her blazing speed in her varsity debut Wednesday evening. However, the soft-spoken forward admitted she needed a little work on her shooting. Dean misfired on her first two shot attempts...

Eastern Wayne tennis advances

Despite needing two days to secure its opening-round playoff victory, the Eastern Wayne men's tennis team played with a cool demeanor Wednesday afternoon at Herman Park. The Warriors hit crisp ground strokes and capitalized on critical points in a 5-1...

Mount Olive golfers finish 7th

POOLER, Ga. -- Jonathan Greene and Scott Woodard tied for eighth out of 45 golfers and Mount Olive finished seventh among the Atlantic Region teams after final-round play Wednesday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional golf championship....

K-Tribe snaps skid

FREDERICK, Md. -- Kinston snapped a two-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over Frederick on Wednesday afternoon. The K-Tribe improved to a Carolina League-best 17-12. "I thought we played a good game, played good defense, made the plays we...

Walk-Off homer dooms Carolina

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Tonnys Gutierrez delivered a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning and Chattanooga turned back Carolina 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Field. Gutierrez batted after the Mudcats misplayed a two-out popup that dropped...

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Rosewood makes it three straight over Princeton

When Rosewood saw its draw for the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A playoffs, they didn't have to do too much homework scouting the opponent. Carolina Conference archrival Princeton had been awarded a wild-card spot...

North Duplin receives Sportsmanship Award

CALYPSO -- Often, a sportsmanship award is given to a team or a player who isn't always at the top level of competition. It can be an award that's given as an after thought to a team or individual which...

Local digest

Faith Christian defeated Woodland Baptist 10-0 in five innings on Tuesday in the second round of the N.C. Christian Schools Association Class 2-A playoffs. Jennifer Christopher allowed only one hit to pick up the victory while adding two hits at...

Rain postpones county teams

Rain either suspended or postponed Tuesday afternoon's Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association dual-team tennis playoff matches involving Eastern Wayne and Charles B. Aycock. The Warriors' held slim advantages in four of six singles matches against D.H. Conley before...

Mount Olive remains seventh after two rounds

POOLER, Ga. -- Mount Olive moved into sole possession of seventh place among the Atlantic Region teams, while Jonathan Greene fired the Trojans' lowest round of the tournament during the NCAA Division II Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional golf tournament Tuesday afternoon....

K-Tribe falls to Frederick

FREDERICK, Md. -- Frederick profited from three errors and battered Kinston starter Sung-Wei Tseng in the early stages of a 6-2, Carolina League victory Tuesday evening. The Keys pushed across four unearned runs against Tseng, who also surrendered five hits...

Chattanooga holds on against Carolina

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Chattanooga capitalized on five unearned runs in the fourth inning and held on for a 6-5, Southern League victory over Carolina at AT&T Field. Ryan Hanigan singled home a second inning run against starter Gaby Hernandez (2-3),...

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

East-West All-Stars

Eastern Wayne seniors Adrian Black and Kendrick Best have been selected to play in the 2007 N.C. Coaches Association East-West football game in July. The duo helped lead the Warriors to a program-best eight wins under the direction of fourth-year...

Aycock golfers denied state tournament bid

PINETOPS -- Charles B. Aycock's quest for its third consecutive appearance in the Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association golf championships ended in heartbreaking fashion Monday afternoon. The Golden Falcons and long-time rival Wilson Fike tied for third with...

Wayne Country Day wins first title in 20 years

WILSON -- Wayne Country Day waited two decades to add another Class 1-A Coastal Plains Independent Conference baseball championship to its trophy case. Now the Chargers have a another trophy after sweeping Monday's season-ending CPIC tournament on the Fleming Stadium...

Eastern Wayne heads to state track meet

JACKSONVILLE --Eastern Wayne is carrying five relay squads and several individual competitors to the 2007 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A track and field meet on Saturday. Sprinter Dwight Ulmer emerged the east regional champion in the 200-meter dash...

Rosewood edges archrival Princeton

Rosewood head softball coach Debbie Bailey and assistant coach Deik Reinhard have seen the Eagles wilt under defensive pressure throughout the season. Not Monday afternoon. And certainly not on senior day. The Eagles survived three defensive errors and edged archrival...

Local digest

Princeton put up five runs in the first inning and then cruised to a 10-3 win over Rosewood in Carolina 1-A Conference action on Monday night. The two teams waited an extra 72 hours to play the game that was...

Frederick rallies past Kinston

FREDERICK, Md. -- The Frederick Keys tallied four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and claimed a come-from-behind 5-2 victory over Kinston on Monday evening. Frederick capitalized on two errors, a hit batsman, a walk and three hits...

Carolina bests Chaatanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Grant Psomas hit a two-run homer while Brad Davis hit a three-run triple in the eighth to lift Carolina past Chattanooga 5-1 in Southern League play Monday evening. Psomas drilled his fifth homer in the second inning...

Monday, May 7, 2007

Mount Olive hires women's soccer coach

MOUNT OLIVE -- Matt Hisler has been named the new head women's soccer coach at Mount Olive and becomes the third head coach in the program's 12-year history. Hisler comes to Mount Olive from College of Mount Saint Vincent in...

Prep playoff pairings

The N.C. High School Athletic Association officially released the pairings for the women's soccer and men's dual-team tennis playoffs on Sunday afternoon. In soccer, Eastern Wayne (12-7) kicks off 3-A classification play with a home contest Wednesday evening against Coastal...

Pirates move into third in C-USA

HOUSTON, Texas -- East Carolina moved into third place in Conference USA with a 9-2 victory over Houston on Sunday afternoon. The Pirates (32-15 overall) used a sixth-run fourth inning as the springboard to their 10th CUSA triumph in 17...

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Eastern Wayne seizes ECC 3-A women's soccer tournament crown

The Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference women's soccer tournament title is staying put in Wayne County. Eastern Wayne made sure of it Friday evening. Seniors Sam Frazer and Natalie Taylor combined for three goals as the homestanding Warriors turned back...

Local events washed out, moved to Monday

Rain forced the postponement of several baseball and softball contests involving area teams Friday evening. Athletic directors opted to move games to Monday as regular-season play winds down in the Class 1-A Carolina Conference and Class 2-A Eastern Plains Conference....

Wayne Christian repeats as CCC baseball tournament champion

ERWIN -- Adam Brannan fired a two-hitter and Wayne Christian successfully defended its Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference baseball tournament crown with an 8-0 decision over Northwood Temple. Brannan earned Most Valuable Player honors for the Eagles, who picked up...

Mount Olive men's golf team ready for Division II regional

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive head men's golf coach Chip Spiron admits there may have been a "happy to be here" feeling last year when the Trojans made their first-ever postseason appearance. This year, the attitude is "in it to...

St. Andrews' Burris wanted Dobbin in her program

PIKEVILLE -- Liz Burris settled back into her chair and popped in the DVD. Once she pushed the play button on her remote, the St. Andrews softball coach sat in awe as she watched Charles B. Aycock center fielder Jasmine...

Smeltzer forgoes buying ski equipment, may get boogie board instead

At first, David Smeltzer thought about purchasing ski equipment and plenty of warm clothing to ward off cold temperatures once he headed to Blue Ridge Community College located in the mountainous range of Flat Rock. Now the Rosewood High catcher...

A future engineer, Price instrumental in Aycock's success

PIKEVILLE -- Brandon Price uses properties of mechanical engineering every time he steps onto the pitching rubber for Charles B. Aycock. Arm angles, motion and trajectory toward the plate are things Price thinks about each time he uncorks a pitch....

Friday, May 4, 2007

5 in a row: Wayne Christian golfers claim another CCC championship

FAYETTEVILLE -- Matt Davis fashioned an 18-hole round of 69 and emerged the Class 1-A Carolina Christian Conference player of the year during Thursday afternoon's season-ending golf meet at Kings Grant Country Club. Davis and his Eagle teammates claimed their...

Sasser, Davis shut down Saints

PIKEVILLE -- Superb pitching and great defensive plays kept blanket-covered fans on edge for five innings on an unseasonably cool Thursday evening at Charles B. Aycock. The sixth inning, however, turned a little chillier for the Southern Wayne faithful during...

ECC softball rematch set: Aycock, SW triumph in semifinal round

The rematch is set. County softball archrivals Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne will meet Monday evening to determine the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference tournament queen. The top-seeded Golden Falcons advanced with a 2-0 shutout over Wilson Hunt, while...

Wooten leads 10-hit parade over Wilson Hunt

When Eastern Wayne lost to Wilson Hunt pitcher Matt Watson 16 days ago they learned what not to do -- swing at high fastballs. The Warriors got a second chance to avenge their 6-3 loss to Hunt and Watson in...

Local digest

Wayne Country Day clinches first CPIC baseball title in 20 years ROCKY MOUNT -- Wayne Country Day clinched its first Coastal Plains Independent Conference title in 20 years by defeating Faith Christian of Rocky Mount 11-1 on Thursday afternoon. Travis...

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Saints Advance

DUDLEY -- Over the past month, Southern Wayne has always seemed to be a play or two away from recording a big win. With a playoff berth on the line, in the first round of the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina...

Rosewood loses heartbreaker

Rosewood's regular-season, women's soccer finale against Classes 1-A/2-A Carolina/Eastern Plains Conference rival North Johnston had scoreless draw written all over it Wednesday evening. Until the 63rd minute. A defensive miscue resulted in an own goal and the Panthers escaped 1-0...

Aycock reigns as ECC golf king

WILSON -- The "three-peat" is complete. Senior Jordan Elmore posted a career-low 75 and Charles B. Aycock reigned as the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference men's golf king Wednesday afternoon at Willow Springs Country Club. The Golden Falcons carded a...

Local digest

Samantha Frazer and Eastern Wayne are headed to the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference championship game for the second consecutive year. Frazer's goal with 4:30 remaining in the second half propelled the Warriors to a 1-0 victory over Charles...

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Princeton clinches third-straight league crown

PRINCETON -- Colin Parker has found his rhythm again. That's good news for Princeton and bad news for opponents as the postseason approaches. Just ask Class 1-A Carolina Conference rival Ayden-Grifton. Parker, a left-handed hurler, delivered a one-hit shutout as...

Rosewood clinches playoff berth behind Meadows

CALYPSO -- When Deik Reinhard filled in to coach the Rosewood softball team on Tuesday evening in place of Debbie Bailey, he never expected to walk off the field soaked. That was the case though as the Rosewood players dumped...

Local Digest

CALYPSO -- Having already been the victim of late-inning rallies this season, Rosewood instead turned the trick on its opponent as the Eagles erased a 3-2 deficit with a nine-run seventh inning to win 11-3 over North Duplin on Tuesday...

K-Tribe takes fourth straight

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- John Drennen provided the go-ahead single in the seventh inning and Kinston won its fourth straight game, a 5-1 decision over Carolina League foe Lynchburg on Tuesday evening. Drennen's two-out, bases-loaded rip broke a 1-1 tie. Mike...

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

C.B. Aycock takes command - Golfers shoot season low score

Charles B. Aycock seniors Will Vinson, Jordan Elmore and Lee Carter wanted their final golf match in Wayne County to be memorable. It was. Vinson carded a team-low 73 on the par-71 Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course layout and helped the...

Harker qualifies for Junior Olympic Nationals

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Benjamin Harker, who trains with Traditional Gymnastics, has qualified for the 2007 men's Junior Olympic Nationals in Oklahoma City. Harker finished 10th in the all-around competition at the recent Region 8 gymnastics meet and helped Team North...

Local Digest

PIKEVILLE -- Shelly Lancaster blasted a go-ahead three-run homer to erase an early 1-0 deficit and defeat North Lenoir 6-1 on Monday night. Lancaster's cousin, Julia Lancaster later hit a solo home run to finish off the Hawks. The Golden...

Trojans earn Top 10 ranking

MOUNT OLIVE -- Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference regular-season and tournament champion Mount Olive College earned its first top-10 national ranking in seven years on Monday. The Trojans (46-11 overall) climbed two spots to No. 10 in the Collegiate Baseball Division II...