Local events washed out, moved to Monday

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 6, 2007 2:01 AM

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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.

Goldsboro's home baseball game with North Lenoir is scheduled for 5 p.m. The Hawks have wrapped up their third consecutive EPC regular-season crown.

At Rosewood, all eyes will be on the softball game. The Dawgs are 8-1 in league play and need a victory to secure the championship outright. A loss creates a tie with county archrival North Johnston. All three teams have qualified for the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Princeton's baseball team collected its third consecutive league title with a five-inning win Tuesday against Ayden-Grifton. However, the current senior class has never finished undefeated in league play.

The Eagles, directed by second-year head coach Josh Smith, clinched the league's No. 2 berth for the playoffs by virtue of Ayden-Grifton's 8-3 upset of North Johnston.

North Duplin remains in the hunt for a state playoff berth in baseball when it travels to Spring Creek. If the Rebels win, they will face Ayden-Grifton for a play-in game for the league's fourth playoff berth. If the Gators win, the Chargers clinch the berth outright.

The softball contest will be the regular-season finale for both teams.

Also on Monday, conference tournament titles are on line in the Eastern Carolina 3-A ranks. Eastern Wayne and Charles B. Aycock meet for the baseball crown, while Southern Wayne looks to dethrone Aycock as the reigning softball queen.

Both games start at 7 p.m.

Wayne Country Day seized its first Coastal Plains Independent 1-A Conference regular-season title in 20 years on Thursday. The Chargers face Faith Christian-Rocky Mount in the CPIC tournament semifinals at 1 p.m.

One-day golf regionals are scheduled at three different sites.

C.B. Aycock, the three-time defending ECC champion, tees off in 3-A action at Maccripine Country Club. The Golden Falcons are looking for their third consecutive trip to the state tournament. Eastern Wayne's Kyle Ham, Carter Walchli and Nick Barrow will compete as individuals on the challenging par-71 layout.

The 2-A regional will be contested at Stoney Creek Country Club in Whitsett. All area 1-A golfers will tee off at Reedy Creek Country Club in Johnston County.