North Lenoir sweeps CB Aycock

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on March 13, 2008 1:48 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- Mike Wetherington belted a first-inning grand slam and North Lenoir kept the momentum in a 12-6, non-conference victory over Charles B. Aycock on Wednesday afternoon.

The Hawks swept the regular-season series from the Golden Falcons, who dropped to 4-2 overall.

North Lenoir added three runs in the second inning. Stephen Pridgen smashed a one-out home run and John Alphin followed with a double. Bryce Grady walked and Wetherington cleared the bases with a two-RBI double to make it 7-0.

Meanwhile, Aycock couldn't put a runner aboard. Hawks hurler Matt Kennedy retired the first six batters he faced.

'We got out to a nice start at the plate, and that's something we've been working on,' said North Lenoir coach Jim Montague. 'I talked to Coach (Charles) Davis before the game and I knew that he had today's game scheduled between two conference games, so he was going to be pitching some guys that hadn't thrown many innings.'

The Golden Falcons pulled within 7-4 in the third inning.

Stephen Strouse delivered a lead-off single and reached third when Jackson Wooten benefited from an infield error. Bryant Hill supplied a two-RBI single and eventually scored on Connor Narron's two-run homer.

North Lenoir answered in the fourth and was never threatened again. Carter Capps doubled, while Cory Johnson and Pridgen each singled in a two-run surge.

'Coach Montague and I are such good friends, that we know what to expect when we see North Lenoir. They are going to hit, and give you all they have,' Falcon coach Charles Davis said. 'We played them in the preseason, and now twice in the non-conference, so we realize how good their program is.'

Davis expected to pitch by committee after a conference-opening win over Wilson Beddingfield just 24 hours earlier.

'We had to make time to see what some of these other pitchers had,' said Davis. 'None of the guys that threw today have pitched since the preseason, and that was three weeks ago already. We always want to compete at out best and win, but overall I was pretty pleased with what I saw on the mound.'

The Hawks padded their lead in the seventh.

'We had a couple (defensive) lapses at the end, and that let a 9-6 game turn into a 12-6 game before our last at-bat,' said Davis of the seventh-inning errors. 'But we know that this will make us better as we get back into conference games.'

C.B. Aycock continues defense of its Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference title at home Friday against Kinston. North Lenoir faces Spring Creek today.