Golden Falcons knock off South Johnston, 5-1
By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on March 14, 2012 1:48 PM
PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock used a sixth-inning rally to put away pesky South Johnston 5-1 in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference softball action on Tuesday night.
The Golden Falcons got a sterling pitching performance by Brooke Bell and shut down the Trojan offense for most of the night. Bell allowed three hits and struck out 14 batters in a complete-game effort.
"Brooke did a great job of throwing strikes and she came through in big situations," C.B. Aycock head coach Brad Matthews said. "The way she was pitching we felt like we were just a run or two away from taking control of the game."
Two errors allowed the Trojans to score a run in the top of the first inning.
The Golden Falcons answered in a big way in the bottom half of the inning when catcher Ivy Hartzell blasted a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.
Bell and South Johnston hurler Katlyn Barbour waged a pitcher's duel for the next five innings before the Golden Falcon bats erupted.
Meredith Burroughs led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single and Hartzell reached safely on a bunt single. A throwing error on the play left the Aycock with runners on first and third and no one out.
Connor Davis put the Golden Falcons ahead with an RBI single.
The rally continued as Rachel Jordan drew a walk and Reagan Herndon plated a run with a base hit. Cierra Harris capped the outburst with a two-run double to make the score 5-1.
"I think the bunt with Ivy really caught South Johnston off guard a little bit," Matthews said. "She is not usually a bunter, but she did a good job and it put pressure on their defense and they threw the ball around a little bit."
Burroughs, Hartzell and Herndon each finished with two hits in the victory.
C.B. Aycock (4-2 overall, 2-0 ECC) is the guest of Wilson Hunt today.