Aycock plays old fashioned

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 23, 2012 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

SNOW HILL -- On a day when timely hits were absent, Charles B. Aycock manufactured its offense the old-fashioned way through sacrificing at-bats Thursday afternoon.

The Golden Falcons plated a single run in the third and seventh innings, and handed Greene Central a 2-0 defeat on the James R. Fulghum Athletic Complex diamond. It was the Rams' third loss in four outings against an Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference team this season.

"I told the kids today when we got on the bus, don't consider this a challenge, but look at it as an opportunity to come over here and play against a good team, and make the most of the opportunity," said CBA head coach Charles Davis, who logged career win No. 399.

Aycock made the short trip without three starters. Bryant Stafford, Justin Barbour and Logan Brown missed the game due to a virus. The bench handled its role well and the Golden Falcons (7-2 overall) grinded out their fourth non-conference victory of the season.

Cameron Taylor and Adam Pate combined for a four-hitter. Taylor permitted two hits and fanned five Greene Central batters during a four-inning stint. Pate supplied three innings of two-hit scoreless relief for his first save of the year.

The Golden Falcon defense didn't commit an error.

"I was especially proud of our defense," Davis said.

Taylor (1-1) wiggled out of a first-inning, bases-loaded jam and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced. Pate gave up a single and plunked a batter in the fifth inning, but escaped with an inning-ending double-play grounder.

Pate yielded a two-out single and walk in the seventh, but fanned Ryder McLawhorn to end the game. Greene Central (3-6) stranded eight men on base and batted 0-for-4 with four runners in scoring position.

"We had chances early," GC head coach Scott Jones. "We didn't get it done and they turned a double-play ball on us. We hit a few good balls right at them. They're a solid, good team."

Taylor produced Aycock's game-winning run with an RBI groundout in the third inning. Jordan Lee, who walked and moved into scoring position on Bobby Hampton's sacrifice bunt, trotted home on Taylor's team-leading 15th RBI of the season.

Rider Gardner started the Golden Falcons' seventh with an infield single and moved to second on Greg Johnson's pinch-hit single. One out later, Pate pushed home Gardner with a sacrifice fly to left field. It was Pate's fifth RBI of the year.

"Sam (Pierce) got a good bunt down and Rider got us started with his infield hit, and that's key for them before I could even get the sac fly," Pate said. "If they weren't on, we couldn't score that run. That was my main focus, getting that run home.

"As a pitcher going back (to the mound), I knew we needed that insurance run."

Aycock had just four hits in the game.