CBA softball earns share of ECC 3A crown

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 26, 2013 1:47 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock took care of business on senior night.

And earned an unexpected bonus.

The Golden Falcons clinched a share of the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference regular-season softball championship with a 13-0, mercy-rule victory over county foe Southern Wayne.

"We told them tonight was important, but it was still another ballgame and we didn't want them to psych themselves out," CBA assistant coach Emily Jordan said. "Senior night is always emotional enough as it is, so we stressed that it was important but didn't say it was a must win ... you have to play it just like any other game.

"If you have a senior night to choose from, tonight is the kind of senior night that you want. They all did well."

Aycock's six seniors -- Taylor Bradshaw, Jenna Van Horn, Reagan Herndon, Breanna Brown, Lindsay Sutton and Hattie Beach -- combined for 10 of the team's 12 hits. Van Horn drove in three runs just two days after signing with Salem College. Bradshaw and Herndon logged two RBI apiece.

Freshman Keely Fulgham added two hits, including a three-run home run in the third inning. It was Fulgham's fourth round-tripper of the season.

Junior right-hander Meredith Burroughs tossed a one-hitter and posted three strikeouts inside the pitcher's circle. She allowed just four base runners, including one that got erased on a third-inning double play.

Savannah Wiggins had the Saints' lone hit.

"We just didn't show up and play the way we are capable," SW head coach Michael Wiggs said. "We seemed to be extremely tentative at the plate and were not attacking some balls defensively. Just not a good night for us, but C.B. Aycock played well."

The Golden Falcons (12-8 overall, 10-2 ECC) plated two first-inning runs on consecutive RBI groundouts from Van Horn and Herndon.

Aycock broke the game open by sending a combined 19 batters to the plate in the second and third innings. Southern Wayne right-hander Morgan Best worked 2 2/3 innings and Rachel Grady provided 1 1/3 innings of one-hit relief.