Golden Falcons' season ends in east 3A baseball semifinals

By Staff Reports
Published in Sports on May 25, 2014 9:40 AM

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TOPSAIL ISLAND -- A beneficiary of timely hitting during its first three postseason games, Charles B. Aycock couldn't continue the trend Friday evening.

The Golden Falcons stranded nine runners on base and committed a playoff-high 14 strikeouts during their season-ending, 1-0 loss to Topsail in eastern semifinal-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A playoffs.

Trent Hansley threw a complete-game five-hitter for the Pirates, who oppose South Johnston in the best-of-three eastern championship series.

Aycock ended the year 18-10 overall.

"We had chances, but just couldn't cash in," CBA head coach Charles Davis said. "(I) tip my hat to Hansley. We knew he was a good pitcher going in and he lived up to his billing. The deeper you get into the playoffs, the better the pitching is going to be.

"I guess he just had our number."

The Golden Falcons stranded runs in five of seven innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth. Hansley ended the frame with consecutive strikeouts.

In the fifth, Aycock's first two batters reached base. A bunt attempt led to a fielder's choice at third base. Hansley, again, capped the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

"It's tough to win like that," Davis said.

Garrett Joyner paced the Golden Falcons' offense with two hits. Bobby Hampton, Jacob Naughton and Hank Smitherman provided one hit apiece.

Junior Noah West held Topsail scoreless on four hits and induced two double-play ground balls during a five-inning stretch on the bump.

"Noah threw the heck out of the ball for us," Davis said. "He had only thrown just one inning in the playoffs, and we wanted to give Bobby and Tim (Naughton) some rest. We couldn't ask anything more of Noah. We played great defense behind him."

Hampton relieved West and yielded the game's lone run -- Hansley's solo homer in the bottom of the sixth. Hampton finished with two strikeouts.

The loss snapped Aycock's eight-game win streak.

Seven CBA seniors played their last game -- Joyner, Tim Naughton, Ben Rouse, Logan Brown, Logan Runyon, Conner Crandall and Hunter Kennedy.