Winstead uses curveball to stymie Aycock batters

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 7, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

WILSON -- Charles B. Aycock left the back door open for Fike's Brandon Winstead throughout Monday evening.

Winstead accepted the invitation.

The senior right-hander worked a masterful backdoor curveball at any time in the count and hand-cuffed the Golden Falcons, 3-2, on day two of the Golden Leaf Invitational contested at historic Fleming Stadium.

"I was just on today, feeling it ... am hyped right now," Winstead said. "Basically, I brought the slider from the side, curve from the top and just messed with their heads a little bit.

"I knew they were some big boys with a little cockiness in them. I'm feeling good right now."

Aycock certainly isn't.

The Golden Falcons (9-4 overall) committed nine strikeouts, bobbled two routine infield ground balls, had an errant pickoff throw and batted a miserable 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Winstead forced Aycock to leave eight runners aboard -- including six at either second or third base.

Winstead threw 101 pitches, including 65 strikes, during his third complete game of the season. He recorded at least one strikeout in six of seven innings and handed Aycock its third one-run defeat of the season.

Fike's defense helped its ace.

Left fielder Hunter Lee gunned down one runner at the plate in the third inning. Right fielder Lavaris Speight robbed Cameron Kornegay with a sliding catch to start the fourth inning.

"I'm thoroughly disappointed, just didn't think we competed a whole lot in any aspect of the game tonight ... (we) went through the motions," CBA head coach Charles Davis said.

"They beat us."

The Golden Demons (6-5) broke the scoreless tie in the second inning. Will Anderson connected on a lead-off single and Winstead followed with base knock. With Derek Collins at the plate, CBA southpaw Bobby Hampton attempted to pick off Anderson at first.

The ball sailed past the out-stretched glove of first baseman Jacob Naughton and into right field. Anderson scored, Winstead took third on the play and eventually trotted on home on Tucker's Robbins' first two of RBI hits on the night.

Robbins extended Fike's lead to 3-0 with a two-out, RBI single in the fourth. The Golden Demons finished with just four hits against Hampton, who fell to 3-2 in five starts this season.

Naughton's fifth-inning RBI sacrifice fly and Hampton's RBI groundout in the seventh accounted for Aycock's runs.

Whaley throws

perfect game

* Baseball: C.B. Aycock 2, Southern Wayne 0 -- Cody Whaley threw a perfect game -- on just 64 pitches -- for the Golden Falcons on Monday afternoon. Blake Gipson emerged as the offensive leader with three hits and an RBI. Nicholas Aycock and Carson Smitherman (RBI) cranked out two hits apiece. Tyler Daniels and Whaley each had one hit, and accounted for Aycock's two runs.