Golden Falcons punch out mercy-rule win against Nash Central

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 9, 2015 1:48 PM

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By ALLEN ETZLER

aetzler@newsargus.com

WILSON -- Charles B. Aycock was just saving all its hits up for the last game in their five-game, seven-day stretch.

The Golden Falcons had their best offensive performance in weeks and thumped Nash Central 12-2 in a five-inning mercy rule victory on the final day of the second annual Golden Leaf Invitational on Tuesday.

"Our approaches were a little bit better today," C.B. Aycock coach Charles Davis said. "But, and people will say I'm hard on them or whatever, but I think we still left too many runners on base. But we were able to score some runs and end Easter on a high note."

C.B. Aycock, who had just finished a game less than 15 hours before, got off to a sluggish start and surrendered two runs to Nash Central.

"Honestly, I think it was just them getting some hits," Aycock third baseman Ashton McGee said. "Got a couple fastballs up and we couldn't do much about it."

Aycock starter Jacob Naughton gave up just one hit the rest of the game. He struck out four batters.

"I like the way he attacked the strike zone," Davis said. "They got a couple runs the first inning, it doesn't faze him. He comes back and attacks the strike zone."

The story of the day wasn't the pitching.

It was the hitting. The Golden Falcons put up a combined nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

The bottom of the order that got the offense going early in the game. Trent Herndon drove in the game-tying run in the second inning. Two batters later, Braxton Leeper drove in the go-ahead run.

Ashton McGee was 4-for-4 and a home run shy of the cycle. He scored three runs. Earlier in the week, McGee was bumped from the middle of the order to the top of the lineup. He has since adjusted his plate approaches to help his team be successful.

"I knew I just had to be more patient and take more pitches and see what the pitcher has, so the other guys can see and they're ready when they get up," McGee said.

Cam Kornegay hit a grand slam in the fourth for his only hit of the game.

"Most of the time he hits the ball back side," Davis said. "But he got a pitch inside that he could turn on and that's a good sign for us."