McGee's double puts CBA offense in gear

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 27, 2016 1:47 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

WILSON -- Every at-bat is new.

Forget about the free passes issued by opposing pitchers.

Just find a way to get on base and make something happen.

That's been Ashton McGee's philosophy this season -- a mental strategy that hasn't necessarily frustrated the highly-touted infielder, but maybe aggravated him to a degree.

Heading into Saturday's game against Nash Central, McGee had drawn 18 walks in 11 games. He didn't get a free pass this time.

Instead, McGee turned in his first multiple-hit outing and helped ignite an early-game uprising that proved beneficial in Charles B. Aycock's 10-0 conquest of Nash Central on day one of the third annual Golden Leaf Invitational.

The Golden Falcons (12-0 overall) play again Monday against Monroe Sun Valley. First pitch is noon at Hunt High School.

Locked in a scoreless duel, McGee dug into the batter's box with teammates Trey Pate and Chandler Matthews -- who each drew a walk -- standing on first and second base, respectively. McGee connected on the first offering from NC righty Trey Whitley, and the hard-hit grounder deflected off the first baseman's glove into right field.

Pate motored home for CBA's first run.

Matthews slid safely into third.

McGee took second as right fielder Cameron Taylor fired a long throw to third base.

"I thought he did make the play at first, but once it bounced off (the glove), I was thinking two (bases) out of the box," McGee said. "I might have been out if he (Taylor) had thrown it to second, but he threw it to third, thank God."

Landon Casey plated Matthews and McGee with a sharply-hit single to left field. Casey advanced to third on a passed ball and trotted home on Whitley's wild pitch.

Aycock tallied six additional runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings. Matthews, McGee and Jacob Sanford combined for six of the Golden Falcons' eight hits. Sanford cranked out a two-out, two-RBI single in the fourth.

"It took us time to go through the lineup to really get a feel for it," McGee said. "But I think once we went around one time, everybody starting squaring it up."

Trey Jordan, in his third start, scattered four hits in a five-inning stint. The right-hander retired four Bulldogs on strikeouts and walked one.

Nash Central (4-8) put runners on base in each of the first four innings. Jordan forced the Bulldogs to strand three in scoring position -- one each in the first, second and third innings.

"I felt like I pitched pretty good, sometimes I got a little bit shaky," Jordan said. "(It was) basically pound the strike zone down low, get ground balls ... that's what you've got to do. The defense did a really good job behind me."

Matthews retired all six batters he faced as Aycock picked up its third shutout in its last four games. Jordan and Matthews combined to sit down 14 of the final 15 batters they faced.

The Golden Falcons' pitching staff has surrendered just two runs over the last 26 innings.