Aycock's mid-season slump continues on baseball diamond

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on April 27, 2016 1:49 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- It's been a strange month in Pikeville.

Charles B. Aycock, used to shiny accolades and the catbird's seat amongst area baseball teams, absorbed an unusually quiet, 6-0 defeat yesterday at the hands of Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference rival South Central.

The loss -- Aycock's second in a row and fourth since April 8 -- dropped the Golden Falcons (17-4 overall) to 5-4 in league play.

South Central began in a hurry, taking advantage of two uncharacteristic Aycock miscues. SC's Drew Nichols, plunked by CBA starter Jacob Sanford, scored the opening run on a sacrifice fly by Reese Farmer. After an infield hit by Steven Edmundson, the Falcons made the score 2-0 on an RBI single from Jackson Baker.

The frame was part of an indifferent outing for Sanford, who managed just four innings of work. The senior, now 5-2 on the year, surrendered three runs on seven hits. He also struck out four.

His adversary, meanwhile, was prolific.

South Central's Quentin Patterson confused and silenced the Golden Falcons throughout, controlling the strike zone with terminal efficiency. The righty induced eight fly balls en route to the complete-game victory.

His performance -- a straight-forward, lunch-pail effort -- also included six strikeouts.

South Central was equally methodical at the plate, registering 13 hits on the evening. The visitors, now just a game back of ECC leader Conley, added two runs in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Nichols.

It was a solid effort from the sophomore, who finished the evening by going 2-for-2 at the plate.

And following another two-run salvo by South Central in the game's seventh, Aycock failed to register a reply.

The Golden Falcons were woeful at the plate, stranding six base runners on the evening. On four occasions, the hosts ended their half with a garden variety pop fly or strikeout.

None of it impressed Aycock skipper Charles Davis.

"We're just not playing very good baseball," Davis noted, "in all phases of the game."

And the numbers, unfortunately, don't lie.

In four April setbacks, Aycock is averaging a paltry two runs per contest. Conversely, the powder blue has surrendered over six runs per game -- not quite the norm along Highway 117.

"You've still got to be able to pitch it," Davis said of his troops. "You've still got to be able to catch it, and you've got to be able to hit it. South Central did those three things... we did not."

The Golden Falcons travel to New Bern on Friday.