3A PLAYOFFS: CBA softball ousts Triton in 2nd round

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on May 17, 2016 1:48 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- The powder blue is rolling again.

Charles B. Aycock offered gridlock to a potentially explosive Triton lineup and found its own offensive stride yesterday afternoon, emerging as 5-1 victors in N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A softball playoff action in Pikeville.

The quick-hitting clinic only took 90 minutes.

Senior starter Allie Phillips was crippling in the circle, moving Triton batters around the zone and throwing by them with impressive speed. After surrendering a home run to Triton's Alexis Howard in the second inning, the diminutive lefty locked in and fanned 11 batters over the final four frames.

The complete-game triumph was her eighth of the season.

Triton starter Lindsey Champion was equally impressive, navigating her way through a potent-at-every-turn Aycock lineup for five innings. The senior's only early blemish developed on a dizzy spell-inducing 2-4-2-5 exhange that resulted in Connor Vinson scoring at home plate.

After two innings, the score was tied at two.

From that point, Phillips was virtually untouchable.

She fanned five of her final 17 batters, and induced pop flies that were easily consumed by her defense. Triton's final contact with her offerings was a bother-me-not bloop single to right field in the seventh by Gracey Spivey.

The effort drew a shake of the head and lofty praise from skipper Lavon Matthews.

"When you're playing good teams," the coach noted, "she wants the ball. That's the kind of pitcher she is. She was dominant."

And while Phillips rolled, the Aycock dugout found its rythym.

Catcher Abbie Walton led off the fifth inning with a bloop single, and was scored on an RBI double by Mackenzie Wheeler. Her platework prompted a run-scoring carousel that chimed three more times before Taylor Waddell grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Aycock 5, Triton 1.

"We've been working," head coach Lavon Matthews said, "and it seemed like when we got a couple of hits, it was contagious."

You just let your hands do the work for you."

Indeed.

The lady Golden Falcons rapped out 11 hits on the afternoon and received an RBI from four different players. In the seventh inning alone, the loud-chirping Aycock dugout produced three extra-base hits.

"They're a heck of a team," the coach said, "well coached. Disciplined... They hit the ball."

"And we didn't adjust to Allie -- it was the most we struck out this year."

Saturday's volume production, both in the circle and at the plate, must continue in the third round. Aycock plays host on Wednesday to Hillsborough Orange, a 23-3 ball club that narrowly escaped the weekend with a 3-2 victory over Eastern Alamance.

Triton finished the season with a 12-13 overall record.