SOFTBALL -- Northwood @ C.B. Aycock

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on May 13, 2017 11:37 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- The exacting, audobahn-inspired calculus of Aycock softball has returned.

Two days removed from a sluggish start to their matchup with Western Harnett, the lady blues appeared as themselves on Friday, executing offensively in a variety of ways to post a lopsided, 10-1 thumping of Northwood High in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A state playoffs.

And yes, they wasted not a stitch of time.

Following a glancing RBI single by Northwood third baseman Ally McKee to open the game, the hosts took center stage and launched a four-inning free-for-all built around two distinct elements -- their own diversity and a lack of tidy Northwood bookkeeping.

In their half of the first, the lady blues sacrificed.

In the second, third and fourth frames, they got square and ran wild, torturing Northwood with shifty team speed that baited its infield into seven costly errors.

In fact, CBA didn't just make Northwood pay for its miscues -- it pro-rated them, in double time, scoring nine of its run total and securing an invite to next week's third round in the process.

"We've got the bunters and slappers," Aycock skipper LaVon Matthews said. "We put pressure on the other team, and made them make mistakes... but we hit the ball well, too."

Indeed they did, tallying 13 base hits, seven RBI and a true statistical oddity -- Georgia Parnell's fifth-inning triple-turned-round-tripper, converted in short order when a Northwood toss to third base sailed wildly into a determined Pikeville mist.

Done and done.

CBA's comprehensive triumph was fueled by third baseman Tanika Powell, who finished the night 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. First baseman Mackenzie Wheeler performed ably as well, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Battery mates Taylor Waddell and Taylor Puetz also enjoyed a profitable night at the plate, going a combined 4-for-7 with two RBI. Waddell also claimed her seventh victory of the season, allowing just four hits and striking out two in six frames of quality work inside the circle.

Next on the playoff docket for CBA is offensive-minded Western Alamance, which dispatched Wilson Hunt by a 13-6 margin on Friday.

First pitch is 6 p.m. on Tuesday in Pikeville.