Baseball -- CBA avenges loss to Kinston

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 28, 2004 2:01 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock head baseball coach Charles Davis can look around this morning and appreciate what he sees.

His Golden Falcons avenged a prior 4-3 loss to Kinston, beating the Vikings 9-4 in Pikeville Tuesday night.

Aycock bounced back from a tough loss at Southern Wayne last Friday. Pitching ace Phillip Cunningham was healthy. A stellar infield was involved in nine put-outs. Offensively, timely hits brought in the runs.

More to the point, their 6-5 record in Eastern Carolina 3-A conference play not only puts them back above the .500 mark, but also back into more serious contention for a top playoff seeding.

"Every game from here on out is big," said Davis. "Phillip did well, pitching on only three days rest and keeping his count down. The key, however, was scoring early. Everything came together tonight to put us in position to win."

Falcon bats wasted little time teeing off on Viking starter Josh Tindal. Josh Pate doubled home Mathew Waddell with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the first inning. Bennett Jeffreys brought in Pate with a single to left-center field. Pate and Jeffreys provided the offensive firepower with four hits, two runs, and six RBI.

Aycock batted around in the second inning, scoring five more runs. Cunningham aided his own cause, bringing in Will Spence with a single. Pate then emptied the bases of Cunningham, Greg Davis, and Nik Pappas with another double.

On the mound, Cunningham would bend, but not break. He worked out of trouble in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, stranding six. "When it got tight, said Kinston coach Eddie Losener, "his fastball had a little more giddyup on it, and his breaking ball was a little tighter. He was effectively wild. He'd put one up at your chin, then one low and away, keeping us really off-balance."

In five innings, Cunningham allowed only three hits. He walked but two while striking out eight.

After Cunningham retired for the evening, Kinston started creeping back. Walt Taylor singled in Davin Arnold with their first run in the fifth. Two more came home in the inning when Tindal brought in Taylor and Matt Brown with a double off the right-center field fence.

Ben Lanier added one more with a homer in the seventh.

Aycock got two back in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by third baseman Drew McGowan.

Kinston travels to Washington Friday night.

"As far as the conference goes, don't shovel dirt on our coffin just yet. With a little help, and if we win out, it's going to be a battle that will go down to the last week," said Losener.

Aycock will entertain Rosewood this evening in a non-conference battle.

"Anytime you play someone like Rosewood, you know it's going to be a battle," said Davis. "Games like this give us a chance to play, and not just practice."

Kinston 000 003 1 -- 4 6 0

C.B. Aycock 250 020 x -- 9 8 1

Leading hitters -- Kinston -- Josh Tindall 2 hits, 2B, 2 RBI; Walt Taylor 2 hits, RBI; Ben Lanier HR, RBI. C.B. Aycock -- Josh Pate 2 2B, 2R, 4 RBI; Bennett Jeffreys 2 hits, 2RBI; Drew McGowan HR, 2 RBI.

IP H R ERBBSO

Kinston (4-7, 4-12)

Tindall (L) 2 5 7 7 1 2

Nobles 4 3 2 2 0 4

C.B. Aycock (6-5, 12-7)

Cunningham (W, 7-3) 5 3 0 0 2 8

Williams 2 3 4 4 1 2