Local digest

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 6, 2007 1:47 PM

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Rosewood's Neal tosses first-ever 'no-no'

Freshman Matt Neal threw his first-ever no-hitter as Rosewood dispatched North Duplin 20-0 in their Class 1-A Carolina Conference encounter Thursday evening.

Neal notched nine strikeouts in the contest, which was shortened to 41/2 innings due to the 10-run rule. The right-handed hurler helped his cause with two hits and two RBI in four at-bats.

Holt Rains homered and drove in two runs in a 2-for-3 outing. Robert Franks (RBI), Cody Richards (2 RBI), Goss Kendall (5 RBI) and Garrett Howell contributed two hits apiece. Catcher David Smeltzer added an RBI double.

The Eagles exploded for 14 first-inning runs and capitalized on eight Rebel errors.

Rosewood (9-3 overall, 3-1 Carolina) returns to action Apr. 12 in the Deacon Jones Invitational at Princeton. The Eagles oppose county rival Spring Creek at 4 p.m.

N. Duplin 000 00 -- 0 0 8

Rosewood (14)03 3x -- 20 11 1

Leading hitters -- Rosewood -- Robert Franks 2-3, RBI; Matt Neal 2-4, 2 RBI; David Smeltzer 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Holt Rains 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Cody Richards 2-2, 2 RBI; Goss Kendall 2-3, 2B, 5 RBI; Garrett Howell 2-3.

IP H R ER BB SO

Rosewood

Neal (W) 5 0 0 0 1 9

Golden Falcons

throttle Bruins

WILSON -- Garrett Davis, Zack Wright and Connor Narron each slapped a two-run home run during Charles B. Aycock's 14-1 thrashing of Wilson Beddingfield on Thursday afternoon.

Wright homered in the second inning. Davis and Narron each homered in the third inning for the Golden Falcons, who improved to 10-3 overall and 5-1 in the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference.

Jordan Carr contributed two doubles in two at-bats. Stephen Strouse doubled and drove in a run in three plate appearances.

Brandon Price (2-1) yielded one hit and struck out in a four-inning stint on the mound. Kyle Harmon provided one inning of two-strikeout relief.

"Historically, Beddingfield has been a tough place for us to play," said Aycock head coach Charles Davis. "I thought we went over there yesterday and played very well."

C.B. Aycock returns to action Saturday in the 2007 George Whitfield Invitational at Grainger Stadium in Kinston. The Golden Falcons oppose Boone Watauga at 4:30 p.m.

C.B. Aycock 207 14 -- 14 13 1

Beddingfield 000 01 -- 1 3 2

Leading hitters -- C.B. Aycock -- Jordan Carr 2-2, 2 2Bs; Garrett Davis 1-2, HR, 2 RBI; Zack Wright 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Conner Narron 1-2, HR, 2 RBI; Stephen Strouse 1-3, 2B, RBI.

IP H R ER BB SO

C.B. Aycock

Price (W) 4 1 0 0 0 1

Harmon 1 2 1 0 0 2

W. Country Day

hammers Patriots

Travis Davis belted a second-inning home run and emerged the winning pitcher in Wayne Country Day's 12-1 dismantling of Faith Christian-Rocky Mount on Thursday afternoon.

Davis scattered three hits in the contest, which was shortened to 41/2 innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. The right-hander faced 19 batters and yielded one earned run, which lowered his ERA to 1.89.

The Chargers, ranked No. 1 in the N.C. Independent Athletic Association 1-A poll, seized their ninth consecutive win and improved to 12-1 overall. They've defeated all three Coastal Plains Independent Conference opponents by the 10-run rule.

"I can't remember the last time we've done what we're doing this year," said Chargers head coach Michael Taylor.

Six of nine WCDS starters delivered at least one hit in breezy and sunny conditions. Ryan Ford batted 2-for-2 with a team-leading five RBI and stole two bases, while Trent Langston supplied two hits and an RBI.

Cameron Ford (RBI), Sam Steed, and Jack Scott contributed one hit apiece. Davis and Scott each stole a base.

Wayne Country Day returns to action Apr. 14 in a tournament at Hobgood Academy.

F. Christian-RM 000 10 -- 1 3

WCDS 353 1x -- 12 8

Leading hitters -- W. Country Day -- Cameron Ford 1-1, RBI; Sam Steed 1-2; Ryan Ford 2-2, 5 RBI; Travis Davis 1-3, 2 RBI; Trent Langston 2-3, RBI; Jack Scott 1-1.

IP H R ER BB SO

W. Country Day

Davis (W, 5-1)5 3 1 1 0 2

North Lenoir

shuts out Panthers

BETHEL -- Brandon Sutton delivered three hits and claimed the pitching victory in North Lenoir's 9-0 shutout of North Pitt on the Eastern Plains 2-A Conference scene.

Sutton tossed a two-hitter and fanned nine Panther batters.

Sthil Sowers batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Bryce Grady doubled in a 2-for-5 outing. Andrew Manning supplied an RBI. John Alphin went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

North Lenoir (12-1 overall, 3-0 EPC) faces South Central on Saturday in the George Whitfield Invitational at Grainger Stadium in Kinston.

Goldsboro gets

three hits in loss

FARMVILLE -- Goldsboro High managed three hits in its 21-1 loss at Eastern Plains 2-A Conference foe Farmville Central.

Eric McLean, Jordan McIntyre and Keith Jackson supplied one hit apiece for the Cougars, who fell to 0-13 on the season.

Donte Love endured the mound loss.

Robbie Jones led the Jaguars with two hits and two RBI in four at-bats. Madison Kinlaw and Kenny Davis combined for four RBI.

Goldsboro (0-3 EPC) travels to North Lenoir on Apr. 17.

Softball

C.B. Aycock

escapes Bruins

WILSON -- Stevie Savage collected the game-winning single in the top of the eighth inning and C.B. Aycock escaped Wilson Beddingfield 5-4 on Thursday afternoon.

Savage's hit protected the Golden Falcons' unblemished record (6-0) in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play. Aycock rose to 10-4 overall with its sixth triumph in its last seven outings.

Beddingfield erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but couldn't keep its 4-1 advantage.

Left-handed hurler Emily Jordan started the Golden Falcons' game-winning rally with a lead-off single in the eighth. Heather Farmer served as Jordan's courtesy runner and moved into scoring position on Julia Lancaster's single.

Savage cranked out a single, her lone hit in four at-bats, to give the Golden Falcons their second extra-inning win in the last three days. Bruin right-hander Ana Cooke fanned nine Aycock batters, but yielded 10 hits in the complete-game loss.

Lancaster batted 3-for-4 with a double. Brittany Ford contributed two hits and an RBI. Leigh Smith (RBI), Rusti Talton, Jasmine Dobbin and Jordan (RBI) supplied one hit apiece.

Jordan scattered six hits and notched five strikeouts en route to her sixth mound win in seven tries. The Golden Falcon defense committed two errors and surrendered two unearned runs.

"We were not as sharp as we were against Southern Wayne defensively," C.B. Aycock head coach David West said of Tuesday's 1-0, nine-inning thriller. "Emily pitched a great game, induced a lot of ground balls we misplayed or let misplay us.

"We just didn't give up. We chipped back away (at the deficit) until we got it tied up."

C.B. Aycock takes an eight-day break before playing in the Harnett Central Easter Break tournament on Apr. 14. The Golden Falcons oppose Triton and Smithfield-Selma, and a third opponent depending on their first two results.

Southern Wayne

shuts out EW

DUDLEY -- Sophomore right-hander Lauren Darden recorded a season-high 16 strikeouts and allowed two hits in Southern Wayne's 4-0 win over Eastern Wayne.

The Saints, ranked No. 6 in the N.C. Fast-pitch Softball Coaches Association 3-A poll, picked up their county-leading 15th win in 17 tries. They improved to 5-1 in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play.

Brianna Lofton tripled and Alyssa Bradshaw cranked out an RBI triple for Southern Wayne. Rachel Reynolds and Jordan Hill (RBI) also provided a hit.

Lindsey Frederick and Carrie Adams had one hit apiece for the Warriors.

Southern Wayne entertains Wilson Beddingfield on Apr. 17, while Eastern Wayne (0-13 overall, 0-6) plays host to Wilson Hunt.

Hawks, N. Pitt

stage EPC thriller

LaGRANGE -- Defending 2-A state champion North Pitt seized sole possession of the Eastern Plains Conference lead with a 2-1, eight-inning decision over North Lenoir.

Kayla Sutton and Timon Jones led the Hawks with two hits apiece. Jones scored the lone run on Lauren Hudson's suicide squeeze bunt.

Brittany Sanders, despite a 13-strikeout effort, endured the mound loss.

North Lenoir (9-4 overall, 2-1 EPC) entertains Southern Wayne on Apr. 18.

Rosewood edges

Rebels on passed ball

Aubrey Reinhard scored the game-winning run on a seventh-inning passed ball as Rosewood nipped North Duplin 7-6 in Carolina 1-A Conference play.

Reinhard finished with two hits as the Eagles evened their overall worksheet at 7-7 and improved to 3-1 against conference opposition.

Courtney Hill supplied a team-leading three hits. Haile Meadows and Armer had two hits apiece. Jessica Price and Missy Bailey each contributed a hit.

Meadows earned the mound win.

Rosewood entertains league-leading Princeton on Apr. 17, while North Duplin (4-8, 0-4) attempts to snap an eight-game losing streak at home against winless Spring Creek.

Princeton knocks

off Ayden-Grifton

LITTLEFIELD -- Princeton remained unbeaten in four Carolina 1-A Conference outings with a 3-1 conquest of Ayden-Grifton on Wednesday evening.

Haylee Wood led the Bulldogs with three hits, including a sixth-inning RBI triple. Jessica Smith provided a fourth-inning single.

April Keene and Amber Wood combined for seven innings of four-hit, three-strikeout pitching. Keene yielded an unearned run, while Wood earned the save.

Princeton rose to 8-4 overall.

Soccer

C.B. Aycock escapes

Beddingfield

WILSON -- Amanda Schlaeppi turned in her second consecutive multiple-goal outing as C.B. Aycock slipped past Wilson Beddingfield 4-3 in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play.

Schlaeppi scored twice of assists from Lizzie Sodoma as the Golden Falcons seized a commanding 4-1 lead at halftime. Sodoma scored off Schlaeppi's assist and Melina Gibson concluded the scoring on Jessica Price's assist.

Beddingfield closed the gap with two second-half goals.

Aycock keeper Courtney Sheeks collected eight saves.

The Golden Falcons (7-7-1 overall) climbed to 4-2 in the ECC.

Four Warriors

provide offense

DUDLEY -- Icela Vasquez posted a career-best two goals and one assist in Eastern Wayne's 6-0 triumph over county rival Southern Wayne.

Kasie Edwards opened the scoring in the third minute off Vasquez's assist. Vasquez notched back-to-back goals in the seventh and 15th minutes off assists from senior Samantha Frazer.

Crystal Lemmon tallied a goal off Frazer's assist in the 21st minute. Minerva Rodriguez concluded the scoring with a mark in the 30th minute.

Keepers Brittany Spence and Danielle Daniel combined for their fourth ECC shutout and sixth overall this season.

Eastern Wayne (7-6, 5-1 ECC) entertains league-leading Wilson Hunt on Apr. 17.

Tennis

W. Country Day

routs Spring Creek

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Unbeaten Wayne Country Day picked up five singles points and didn't lose a game in doubles play during an 8-1, non-conference victory over Spring Creek.

The Chargers received pro-set (eight-game) singles wins from David Wilson, Russ Turner, Kevin Martel, George Mayo and Luxman Srikantha. Wilson-Bryan, Turner-Martel and Mayo-Srikantha each posted an 8-0 win in their respective doubles matches.

Daniel Richter claimed the Gators' lone singles win.

Wayne Country Day vaulted to 6-0 overall, while Spring Creek dipped to 1-5.

The Gators opened their Carolina 1-A Conference slate with a 6-3 conquest of Ayden-Grifton on Wednesday afternoon. Brandon Strickland, Richter, Alex Dunmire and Matt Richter prevailed on the singles scene.

Strickland-D. Richter and Daniel Correll-Dunmire each claimed a doubles point.

Thursday's match

W. Country Day 8

Spring Creek 1

Singles -- No. 1 David Wilson (WCDS) d. Daniel Correll 8-1; No. 2 Russell Turner (WCDS) d. Brandon Strickland 8-3; No. 3 Daniel Richter (SC) d. Byron Bryan 8-2; No. 4 Kevin Martel (WCDS) d. Alex Dunmire 8-1; No. 5 George Mayo (WCDS) d. Matt Richter 8-3; No. 6 Luxman Srikantha (WCDS) d. Colby Strickland 8-2.

Doubles -- No. 1 Wilson-Bryan (WCDS) d. Strickland-D. Richter 8-0; No. 2 Turner-Martel (WCDS) d. Correll-Dunmire 8-0; No. 3 Mayo-Srikantha (WCDS) d. Strickland-Drew Pierce 8-0.

Wednesday's match

Spring Creek 6

Ayden-Grifton 3

Singles -- No. 1 A.J. Lewis (AG) d. Frederick Ellis 6-3, 6-4; No. 2 Lee Meeks (AG) d. Daniel Correll 6-2, 6-7 (1), 10-1; No. 3 Brandon Strickland (SC) d. Henry Dearcia 6-1, 6-1; No. 4 Daniel Richter (SC) d. Peter Ramirez 6-0, 6-2; No. 5 Alex Dunmire (SC) d. Eric Sjoerdsma 6-2, 6-1; No. 6 Matt Richter (SC) d. Chase Stocks 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- No. 1 Lewis-Meeks (AG) d. Ellis-M. Richter 8-2; No. 2 Strickland-D. Richter (SC) d. Dearcia-Ramirez 8-1; No. 3 Correll-Dunmire (SC) d. Sjoerdsma-Stocks 8-5.

Eastern Wayne

upends So. Wayne

DUDLEY -- David Benton pulled out a Wimbledon-like super tiebreaker and helped Eastern Wayne shut out county rival Southern Wayne 9-0 on Thursday afternoon.

Benton dropped the opening set against fifth-seeded Sterling Blackmon and rebounded for a 5-7, 6-0, 15-13 victory. Teammates Jared Stone, Drew Jackson, Ben Wines, Christian Pfuhl and Eric Barnes each claimed a straight-set singles win.

Stone-Jackson, Wines-Ken Lam and Benton-Barnes won in doubles.

Eastern Wayne extended its unbeaten streak to 15 matches in Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference play.

Eastern Wayne 9

Southern Wayne 0

Singles -- No. 1 Jared Stone (EW) d. Jonathan Hartley 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 Drew Jackson (EW) d. Chris King 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 Ben Wines (EW) d. John Steadmon 6-3, 6-0; No. 4 Christian Pfuhl (EW) d. James Poandl 6-4, 6-2; No. 5 David Benton (EW) d. Sterling Blackmon 5-7, 6-0, 15-13; No. 6 Eric Barnes (EW) d. Graham Price 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles -- No. 1 Stone-Jackson (EW) d. Hartley-Blackmon 8-1; No. 2 Wines-Ken Lam (EW) d. King-Price 8-3; No. 3 Benton-Barnes (EW) d. Poandl-Johnathan Rudolph 8-0.

C.B. Aycock

crushes Bruins

WILSON -- C.B. Aycock swept the singles and doubles matches in a 9-0 triumph over Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference opponent Wilson Beddingfield.

Blake Vail, Addison Westbrook, Ben Evans, Blake Cooper, Ben Nichols and Dylan Quinn each posted straight-set singles wins. The same group combined for the doubles sweep.

C.B. Aycock (9-7 overall) rose to 5-1 in ECC play.

C.B. Aycock 9

Wilson Beddingfield 0

Singles -- No. 1 Blake Vail (CBA) d. Justin Webb 6-1, 6-0; No. 2 Addison Westbrook (CBA) d. Nirav Patel 6-1, 6-1; No. 3 Ben Evans (CBA) d. Ryan Phillips 6-3, 6-3; No. 4 Blake Cooper (CBA) d. Alex Ferrell 6-3, 6-1; No. 5 Ben Nichols (CBA) d. Jeffrey Baker 6-0, 6-0; No. 6 Dylan Quinn (CBA) d. Mark Webb 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles -- No. 1 Vail-Westbrook (CBA) d. Patel-Phillips 8-1; No. 2 Evans-Quinn (CBA) d. Webb-Ferrell 8-4; No. 3 Cooper-Nichols (CBA) d. Webb-Baker 8-0.

Golf

Lane Tree Ladies

Golf Association

PIKEVILLE -- Sherry Minner claimed low net during weekly tournament play at Lane Tree Golf Course.

Midgeon Knowles emerged the game-of-the-week winner, while Barbara Hill seized low putts.

Smith qualifies

for Verizon Heritage

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Michael Smith, son of Wayne Community College golf instructor John Smith, has qualified to play in the Verizon Heritage Classic.

The four-day tournament begins Apr. 12 at the Harbor Town Course.

Middle schools

Norwayne baseball 5, Eastern Wayne 2 -- Derrick Limbaugh threw a four-hitter and struck out six Warrior batters as first-half conference play concluded Thursday afternoon. Aaron Champion earned the save in relief. Limbaugh led the Cobra offense with two hits. Zack Mozingo led the Warriors with two hits. Norwayne remained unbeaten in nine outings and boosted its Wayne County Middle School Athletic Division I ledger to 4-0. The Cobras return to action Apr. 19 against Rosewood. Eastern Wayne suffered its first loss in eight outings.

Grantham softball 17-16, Dillard 0-4 -- Bulldog pitcher Madison Davis tossed a pair of no-hitters and posted a combined 22 strikeouts in the doubleheader sweep. Davis aided her cause offensively with five hits on the day, including two doubles and two home runs. Erica Strickland rapped a home run in the first game and ended up with three hits. Taylor Hood smacked two home runs in the nightcap and concluded the day with five hits. Grantham improved to 6-1 overall.

Brogden baseball 14, Greenwood 4 -- Chris Gagne paced the Rams' offense with three hits and five RBI. Jesus Sandoval contributed three hits. Thomas Hinnant and Dustin Holcombe (double) provided two hits apiece. Jarman Holmes yielded four hits and fanned five T-Bird batters.