C.B. Aycock outlasts West Brunswick

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 20, 2007 2:09 AM

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PIKEVILLE -- During the past month, Garrett Davis has emerged the top closer on the Charles B. Aycock pitching staff.

The senior right-hander delivered in clutch fashion Friday evening.

Davis entered the seventh inning with Aycock ahead 10-8 and two West Brunswick runners in scoring position. Joey Granados connected on a run-scoring groundout to pull the Trojans within 10-9.

Davis remained cool under pressure as the Golden Falcon coaching staff nervously paced in the dugout. Ryan Hill, the No. 9 batter, dug into the box and worked the hard-throwing Davis to a 3-2 count.

With the tying run 90 feet away, Hill took a pitch on the inside corner and stared in disbelief as the umpire called strike three. Davis punched his fist in the air, and once again, the Golden Falcons avoided a late-inning collapse with a 10-9 victory.

C.B. Aycock (26-3 overall) opposes either Wilson Fike or Currituck County in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A eastern semifinals Tuesday. Fike traveled to Currituck County on Saturday afternoon.

For the second straight outing, Golden Falcon head coach Charles Davis nearly saw his team lose another a big lead. He didn't fault his pitching staff, which allowed an uncharacteristic seven walks.

Davis credited the Trojans instead.

"Everybody knows now one loss and your season is over with," said Davis. "West Craven (on Tuesday) and West Brunswick tonight ... those kids played hard and didn't quit. We want to put people away, but it's hard to do that in the playoffs because these kids are going to compete no matter who is out there."

After a 70-minute rain delay, the No. 2-ranked Golden Falcons found some offensive firepower and bolted to a 9-0 lead after three innings.

Joseph Toler's two-RBI triple capped a three-run, first-inning outburst. Toler finished 3-for-4 and emerged one four Aycock batters to record a multiple-hit outing.

Zach Wright's lead-off home run and Garrett Davis' bases-clearing triple spearheaded a six-run, third-inning uprising. Wright remained the team leader in homer runs, while Davis batted 2-for-4 with a playoff-high four RBI.

"We swung the bats early," said coach Davis.

But Aycock's offensive eruptions ended at that point.

West Brunswick (19-7) slowly climbed back into the contest as the Golden Falcon pitching staff struggled to find the strike zone. The Trojans chased left-hander Grant Sasser in the fourth inning after he yielded an RBI walk and RBI single.

Reliever Kyle Harmon encountered trouble in the fifth. The senior right-hander surrendered a walk and a two-RBI double to Wally Kamfolt. The Trojans, much to coach Davis' dismay, trailed 9-5.

However, the Golden Falcons tallied a much-needed run in the fifth.

Will Edgerton (3-for-3) laced a lead-off single into left center field. The sophomore right fielder raced from first to third when West Brunswick reliever Ethan Cox threw a pitch in the dirt to Bradley Taylor.

Cox unloaded another wild pitch and Edgerton easily scored what eventually turned out to be the game-winning run. Edgerton accounted for three of Aycock's playoff-high 10 runs.

"That was Will hustling on his part," said Davis. "That was key right there; a big run in that situation. Every run you get in the playoffs is huge."

The Golden Falcons' pitching woes continued in the sixth. Reliever Jay Rose walked two batters and threw two wild pitches. West Brunswick capitalized on Hill's RBI infield hit and Noah Hawkins' run-scoring groundout.

"We helped them out by putting people on base," said Davis, whose staff issued an uncharacteristic and season-high seven walks. "They didn't quit and that's a tribute (to them.). Our pitchers had an off night.

"I don't know if we lost our concentration. But I can't fault my pitching staff because they're the reason we're here."

Kamfolt started the Trojans' seventh with an infield single that dropped behind a diving Brandon Price, who relieved Rose. Price walked Josh Powell and Zach Spivey moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Garrett Davis took over and Granados kept the fans on edge with his run-scoring groundout. That set the stage for the thrilling ending as Davis notched his fourth save of the season, and first in the playoffs.

C.B. Aycock collected its 21st consecutive victory and reached the eastern semifinals for the first time since 2003.

West Brunswick 000 323 1 -- 9 8 0

C.B. Aycock 306 000 x -- 10 11 0

Leading hitters -- West Brunswick -- Pat Kamfolt 2-4; Wally Kamfolt 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Joey Granados 2-4, 2 RBI; Ryan Hill 1-4, RBI. C.B. Aycock -- Will Edgerton 3-3, RBI; Garrett Davis 2-4, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI; Zach Wright 1-3, HR, RBI; Joseph Toler 3-4, RBI; Brandon Price 2-3, RBI.

DP -- C.B. Aycock 1. LOB -- West Brunswick 6, C.B. Aycock 6. SB -- Narron. SH -- Hawkins, Spivey, Edgerton.

IP H R ER BB SO

West Brunswick

Evans (L) 2 2/3 9 9 9 1 3

Cox 3 1/3 2 1 1 0 5

C.B. Aycock

Sasser 3 1/3 3 3 3 3 1

Harmon (W, 3-1) 1 2/3 2 2 2 1 2

Rose 1 2 3 3 2 1

Price 1/3 1 1 1 1 0

Davis (S, 4) 2/3 0 0 0 0 1

WP -- Cox 2, Rose 2. PB -- Wright. HBP -- by Evans (Narron), by Cox (Wright).

T -- 2:26.