Musselman, McGee spark two-out rallies

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 19, 2009 1:46 PM

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DUDLEY -- Maybe Charles B. Aycock should spot opposing defenses two outs before it decides to heat up offensively.

Travis Musselman's two-out double and Nick McGee's two-out single helped account for four runs during Aycock's 8-1 conquest of Junior American Legion rival Wayne County South on Thursday evening.

"We started having some better approaches at the plate in the third, fourth and fifth innings," said Aycock coach Nelson Cunningham. "I guess we need to put two outs on the board all the time because we score more runs. We hit some line drives around the park (tonight)."

Aycock squandered scoring chances in the first and third innings, but broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. Jon Taylor stroked a lead-off single to right field and moved into scoring position on Jordan Quinn's one-out double.

Taylor scored on Tyler Ruffin's single up the middle. Aycock (10-2 overall) loaded the bases on a fielder's choice groundout and a hit batsman. Musselman, the No. 9 batter in the order, cleared the diamond with a three-RBI double into deep left center field.

"He's got a little spunk," said Cunningham of Musselman. "He drove one in the gap and that was big because it opened (the game) up for us right there."

South hurler Tyler Gainey yielded another single, but induced an inning-ending strikeout to escape further damage. He gave up a fifth-inning single to Quinn, which prompted head coach Trae McKee to bring reliever Josh Crawford into the game. The right-hander coaxed Ruffin into an inning-ending, double-player grounder to halt the scoring threat.

Aycock chased Crawford in the sixth and plated three earned runs on three hits. Taylor drew a bases-loaded RBI walk, while DuBose and McGee delivered RBI singles.

Overall, Cunningham's team cranked out 11 hits, including four doubles, against three South hurlers in the seven-inning affair. Musselman, Quinn and Taylor each posted multiple-hit efforts in the road win.

"They had a couple of big hits," said McKee.

South (7-6) couldn't string anything together offensively, except the fourth inning. Keenan Winn provided the team's lone run -- a towering solo homer over the left center-field wall.

Aycock turned its lone double three batters later. Tyler Gainey lined out to Farmer in center field and he gunned down Duane Gurganus, who couldn't get back to second base in time.

"I ran us out of that one inning," said McKee. "I'll take responsibility for that because I was trying to make something happen."

Aycock southpaw Bryant Stafford permitted just four hits in a six-inning stint and logged six strikeouts. He retired 10 of 12 batters before issuing a two-strike fastball to Winn, who stroked his second home run in the last five games.

South had just six base runners for the game and stranded three in scoring position. Stafford surrendered one walk and threw 59 strikes in a 91-pitch outing. DuBose threw a perfect seventh.

"(Stafford) threw a good game," said McKee. "We have to make more adjustments at the plate. We slowed our bat down to make contact on a couple of breaking balls. When we were not in two-strike counts, I thought we could have taking some better swings to keep the pressure on their defense.

"We couldn't get anything going."

Aycock entertains Northern Nash in a make-up game today. Wayne County South looks to snap a three-game skid when it welcomes the Cary Bulls for a doubleheader Saturday.