South Johnston shocks C.B. Aycock

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on May 2, 2012 1:49 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- That highly-anticipated third meeting between Charles B. Aycock and Eastern Wayne will have to wait.

Lane Johnson pitched a complete-game shutout and South Johnston eliminated the Golden Falcons from the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference baseball tournament with a 7-0 win on Tuesday night.

The fifth-seeded Trojans (9-15) visit regular-season champion Eastern Wayne in Thursday night's semifinals.

Will Raynor's one-out RBI double in the top of the third inning gave South Johnston a 1-0 lead. Austin Lee added an RBI single.

Raynor's two-run home run to center field in the top of the fifth increased South Johnston's lead to 4-0. The Trojans picked up a run on a Golden Falcons' error in the top of the sixth inning. Lee tacked on a two-run single as the margin swelled to 7-0.

Aycock managed just three base runners against Johnson, who surrendered just two hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Cameron Taylor and Bryant Stafford both singled and Taylor drew a lead-off walk in the seventh inning. The junior right-hander sat the Golden Falcons down in order in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings.

"Their pitcher had a lot to do with it," Aycock head coach Charles Davis said. "He kept us off-speed the whole night and threw strikes. It all starts on the mound and their guy did a great job tonight. When you only get two hits and a walk you're not going to win, I don't care how good your pitching is."

Adam Pate endured the loss on the mound and surrendered four runs (two earned) on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. The Golden Falcons committed four errors and surrendered five unearned runs.

Tuesday night's loss leaves Aycock's postseason future in question. Should South Johnston win the ECC tournament, the fourth-seeded Golden Falcons would be eliminated from state-playoff contention.

"Our season is up in the air right now," Davis said. "I've not been in this situation before. Hopefully we shake it off. You've got about 10 days to hopefully work some kinks out. We'll just see how it goes."