MACAA ROUNDUP: CCS advances in soccer, falls in baseball semifinals

GOLDSBORO — A rugged girls soccer season at Community Christian School started with back-to-back losses is poised to end on the highest possible note for the Cyclones.

CCS ripped New Bern Christian 6-0 on Friday to reach the Mid-Atlantic Christian Athletic Association 2-A championship game Saturday against Christ Covenant. The MACAA semifinals and final are being hosted by Faith Christian.

The Cyclones, top seed in the MACAA 2-A North, will take a 13-4 overall record in Saturday afternoon’s final against Christ Covenant (15-2), the South’s top seed, in a rematch of the Spartans’ 4-3 win in Wilson on April 18. CCS lost its next — 1-0 at home against Greenville Christian the next day, continuing its habit of back-to-back losses — but has won five in a row since, outscoring the opposition 32-3.

Ava Dunn, one of several eighth graders who have played for the CCS middle school team all season, scored three goals and made an assist. Autumn Bradshaw, Haley Brown and Taylor Ricks each scored the Cyclones. Claire Carter stopped seven New Bern Christian shots in goal for the Cyclones’ seventh shutout.

Community Christian struck quickly Friday against the Mustangs (7-4-1) with Bradshaw taking a throw-in from Libby Bass and turning it into a goal in the sixth minute. Two minutes later, sophomore Abril Ventura played a through ball to Dunn for a 2-0 lead. But the CCS attack stalled, in part due to six offsides calls against the Cyclones.

“The rest of the half, we had opportunities, but we just couldn’t finish,” said CCS head coach Carl Bradshaw. “We had a hard time staying on-sides on a smaller field than we are used to, and New Bern packed the defense in.”

He said the CCS defensive plan was to limit looks at the goal by New Bern Christian standout Lily Davis, which Cyclones defenders Bass and Gracie Beamon took turns doing.

“They played very strong defense, and they did a great job of pushing her to her left foot as she prefers her right,” Carl Bradshaw said. “I encouraged the girls at the half to keep up the intensity, watch their line for offsides and keep their offensive pressure at a high level.”

It only took the Cyclones four minutes of the second half to find the net again as Haley Brown turned a breakaway into a 3-0 lead. Three minutes later, Dunn’s “perfect through ball” set up senior Ricks for a 4-0 lead.

In the 48th minute, Dunn caught a rebound of a CCS shot and put it back clean to stagger the Mustangs. She finished them in the 53rd after running down a chipped pass from Katelyn Brown that cleared the defense.

“For the rest of the game we subbed frequently and we had some good chances, but they either went just right or just left of the goal,” Carl Bradshaw said. “I was very pleased how we played the second half especially in the warmer weather.”

BASEBALL

Cycs denied by Mustangs

GOLDSBORO — Despite outhitting New Bern Christian and not committing an error in Friday’s semifinals matchup, Community Christian will be playing for the Mid-Atlantic Christian Athletic Association consolation prize instead of the championship Saturday at Faith Christian Academy.

The Cyclones lost a tight battle to New Bern Christian, 6-5, in Friday’s semifinals game, CCS, now 7-7, will take on New Life of Elizabeth City in the consolation game at 10 a.m. Saturday at Faith Christian. The host Conquerors and New Bern Christian tangle for the title at 1 p.m.

Community Christian struck for four runs in the top of the third inning to briefly lead 4-2, but the Mustangs tied the score in the bottom of the inning and took the lead for keeps with a run each in the fourth and fifth.

Senior Josh Varnell was 2 for 4 with a run scored while sophomore Tyler Spivey was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Eighth grader Tanner Pierce tripled in a run and junior Connor Ferguson doubled. Colby Barnill was 1 for 4 with an RBI.

Spivey pitched 4 2/3 innings to get the loss. He gave up six runs, five earned, on six hits and five walks while striking out seven. Barnhill got the last four outs without a run scoring but had to work around three bases on balls and two hits.

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