Hinged Stick and Falling Ball Apparatus

Will a falling, hinged stick have points that accelerate faster than a free-falling ball?

Two hardwood boards are hinged together at one end; a plastic cup is mounted near the free end of the top board along with a tee type support. The top board is propped with a dowel rod, and a ball is placed on the support. When the dowel is quickly pulled away, the board falls and the ball leaps into the plastic cup — demonstrating that the board’s acceleration at its free end is greater than that of the free-falling ball.