Month: March 2017

Berini Drives in Game-Winning Runs as Orange Tops N. Vance 9-8

After dropping a game against Southern Lee two weeks ago, Orange Baseball Coach Dean Dease said he hoped his club would be a good team by April.

While the Panthers aren’t there yet, they took a forward step on Tuesday night.

Joey Berini hit a two-run single in the fifth inning, while Dalton Brown went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI as Orange (2-4, 1-0 in the Big 8) defeated Northern Vance 9-8 at Panther Field. Brown, who started in left field, came on in relief of starter Derek Lindaman for his first save.

Orange won its conference opener and ended a four-game losing streak.

The Panthers ended a 15-inning scoreless streak by scoring four runs in the first frame. After leadoff batter Jaydin Poteat walked, right fielder Rodney Brooks slammed a two-run homer to left center, his first varsity dinger. Following a single by second baseman Jason Slaughter, first baseman Eric Nichols laced a RBI triple to right field. Brown followed with a two-out single to right, scoring Nichols.

After the Vikings scored two runs in the 2nd, the Panthers extended its lead to 6-2 in the 3rd inning when Brown singled off a Baltimore chop over the head of Vikings third baseman Chris Stainback, scoring Slaughter and Noah Rogers, who doubled earlier in the inning.

Northern Vance narrowed the gap to 6-5 after scoring three runs in the 5th after three Orange errors.

The Panthers came right back with three more runs in the bottom of the inning. After Caige Clayton drew a one-out walk, Nichols reached on an infield single. Both runners advanced off a throwing error. Catcher Dylan Hall was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Berini hit a bouncer over second base that found its way into centerfield to score Clayton and Brown. With Cooper Porter running for Hall, Poteat reached on an infield single, leading to a throwing error that scored Porter to put Orange ahead 9-5.

Northern Vance never quit, scoring two more runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. After shortstop Payne Harris scored off a Qwadre Hanks RBI groudout, the Vikings cuts Orange’s lead to 9-8 with two out in the seventh. Brown struck out Ryan Stainback to end the game.

Orange travels to Northern Vance on Friday at 4:30. You can hear that game here on HillsboroughSports.com.

Andrews Scores Twice as Cedar Ridge Edges Chapel Hill 4-3

After losing seven of its last eight games to Chapel Hill, the Cedar Ridge baseball team was due for a win over the Tigers. It finally came in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night.

After blowing a 3-0 lead, the Red Wolves (6-1, 2-1 in the Big 8) scored in the bottom of the sixth for the game-winning run, beating Chapel Hill 4-3. It’s only the second time that Cedar Ridge has beaten CHHS as a conference rival, dating back to 2015.

Senior Brandon Andrews went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and a run. Andrews was also the starting pitcher, earning a no-decision, yielding five hits and three runs over five and tw0-thirds innnings.

Freshman Jake DeFranco continued his steady offensive production, going 2-for-3. He also started two double plays.

Junior Erik Zehnder went 1-for-3 with an RBI, the only one of the game for CRHS.

Senior Evan Hall earned the win, while junior Chris Cox got the save.

The Red Wolves surged out to a 3-0 lead after scoring two runs in the first inning, adding another in the third. The Tigers (4-3, 0-3) tied the contest with a run in the fifth, followed by two more in the sixth off a double by Tyler Hansen.

The two teams will meet again on Friday night at Chapel Hill at 7:00. You can hear that game here on HillsboroughSports.com.

Hurdle Drives in Four, Davidson 3 Hits as Orange Softball Wins 21-0

Photo by Morgan Flynn 

Usually it doesn’t take an official scorer to determine if someone hits a home run. The ball either goes over the fence or it doesn’t.

However, Mia Davidson provided the only drama in Orange’s 21-0 win over Northern Vance in the first inning as to whether her first at-bat of the game would be scored an inside-the-park home run.

If it had been, Davidson would have set the new NCHSAA state record for career home runs. However, Davidson was credited with a double to right field and scored off a throwing error, keeping her at 43 career home runs for now.

Orange (5-0, 1-0 in the Big 8) won its conference opener in only two-and-a-half innings, scoring nine in the first and eleven in the second. Freshman first baseman Jayden Hurdle went 2-for-2 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Hurdle is now hitting .611 with 12 RBIs. She also pitched all three innings, earning her first varsity win.

Alisha Pettiford also finished 2-for-2, scoring twice.

Sophomore Hayley Funk went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Senior Kristina Givens singled in both of her at-bats, improving her average to .600.

It was Orange’s 2nd win in two days. On Monday, they defeated East Chapel Hill 8-3. The Panthers travel to Northern Vance on Friday to finish the two-game series.