Month: March 2017

There was no Bryse Wilson on the mound or Brad Debo behind the plate for Orange baseball in its 2017 season opener, yet the Panthers still got a shutout.

Senior Derek Lindaman scattered three hits and struck out six against only one walk as the Panthers defeated Riverside 6-0 in a rain-shortened season-opener on Wednesday night at Panther Field.

Juniors Craig Clayton and Noah Rogers smashed homers for the Panthers during a five-run third inning. It was the first hits for Clayton and Rogers, who were both making their first varsity starts. And they weren’t alone.

Only Jaydin Poteat, Ryan Puckett, and Jason Slaughter had ever started a varsity game going into Wednesday’s opener. Poteat was the regular starter in centerfield last season before he broke his right hand sliding into home plate against Northwood.

Rogers finished 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs, including a double along with his dinger. Poteat reached in all three of his plate appearances, scoring twice.

Lindaman, who was the regular second-day starter behind Wilson last season, threw five innings before giving way to Kaymin Matsko, who retired one batter before torrential storms forced the game to be stopped in the top of the fifth inning.

Orange travels to Jordan tonight for a stiff test. The Falcons are 2-0 after early wins over Green Hope and Panther Creek.

Two games into the 2017 season, Cedar Ridge Baseball has two wins, both by mercy rule.

In its home opener on Thursday night, the Red Wolves pounded Roxboro Community High School 14-0 in a game shortened by five innings.

Sophomore starter Phillip Berger yielded one hit over five innings for his first win of the season. Berger’s win comes after senior Brandon Andrews threw a five-inning no-hitter in the season-opening  15-0 win at Hillside on Tuesday.

Against the Bulldogs, leadoff batter Dante DeFranco laced two doubles, finishing 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Freshman Jake DeFranco went 2-for-3, scoring twice. Senior Simon Little finished 2-for-2 with 4 RBIs.

Berger, batting third, scored twice while going 2-for-3 with a double.

Cedar Ridge finished with 12 hits and ended the game by scoring nine runs in the fourth inning.

In Tuesday’s win over Hillside, the Red Wolves opened the season by scoring four runs in the first and second innings. Along with earning the no-hitter, Andrew slammed the season’s first home run. DeFranco went 3-for-4 with an RBI off a sacrifice fly. The Red Wolves had 11 hits against the Hornets.

Cedar Ridge will take its 2-0 start to Graham on Wednesday to face Southern Alamance. They return home next Friday against Carrboro.