After a disappointing opening week of the season where the bats were quiet and the pitching was inconsistent, the Orange baseball team returned to its winning ways at a place where they’ve grown used to success.
In Sanford.
For the third straight year, the Panthers won at Southern Lee 4-1 on Saturday afternoon behind a three-hitter from senior Dalton Brown. Not only was it Brown’s first complete game in his varisty career, it was also his first win. Last season, Brown mainly played left field and pitched in seven games.
Last May, Orange upset the Cavaliers 2-1 in the 2nd round of the 3A state playoffs, just a week after Southern Lee won the Cape Fear Valley Conference Championship. In 2016, the Panthers held off the Cavaliers 12-10 in a game where Orange jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but the Cavaliers tied by the bottom of the fifth inning.
The panthers were held to five hits, but sophomore shortstop Joey Berini laced two double and drove in two runs as Orange jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Senior centerfielder Jaydin Poteat scored twice and had two stolen bases. Just four games into the season, Poteat already has ten stolen bases.
Caige Clayton, who was the catcher, finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.
Orange started the week with a 10-1 win over Morehead in Hillsborough on Thursday, avenging a 10-3 loss to Morehead from the prior week.
Orange senior Will White picked up his first win of the season, allowing three hits in five innings. White struck out six and walked three. Luke Riley finished the game with two shutout innings.
After going hitless again Morehead in the first meeting, Poteat went 2-for-3 with three runs and five stolen bases. Clayton hit his first home run of the season and went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and a double. Senior Jason Slaughter also had a three-run homer in the third inning as the Panthers piled up a season-high eight hits.
In his second start of the season, sophomore Cooper Porter went 1-for-3 with a RBI triple in the fifth inning.
Orange is slated to start Big 8 Conference action on Tuesday against East Chapel Hill in Hillsborough. However, that game may be in jeopardy due to the possibility of snow forecast for Monday afternoon. The Panthers are slated to travel to East Chapel Hill on Friday.
Also this week, the Cedar Ridge baseball team will start conference action at Northwood at 6 o’clock Tuesday night. The Red Wolves are 2-0 after a wild 10-9 victory over Riverside last week, a game where the Pirates rallied from a 9-4 deficit by scoring five runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie, only to have the Red Wolves score the game-winning run in the bottom-of-the-seventh.
The Chargers will travel to Hillsborough on Friday.