In the span of five days, the Cedar Ridge Red Wolves have gone from being blown out in Pittsboro to beating two state playoff teams in consecutive games.
Last Wednesday, Cedar Ridge junior pitcher Phillip Berger was ripped by Northwood for eleven hits and 13 runs in a 19-7 loss to Northwood.
Then came Monday. Pitching a day earlier than originally scheduled due to rain forecasts, Berger returned to the poised, calm hurler that posted a 8-2 record in 2017.
On Monday, Berger threw a complete game four-hitter, striking out four while walking just one. Berger also laced an RBI double to left field on a day when hits were at a premium.
The Red Wolves defeated Chapel Hill 3-1 at Red Wolves Stadium Monday afternoon, its second straight win over a Big 8 team that made the state playoffs. The victory followed Friday’s 3-2 victory over Northwood in Hillsborough.
Chapel Hill left nine runners on base in losing its first conference game of the season. The Tigers (6-2, 2-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped.
CHHS starter Jake Smith suffered his first loss of the sesaon despite giving up only three hits in five innings. Smith, a senior, went 6-2 with a .58 ERA last season.
In their first at-bat, Chapel Hill put leadoff batter Tyler Tachman (who reached on an error) at third and Anthony Castellanon at second with two out, but Berger struck out designated hitter Ryan Lonegan to end the inning. The Tiger wouldn’t have another baserunner until the fourth inning as Berger set down nine Tigers in a row.
Sophomore second baseman Jake DeFranco got the first of Cedar Ridge’s three hits in the bottom of the third inning when he singled to left field to score Adam Chnupa for the opening run of the game. It was the first of three straight innings where Cedar Ridge scored.
In the fourth, designated hitter Sailor Ramos drew a one-out walk. Berger followed by lacing a double to left field that reached the fence, scoring Ramos to push Cedar Ridge’s lead to 2-0.
Red Wolves catcher Cooper Lamb led off the fifth inning with a double to left field, the only time all day Cedar Ridge put the leadoff batter on board in an inning. Nicholas Starr replaced Lamb as a courtesy runner. After Starr went to third on a throwing error, DeFranco drew a walk. After Dante DeFranco popped out to the catcher, Smith was called for a balk, allowing Starr to score.
Chapel Hill’s only run came in the 7th when Adam Guskiewicz drew a leadoff walk. Tachman roped a one-out single to left to send pinch-runner Troy Capalbo to second. After Tyler Hansen flew out to centerfielder Landon Badgett, Colin Liebe looped a single to right field to bring in Capalbo. However, on the next at-bat, Castellano grounded a fielder’s choice ball to shortstop Dante DeFranco, who flipped over to Jake DeFranco at second to retire Liebe and end the game.
Cedar Ridge is slated to travel to Chapel Hill on Friday to conclude the series.