There wasn’t a sense of finality for the Cedar Ridge Baseball team on its senior night. They will likely be playing at home again next week in the state playoffs.
But Adam Chnupa picked a poetic time for his first grand slam.
The senior, who attended Elon University’s spring football game on Saturday, drove in five runs as Cedar Ridge routed Southern Durham 23-1 on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Stadium. Chnupa blasted the grand slam during a nine-run 3rd inning. He also tripled in the fourth.
Cedar Ridge is guaranteed to finish no lower than second place in the Big 8. They can still tie for the Big 8 Championship if they beat Southern Durham on Thursday and if East Chapel Hill wins at Chapel Hill. On Tuesday night, Chapel Hill clinched a share of the Big 8 regular season championship by edging East Chapel Hill 2-1.
If Cedar Ridge clinches a share of the Big 8 Championship, they will receive the top seed from the Big 8 for the 3A State Tournament, which begins Tuesday.
Chnupa was one of six Cedar Ridge seniors playing their final regular season home game at Red Wolves Stadium. Centerfielder Sailor Ramos, 1st baseman Chris Cox, right fielder Erik Zehnder, designated hitter Landon Badger and 3rd baseman Nicholas Starr were the other seniors honored before the game. All six started.
Ramos hit two doubles and finished 4-for-4, improving his batting average to .417, which leads the team. Ramos also leads the team with 25 hits and 18 RBI. He has hit safely in five consecutive games, which is tied with Dante DeFranco for the longest streak on the team.
Cox went 2-for-2 with a double and scored three runs, driving in two. Erik Zehnder went 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and three runs scored. Badger went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cedar Ridge finished with a season-high 19 hits.
Cedar Ridge has now won 11 straight games, the longest winning streak of any team from the Big 8 Conference this year.
Mattthew Kahn earned the win, striking out ten in four innings. Starr came on in the final inning for mop-up duty.
Kahn is now 6-2 with a 3.26 ERA. He has struck out 37 while walking 17.
Cedar Ridge (16-5, 10-3 in the Big 8) will conclude the regular season on Thursday when they face Southern Durham at Pete Shankle Field in the Bull City.