Month: May 2018

Bryse Wilson: Five starts with the Florida Fire Frogs was enough for the brass in the Atlanta Braves organization to see Bryse Wilson should be promoted. On Saturday, Wilson was called up to the Mississippi Braves of the AA Southern League. The transaction came after Wilson threw six-and-two-thirds shutout innings for the Fire Frogs against the Bradenton Marauders on Wednesday. Wilson departs Kissimmee, Florida with a 2-0 record and a 0.34 ERA. In four of Wilson’s five starts, he didn’t give up an earned run. He struck out 26 and walked seven. He’s expected to make his Southern League debut next week.

Mia Davidson: In Sunday’s 6-1 loss to #7 Tennessee, former Orange High catcher Mia Davidson set the Mississippi State softball record for most home runs in a season by a freshman. She launched her 18th home run in the 3rd inning. On Saturday in Mississippi State’s 10-3 win over the Volunteers, Davidson tied the record with her 17th homer. Mississippi State, ranked #24 in the country, concluded the regular season 35-20 overall, 7-17 in the SEC. Davidson concluded the regular season leading the team in batting average (.385), hits (66), doubles (13), home runs (18), RBI (46), total bases (133), slugging percentage (.733), and on-base percentage.

Mackenzie Cates: The Efland native was named the Lenoir-Rhyne Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday during the first-ever Bears Choice Awards. Cates was named to the 2019 All-South Atlantic Conference First Team last week. She leads the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team in home runs (12) and RBI (42). Lenoir-Rhyne was upset by Carson-Newman in the first round of the SAC Softball Quarterfinals 6-0 on April 27. Nonetheless, the Bears are expected to receive a high-seed when the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament brackets are unveiled this week.

Brandon Andrews: The former Cedar Ridge pitcher earned his first college win as Nicholls defeated Stephen F. Austin 22-10 on Saturday in Nacogdoches, Texas. Andrews, a freshman with the Colonels, threw three shutout innings, giving up one hit, striking out one. He retired ten of the eleven batters he faced. Andrews also pitched on May 2 in Nicholls 17-8 win over Prairie View in Prairie View, TX. Against the Panthers, Andrews threw two shutout innings, striking out two. Nicholls is 21-27, 10-13 in the Southland Conference going into Sunday’s series-finale against Stephen F. Austin.

Jordan Toney: The former Orange pitcher started for UNC Pembroke against Georgia Southwestern on April 28. He gave up 12 hits and seven runs in four-and-two-thirds innings as the Braves defeated the Hurricanes 13-7. Toney also started against Flagler on April 21st, also getting a no-decision. Toney threw six-and-a-third innings, giving up six hits, three runs, striking out three. This season, Toney is 3-0 with a 6.04 ERA in eight starts. He’s made 13 appearances on the mound.

Brad Debo: Debo made pinch-hitting appearances on Friday and Saturday against William & Mary. Debo got a base hit in the Wolfpack’s 4-0 win over the Tribe on Friday. In a 5-4 loss to Campbell on Wednesday, Debo had a pinch-hit RBI single. Debo is hitting .276 and has started 22 of the Wolfpack’s 46 games. N.C. State is 33-12.

Bowen Collins: The former Orange midfielder played in Lenoir-Rhyne’s win over Queens in the South Atlantic Conference men’s lacrosse tournament. The Bears lost the championship game to Wingate 12-9 on April 29.

Jaydin Poteat is far too young to know who Vanessa Williams is, but he certainly is taking the theme from her signature song, released in 1991.

He’s saving the best for last.

Poteat, an Orange senior who has started in centerfield the past three years, led off the final regular season game of his 73-game career against Northern by lining a 1-0 fastball over the left field wall.

It was the first home run of Poteat’s high school career, extending his hitting streak to a team-best seven games.

Poteat finished 4-for-5, Dalton Brown threw five innings for his third win and Orange scored nine unanswered runs to beat the Knights 10-2 in the regular season finale at Knights Field.

Orange (12-10, 10-4 in the big 8) sewed up third place in the Big 8, ensuring a spot in the 3A state playoffs. The Panthers will be on the road to open the playoffs on Tuesday. The 64-team field will be released on Sunday.

Poteat was mobbed by his teammates at the plate, which appeared to be an emotional release for a team that needed it. Earlier on Thursday, the news broke that starting pitcher Will White suffered a broken bone in his right foot, likely sidelining him for the rest of the season. White suffered the injury in the first inning of Tuesday’s game against Northern when a liner went off his right leg. Though he refused to come out of the game at first, it was clear White was hampered. Northern tagged White for four runs in the second inning before he was replaced by Kaymin Matsko.

On Thursday with the game tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth,  Orange scored nine unanswered runs to take its fifth straight win. Moments after Northern’s Cole Singsank tied the game off a wild pitch, Nas Powell led off the fifth by reaching on an error. Poteat and Joey Berini walked to load the bases. Jason Slaughter drew a bases-loaded walk against new Knights pitcher Jordan Snow. Catcher Cooper Porter was called out on a controversial infield fly, which appeared to be more of a looper to third base instead of a pop up, but Poteat tagged up and scored anyway even though the ball barely reached the outfield grass.

Berini and Slaughter scored off an error off a grounder to second hit by Mark Willms to push the Orange lead to 5-1.

Orange put across three more in the sixth, all with two out. Poteat singled but was thrown out on a fielder’s choice grounder hit by Berini. Slaughter reached on an error, sending Berini to third. With Caige Clayton at the plate, Berini scored on a wild pitch, and Slaughter moved to third on an error by the catcher. Orange would make it 8-1 after Clayton doubled to right to bring in Slaughter.

Clayton and Slaughter tied for the team lead with 20 RBI to conclude the regular season. Poteat scored in the 7th inning off a Berini double for his 24th run of the season, tops on the team. First baseman Trey Clayton singled in the 7th, and scored off of Poteat’s single to right.

Brown threw five innings for his third win  of the season, allowing three hits and one earned run.

Orange pitcher Dalton Brown earned his third win of the sesaon on Thursday in a 10-2 victory at Northern Durham in the regular season finale. In his ninth start of the season, Brown surrendered only one earned run on three hits to improve to 3-3. The win bolstered Orange’s record to 12-10 and ensured a winning season for the sixth straight year. Orange officially finished 3rd in the Big 8 playoffs, sewing up a spot in the state playoffs for the 16th year in a row. The Panthers start play in the 3A state playoffs on Tuesday.

Orange Pitcher Dalton Brown Discusses Beating Northern Durham in the Regular Season Finale

Orange pitcher Dalton Brown earned his third win of the sesaon on Thursday in a 10-2 victory at Northern Durham in the regular season finale. In his ninth start of the season, Brown surrendered only one earned run on three hits to improve to 3-3.

The Cedar Ridge softball team’s coronation came with 81-degree temperatures, the warmest day so far this year.

That’s not only summer weather. It’s championship weather.

The high school sports season ends on June 2. If 2017 is any indication, it will be well into the high-80s. On the field, it will be in the 90s.

When Orange won the 3A state softball championship at Dail Field at N.C. State last season, pitcher Christina Givens got lightheaded in the dugout. Trainer Emily Gaddy had to give her cold towels, carbonated beverages and breath mints to finish the game.

There’s no other place Cedar Ridge would rather be.

From the time that Cedar Ridge started the season with a 4-1 win at Eastern Alamance on February 28, it was clear that the 6-12 season in 2017 was a distant memory.

As well as it should have been. Pitcher Rivers Andrews missed her entire junior season with a hip injury. 1st baseman Tori Dalehite’s freshman season was lost after she tore her ACL in her first basketball game.

In other words, Cedar Ridge competed in 2017 without its top two players and anyone around the Red Wolves team will tell you pitchers like Andrews don’t grow on trees.

On Thursday, the Red Wolves completed a coronation to its first softball championship in school history, shutting out Southern Durham 19-0. Naturally, Andrews was perfect in her final regular season game, throwing three innings and striking out nine. Dalehite hit her fifth home run, while Kymberlie Thacker belted her seventh.

Anyone can measure a team’s dominance by the slaughter rule, I.e. beating an opponent by over ten runs in five innings. Half of Cedar Ridge’s 14 wins came that way, but the ones that grabbed the attention of many around the Big 8 came on March 14 when they romped past Northwood 11-0, and did it again two days later 12-0 against the Chargers.

On March 28, Andrews tossed her masterpiece against Orange, a perfect game where she struck out 20 of the 21 Panthers she faced. Overall, Cedar Ridge outscored opposition 140-6 in Big 8 play this season.

Andrews threw six no-hitters this season, finishing 12-1 with a 0.64 ERA. She struck out 158 while walking eleven.

Dalehite, in her first varsity season, led the team with a .614 batting average. She had team-highs in hits (27), RBIs (28), runs (26), and triples (5)

There’s also the power of Thacker, who hit seven home runs and added 20 RBIs.

The rain and snow of a strange spring robbed Cedar Ridge of some potentially interesting non-conference games. On Monday, the Red Wolves were supposed to face Roxboro Community School, the only team to beat the Red Wolves this season. It was canceled.

In early March, CRHS was set to face Western Alamance, a game that fell victim to a late snowfall. The Warriors are 20-3. Perhaps that canceled regular season date was only a rain check for sometime in May.

Regardless, Cedar Ridge softball withered the spring snow and rain to take its first conference championship in a race they controlled from day one.

Now, they want to be playing on June 2nd.

Just three days removed from competing in the oldest Track & Field event in the United States, Orange’s Jamar Davis began to get healthy.

The back heel that plagued him during the Penn Relays on Saturday began to get better by the time the Big 8 Track and Field Championships started on Tuesday.

And. It showed.

Davis captured the Big 8 Long Jump and Triple Jump Championships for the second consecutive year at Southern Durham High School. Davis won the Long Jump championship with a leap of 22-feet-four inches, two inches longer than runner-up Terry Green of Chapel Hill.

In the triple jump, Davis beat the field by a full six feet with a jump of 49-feet, six inches. Jordan Purvis was the next closet at 43-feet, four inches.

Last season, Davis also won the long jump and triple jump championships, along with being a member of the 4×400 meter relay team that won a conference championship.

Davis advanced to the 3A Mideast Regionals on May 12th at Southern Guilford in Greensboro in three events. Davis finished 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles, just behind Dominick Green of Southern Durham.

Davis was the only conference champion from the Hillsborough schools,  but several others qualified for regionals. In the 400 meter dash, Cameron Michalski of Orange finished 3rd with a time of 52.06. Cedar Ridge junior Eli Tilley came in fourth with a time of 52.64.

Cedar Ridge senior Brian Finch qualified for two events. He finished 4th in the 800 meters at 2:04.03. In the 1,600 meters, Finch finished 5th at 4:48.28.

Keyshawn Crisp of Cedar Ridge qualified for the regionals in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.40 seconds.

The Cedar Ridge boys team had three relay teams qualify for regionals. The 4×100 team had a photo finish, finishing 2nd to Hillside by .06 of a second.

Cedar Ridge’s sophomore finished 2nd in the boys pole vault at 12-feet.

Orange freshman Cory McKoy finished 5th in the discus with a distance of 102-feet, 11 inches.

In the 3,200 meters, Orange’s Kyle Van Tubbergh came in fifth with a time of 10:26.81.

In the women’s events, Orange freshman Sasha Godfrey came in 2nd  in the 800 meters, running at 2:25.60, coming in just three-tenths-of-a-second behind Chapel Hill senior Anna Stouffer for 1st place. Cedar Ridge sophomore Allison Musty finished sixth.

Godfrey also qualified for regionals in the 1,600 meters by finishing 3rd at 5:25.94.

In the 3,200 meters, Cedar Ridge freshman Anne Morrell crossed the finish line 3rd at 12:10.75 to advance to Greensboro.

In the 300 meter hurdles, Orange’s Kate Burgess came in third at 48.89 seconds.

Orange’s 4×200 meter relay team finished 3rd with a time of 1:49.06.

In the high jump, Orange freshman Erin Mink had a runner-up finish with a leap of 5-feet, actually tying her with Hillside’s Gabrielle Ryan.

The Orange Women’s Soccer team ended its season on Wednesday. Night with a 3-1 loss to Northern Durham at OHS Soccer Pitch. Jordan Rogers assisted on the only goal of the night. Rogers was one of seven seniors on the Orange squad this year. She was named the Prom Queen on Saturday night, and discussed her surprise at winning the honor. 

Orange Senior Striker Jordan Rogers Discusses her Final Game at OHS

The Orange Women’s Soccer team ended its season on Wednesday. Night with a 3-1 loss to Northern Durham at OHS Soccer Pitch. Jordan Rogers assisted on the only goal of the night. Rogers was one of seven seniors on the Orange squad this year.

Cedar Ridge captured its first conference softball championship in school history on Tuesday with a 22-0 win over Southern Durham. Left fielder Amy Stutzer scored two runs after walking twice. Going into the regular season finale on Thursday, Stutzer is hitting .250. On top of winning the conference championship on Tuesday, Stutzer celebrated her birthday on Wednesday. Her mother made sure the occasion was equipped with the right refreshments.

Cedar Ridge LF Amy Stutzer Discusses Winning a Conference Championship on her Birthday

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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.

Jaydin Poteat’s final plate appearance at Orange High Field was befitting of his entire high school career. He was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning against Northern Durham. Poteat stole second, took third after Joey Berini was also hit by a pitch and scored off an infield single by Dayne Watkins. It was the 63rd run of Poteat’s career and helped the Panthers defeat the Knights 9-4 to improve to 11-10. Orange now has sole possession of 3rd place in the Big 8 with a 9-4 record.

Orange Senior CF Jaydin Poteat Discusses Scoring a Run in his Final Plate Appearance at Orange High

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