Month: May 2018

Sometimes, baseball can become a sudden sport. On Tuesday night, Orange starting pitcher Will White was struck on the right foot by a line drive. He left the game an inning later. On short notice, Kaymin Matsko entered the game. Matsko, a senior, threw 4-and-one-third scoreless innings. Behind Matsko’s arm, Orange rallied from a 4-1 deficit to defeat Northern Durham 9-4 to take over sole possession of third place in the Big 8. It was Matsko’s third win of his varsity career. Even though Matsko is a middle reliever, Tuesday night’s game wasn’t his longest outing. Last month against Wake County HomeSchools, Matsko threw six innings of relief.

Orange Senior Kaymin Matsko Talks Getting a Win on Senior Night

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On a night where four seniors played their final games on the Orange softball field, it was a junior and a sophomore who ensured the Lady Panthers would return to the postseason.

Junior 3rd baseman Olivia Ruff went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run, while sophomore pitcher Jaden Hurdle hit her 3rd homer of the season to push Orange past Northern Durham 14-4 on Tuesday night at Panther Softball Field.

The win ensures Orange will finish at least 4th in the Big 8 Conference, which will put them in the state playoffs, which begin on Tuesday.

After a rocky start where Northern scored four runs in the first inning, Hurdle finished the game throwing four shutout innings to improve to 6-6 in the circle.

The Knights stormed out to a 4-0 lead, but Orange scored 14 consecutive runs to improve to 10-8 overall, 8-5 in the Big 8.

Orange started the comeback with five runs in the 1st, starting with Hurdle singling to centerfield. Hurdle rounded the bases without a hit, taking second on a passed ball, stealing third and scoring on another passed ball. After Hayley Funk and senior Alysann Lloyd each walked, Funk scored off another wild pitch. Freshman Emma Puckett double to right to bring in Lloyd. Ruff’s first hit of the game plated Puckett to tie the game 404. Senior Olivia Latta-Harshaw reached on an infield single that went off the glove of Northern pitcher McKenzie McCullen, scoring Ruff and putting Orange ahead 5-4.

Orange struck for eight runs in the fourth. Hurdle led off the inning with a double to centerfield. After a bunt single by Funk, Lloyd reached on an error to score Hurdle. Alisha Pettiford knocked in Funk off a hard ground ball to the shortstop. Ruff swatted a three-home homer to left field, increasing Orange’s lead to 10-4.

Sophomore Rachel Tilley started another offensive wave with a single to center. Senior Alyssa Heilman walked, leading to Hurdle’s three-run homer.

The Lady Panthers ensured a slaughter rule win with a run in the fifth. Ruff hit a two-out double to right field,  and Tilley singled her in to end the game.

Orange is now tied with Northern Durham for 3rd place in the conference. The two teams will meet again on Thursday night at 6 to conclude the regular season.

The state playoffs begin on Tuesday.

In a battle for 3rd place in the Big 8 on Tuesday night, the Cedar Ridge Women’s soccer team tied Northern Durham 1-1 at Red Wolves Stadium. Cedar Ridge nearly got the game-winner with 5:42 remaining in the 2nd overtime after Emerson Talley’s diagonal pass on a counter found freshman Ivy Garner, who was ruled offside on a borderline call. Junior Grace Davies was in net for the Red Wolves. It was her eighth game of the season. Davies has four shutouts this season for a Cedar Ridge team that has clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the third straight season. After the game, she discussed sharing time in net with senior Taylin Jean, and producing music that you can find on Spotify. 

Cedar Ridge GK Grace Davies Discusses 1-1 Tie with Northern Durham and Making Music

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