Month: March 2022

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore pitcher and left fielder Caden Robinson. On March 18, Robinson hit two home runs against Walter Williams in a 17-1 Panther victory in Hillsborough. Robinson hit an inside-the-park grand slam in the third inning. In the second, she parked a ball over the centerfield wall. Robinson also earned the win in the circle, striking out nine batters over three innings. This season, Robinson is 3-0 in the circle for the Lady Panthers. Through the opening eight games of the season, Robinson is hitting .577 wit 15 hits, 13 RBIs and seven doubles. In Orange’s 14–10 win over Cedar Ridge on March 22, Robinson went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple. Robinson started last season as a freshman as Orange won the Big 8 Conference championship following an undefeated regular season. She went 4-for-4 against Northwood in a 12-0 victory on March 11. Robinson had three doubles against the Chargers. On Tuesday, Orange will resume its season against Eastern Alamance, the 2019 3A State Champions. The Eagles and the Panthers will face off in Hillsborough starting at 6:30.

Every year in the Hilltop Baseball Invitational, Orange has made it a point to play a team that will create a playoff intensity at the end of March.

New Hanover, a program steeped in tradition with four state championships and seven regional titles, filled the role of a powerhouse simply by showing up on Wednesday night.

The surroundings around Orange High Field made things extra special. For starters, inside the visitors’ dugout was Trot Nixon, a New Hanover alum who was the 1995 North Carolina High School Player of the Year. He went on to become a starter for the Boston Red Sox’s 2004 World Series team, playing a key role in the franchise’s first championship in 86 years. Luke Nixon is now the starting shortstop for New Hanover while his father watches from the dugout as an assistant coach.

There were also scouts from North Carolina, N.C. State, Appalachian State and UNC Wilmington in the stands watching several Division I prospects.

It was the perfect time for Orange to put on, in the opinion of Orange coach Jason Knapp, its best performance of the season. It was just one run shy of being a winning performance.

In a game where all the runs came across in the first inning, New Hanover edged Orange 2-1. Wildcats pitcher Bromley Thornton had the game-winning hit and earned the victory on the mound. He allowed only one run off three hits with five strikeouts

“That was our best game of the year,” Knapp said. “We played hard. It was just a good high school baseball game and we just came up short in the end.”

Thornton lined a double off the very top of the fence in straightaway centerfield to score Connor Marren and Luca Kellog, who both reached off walks in the first inning.

Orange didn’t stay down for long. After David Waitt singled to right field, he advanced to second on a wild pitch. Junior Jackson Berini lined a fastball to right field to bring in Waitt. Berini would advance to second on an error by the right fielder, who overran the ball. But the Panthers couldn’t bring in Berini and spent the rest of the game chasing that second run.

Berini would be the last Panther to reach second base.

Orange pitcher Ryan Hench and Thornton squared off in a pitcher’s dual which had to impress the scouts and fans on hand. Hench struck out five over five innings. The Wildcats didn’t have another batter touch third base until the fifth inning, when designated hitter Sean Smith got aboard on a one-out single. After Marren was hit by a pitch and Tucker Mueller was intentionally walked, Hench got Kellog to ground out to Cross Clayton, who threw to Berini to retire courtesy runner Davis Hinshaw.

Thornton and his defense held the Panthers to four baserunners in the final six innings. Orange second baseman Cross Clayton, who had a stellar defensive game, drew a leadoff walk in the third. Kellog, playing first base, turned an unassisted double play by catching a line drive off the bat of Waitt, then tagged out Clayton to kill the Panther threat.

Catcher Davis Horton started the fourth inning with a walk. Connor Nordan appeared to have a chance of reaching after he grounded deep into the left side of the infield. Nixon used his speed to chase down the ball and get a force out of courtesy runner Ty Walker, which stalled Orange’s momentum. In the fifth inning, Nixon made another gorgeous stop when he threw out Codey Snipes at first.

Smith came into the seventh inning and retired Orange in order for the save.

Orange relievers Joey Pounds and Connor Funk threw shutout innings in the sixth and seventh innings to keep the Wildcat lead at 2-1.

“We’re not happy about losing,” Knapp said. “You have to look at the big picture. Our kids played their tails off. This is the type of environment we’ll see in the state playoffs. Tip your hat to all the kids. There were Division I scouts in the stands tonight and the kids knew it. They embraced the moment and that will pay dividends down the road.”

The Hilltop Invitational, held for the first time since 2018, got going a night early on Tuesday. Orange defeated Riverside 12-2 in five innings at Panther Field. It was also Orange’s senior night. Horton, Funk, Snipes, Cesar Lozano, Jared Weaver and Garrett Compton were all honored before the game during a pregame ceremony.

In a matchup that was the antithesis of the sharp fielding Orange would face 24 hours later, the Pirates and the Panthers combined for seven errors on a sloppy night where temperatures sank to the mid-40s by the first pitch.

Riverside, coached by 2014 Orange High graduate Jordan Toney, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a double by catcher Carson Hervey that hopped over the third base bag. Orange evened things up after Waitt hit a leadoff single. Waitt eventually scored off a throwing error by the catcher. Horton drove in Berini after another error by the second baseman.

Designated hitter Connor Nordan went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Funk ended the game in the fifth with a three-run homer over the left field wall, his first career dinger.

Sophomore Josiah Gibbs, in his second start, earned the win. Cameron Guentensberger came on in relief in the third inning and threw two-and-two-thirds perfect innings. Before he threw a pitch, Guentensberger picked off courtesy runner Jericho Parks at 2nd base, then retired the all seven batters he faced.

Orange is scheduled to travel to Wilmington to face Ashely on Friday night at 6.

Photo by Hailstate.com

Montana Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team has set the school him run record twice over the past week. On Wednesday the Bulldogs defeated Middle Tennessee 19-14 at Blue Raider Softball Field in Murfreesboro, TN. It was the highest combined run total for any game in Mississippi State softball history. Montana put the Bulldogs ahead with a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning with two outs. On March 23, Mississippi State defeated Memphis 13-3 in five innings at Tiger Softball Complex. The Bulldogs hit a then-school-record six home runs. Montana entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1. She also played first base.

Mia Davidson: Starting at catcher for Mississippi State softball, Davidson hit her 83rd career home run in the seventh inning against Middle Tennessee. She is now tied for tenth in NCAA history on the career home run list. She also has hit more home runs than any player in Southeastern Conference history, baseball or softball. Davidson scored three times and finished 1-for-3 against the Blue Raiders. Last Saturday, Mississippi State swept a doubleheader from Samford at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 1-for-3 in a 2-1 Bulldogs win in the nightcap. The Bulldogs also won the opener 2-1 over Samford. Davidson also went 1-for-3 in the opener. Last Wednesday against Memphis, Davidson hit two home runs. In the fourth, there was a two-run blast. The following inning, Davidson sent a solo shot over the centerfield wall. Davidson went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and reached safely in all four of her appearances at the plate. Mississippi State is 23-10 overall. They travel to Tennessee this weekend for a three-game series.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team opened the Southern Conference portion of its scheduled with a three-game sweep of Mercer at UNCG Softball Stadium. On Friday, the Spartans defeated the Bears 15-4 in five innings. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1. On Sunday, the Spartans mauled Mercer 19-1 in five innings. Dalehite was inserted as a pinch runner and scored a run. The Spartans swept a midweek doubleheader over Radford and is now 22-10.

Jaden Hurdle: It was sophomore day for the Patrick & Henry Community College last weekend. The Patriots swept a doubleheader from Florence-Darlington Technical Community College. Hurdle won the nightcap as pitcher, improving to 5-2 on the season. Hurdle gave up four hits in six innings of work in the circle. She struck out three and gave up just one run and one walk. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-2. In the opener, Patrick & Henry won 3-0. Hurdle went 0-for-2. On Saturday, the Patriots swept a doubleheader over Fayetteville Tech. The Patriots took the opener 14-2 in five innings. Hurdle had a two-run double and finished 1-for-3. She had three RBIs. In the nightcap, Patrick & Henry won 12-4 in five innings. Hurdle won another game as pitcher to go to 6-2. In five innings, Hurdle had three strikeouts. She gave up four runs (only one earned) on five hits and two walks. She went 1-for-1 at the plate with two walks. Patrick Henry is 20-8 overall, 11-3 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team is now 25-1 and has won 20 in a row. On Monday, the Red Hawks swept the Belmont Abbey junior varsity in a doubleheader. In the opener, CVCC won 4-1. Andrews started at third base and went 0-for-2. The Red Hawks took the second game 8-1. Andrews went 1-for-3. On Friday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader over Southwest Virginia at Kiwanis Park in Hickory, both games by run rule. In the opening 11-0 win in five innings, Andrews went 1-for-2 with a run scored. In the second game, the Red Hawks won 8-0 in five innings. Andrews finished 0-for-2. Last Thursday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader over Spartanburg Methodist in Spartanburg, SC. Andrews went 0-for-3 in CVCC’s 6-4 win in the opener. In the nightcap, the Red Hawks won 10-5. Andrews went 0-for-3 with a run scored.

Kara Tackett: The Wake Tech Community College softball team continued its season last week. On Friday, Gaston Community College defeated the Eagles 9-5. Tackett started in centerfield and went 1-for-3. She came in as pitcher in the fifth inning and threw three innings. She gave up four runs on three hits with two strikeouts. In the second game of the doubleheader, Gaston won 14-5. Tackett started in centerfield while leading off. She finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. On Saturday, Cleveland Community College defeated Wake Tech 12-10. Tackett, starting in centerfield, went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Cleveland completed the doubleheader sweep winning the second game 27-6. Tackett went 0-for-3 with a run scored.

Joey Berini: On Sunday, the East Carolina baseball team lost to Virginia Commonwealth 5-2 at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville. Berini entered the game at shortstop in the ninth inning. On Saturday, Berini started at second base as the Pirates defeated the Rams 7-5. Berini went 0-for-3, but scored two runs. On March 23, East Carolina held off Elon 7-6. Berini was inserted into the game as a reserve shortstop and went 0-for-1. On March 22, the Pirates knocked off UNC Wilmington 3-1 at Brooks Field in Wilmington. Berini came in as a reserve 2nd baseman and went 0-for-1.

Phillip Berger: The Division III William Peace baseball team cruised to a 22-0 win over Mary Baldwin in the opening game of a doubleheader last Friday at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger threw a 3-hit shutout over seven innings with 13 strikeouts with no walks. Berger is 5-3 on the season.

Will Walker: The Pitt Community College baseball team continues to have a solid season. On Wednesday, the Bulldogs defeated the North Carolina Wesleyan junior varsity 12-8. Walker, starting at first base, went 2-fo4-5 with an RBI and a double. Pitt Community College had a three-game sweep over Fayetteville Tech in Greenville. On Sunday, the Bulldogs defeated Fayetteville Tech 16-4. Walker went 0-for-3. On Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated the Trojans 5-2. Walker went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Pitt Community College won the opening game of the doubleheader with an 18-1 win. Walker hit a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Bulldogs ahead 4-1. Last Wednesday, Pro 5 Academy knocked off Pitt 12-3. Walker finished 1-for-4. Pitt Community College is 17-3.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State College Pirates baseball team split four games with Northwest Florida State College last week. On Tuesday, Northwest defeated the Pirates 14-9. Porter, starting at shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a run scored. The following day, the Raiders defeated the Pirates 11-5. Porter finished 1-for-4. On Saturday, Pensacola State swept a doubleheader. In the opening 7-1 win in seven innings, Porter went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. The Pirates earned a shutout in the nightcap 4-0, where Porter went 0-for-3. In 29 games, Porter is hitting .286 with one home run and nine RBIs.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior lacrosse attacker Roman Oguntoyinbo. In 7th grade at Stanback Middle School, Oguntoyinbo was the team manager on the lacrosse team. Now, he’s been the leading scorer for the Cedar Ridge lacrosse team for the past two years. Last week, Oguntoyinbo scored six goals as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 16-6 at Red Wolves Stadium. The following night, the Red Wolves defeated Western Alamance 8-6 in Elon. Oguntoyinbo had a hat trick. On Friday night, the Red Wolves completed a 3-0 week with a 7-5 win over Williams. Oguntoyinbo finished with two goals and an assist. Oguntoyinbo was the leading scorer for Cedar Ridge last season with 58 points, including 26 goals. Beside Oguntoyinbo, Cedar Ridge reached the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs. Now, Oguntoyinbo’s younger brother, Leo, is goalkeeper for Cedar Ridge under first-year head coach Cole Churchill. Oguntoyinbo is a senior co-Captain of the Red Wolves, who are currently ranked #5 in 3A/2A/1A by MaxPreps. Cedar Ridge will return to action against Northwood next Tuesday at Red Wolves Stadium.

The resumption of the Hilltop Baseball Tournament coincided with Senior Night for the Orange baseball team on Tuesday. The Panthers defeated Riverside 12-2 in five innings at Orange High Field. Seniors Davis Horton, Connor Funk, Cesar Lozano, Codey Snipes Jared Weaver, and Garrett Compton were all honored before the game. Fittingly, Funk hit the first home run of his career in the last at-bat of the game, a 3-run blast to left field, to ensure the Panthers’ first run rule win of the season. Horton, the 2021 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year, has been Orange’s most reliable catcher since Brad Debo, who graduated in 2016. Against Riverside, Horton hit 1-for-3 with a double to left field. Lozano has become Orange’s everyday third baseman and scored a run in the third inning against the Pirates. Snipes has taken over at first base and laced a double to centerfield in the fourth inning. Weaver, the starting quarterback for the Orange football team last fall, scored a run as Orange’s courtesy runner when Horton reached base against the Pirates. Compton, in his second year on the varsity, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning. Orange will face New Hanover on Wednesday night at 6 PM in the second game of the Hilltop Invitational. You can audio stream the game on Hillsboroughsports.com.

It wasn’t Orange baseball.

Basically, that was the message that Panther coach Jason Knapp conveyed to his team during a locker room meeting following an error-filled trip to Wilson, where the Perquimans Pirates manhandled Orange 13-0 in a run-rule win at historic Fleming Stadium on March 19. On a breezy day where gusts peaked at 25-miles per hour, the Panther infield had no less than two dropped infield pop-ups. Perquimans’ Trenton Sawyer threw a no-hitter and allowed only five Panther baserunners–three on walks and two on errors.

So as Knapp prepared for a two-game set against Walter Williams, where he was head coach for eleven years, it wouldn’t be unfair to say the series would be a litmus test to determine how the rest of the season would go.

Would Orange be a shark in a Central Carolina Conference that lacks a clear frontrunner? Or would they be an also-ran?

Knapp got his answer with three consecutive wins last week, triggered by the torrent hitting of junior Ryan Hench and reliable pitching from a cast of new faces.

Hench went 3-for-3 with two triples in Orange’s 7-2 win over Williams on March 22 in Hillsborough. Hench also earned his first win of the season on the mound, registering eight strikeouts over five innings. He yielded only three hits and two walks.

Of Orange’s seven base hits in the opener, five were for extra-bases. in the first inning, Jackson Berini poked a fastball to right field. After catcher Davis Horton was hit by a pitch and Davis Waitt walked, Hench last an 0-1 fastball to the right field power alley, the deepest part of Panther field. Berini, Neo Best (running for Horton as a courtesy runner) and Waitt all scored as Hench stood up for a triple. Designated hitter Connor Nordan knocked Hench in with a groundout to second base.

After Hench connected to the deepest part of Panther Field in the first, he reached the most shallow part in the 3rd. With two out, Hench parked a fastball over the left field wall, a porch that is a constant source of frustration for right-handed pitchers. Orange led 5-0.

After Cross Clayton drew a one-out walk in the fifth inning, Cameron Guentensberger reached on an infield single. Senior Connor Funk found the right field power alley again to bring in Clayton. Guentensberger scored off a sacrifice fly by Berini.

Joey Pounds threw an inning of scoreless relief for Orange in the sixth. Funk finished the game with mop-up duty in the seventh.

The following night going into a non-conference game against Southwestern Randolph, Orange may have stumbled into a potential new starting pitcher by accident. Sophomore Josiah Gibbs was supposed to start the junior varsity contest against the Cougars, but the game was canceled due to a lack of umpires. So Knapp opted to have him make his varsity debut instead.

It went beyond Knapp’s expectations.

Gibbs threw five shutout innings, winning his varsity debut while allowing only five hits. Hench had another big night, connecting on a two-run triple to right field in the 2nd inning and slamming a solo homer to lead off the fourth as Orange cruised 9-2.

“As I was going through the pitching rotation, Josiah was already going to come with us for the Hilltop,” Knapp said. “So I thought we’d run him up there tonight. Maybe he could give us two or three (innings). Instead, he gave us five strong.”

Nordan went 2-for-4 against the Cougars with a two-run double in the first inning.

On Friday, Knapp returned to Burlington and completed the two-game sweep against the Bulldogs with a 7-5 win. Orange built a 6-0 lead. They scored five runs in the third inning, all with two out. Berini opened with an infield single, then stole second. After Hench was walked, Horton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Funk drove a 2-2 fastball to right field to bring in Berini and Hench. Nordan tagged a fastball to centerfield to score Neo Best (running for Horton). Senior third baseman Cesar Lozano got aboard on an infield single to plate Funk, while Nordan scored off an error by the Williams’ first baseman.

Orange added another run in the fourth inning when Guentensberer drew a leadoff walk. Guentensberger stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by David Waitt.

The Bulldogs fought back to make it a 7-5 game with two runs in the seventh inning. The Bulldogs had the tying run at second base, but reliever Connor Funk forced Angel Mora into a groundout to Lozano at third base. Cross Clayton earned his second career win on the mound.

Going into spring break, Orange is tied with Eastern Alamance for first place in the Central Carolina Conference with a 3-1 record. The Panthers are 6-4 overall.

Orange will start play in the Hilltop Invitational on Tuesday night (March 29) against Riverside, coached by former Orange pitcher Jordan Toney. Game time will be 7:30. This game will be Orange’s senior night. Festivities will start at 7:15.