Berini steals home in 7th inning to push Orange past Western Alamance 1-0
ELON—By the seventh inning, Orange was essentially beating its head against the wall without anyone telling them to stop.
In a typically tense conference opener which led to short tempers on and off the field, the Panthers were mired in a scoreless deadlock with Western Alamance. Despite a measly two hits through six innings, Orange had every conceivable chance to break the draw, but failed every time.
Finally, they pulled it off in the most inconceivable way.
Junior shortstop Jackson Berini, who reached on a one-out single to left field, stole home with two out in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning for the game’s only run. On a 1-2 pitch, cleanup batter David Waitt took ball two outside, just a whisker to the right of the plate. Western Alamance catcher Landon Rose, who thought the pitch was good enough to get the Warriors out of inning, methodically threw the ball back to pitcher Shepard Goodwin. As Goodwin took the ball, he briefly turned his back. That’s when Berini bolted down the line from third, running like he had $10,000 in his hands.
Goodwin, momentarily caught off guard, threw to Rose at the plate, but he never secured the ball. Berini slid in safely as the ball rolled free to send an Orange dugout, which has been loud all night, into a frenzy as the struggle finally ended.
“It was Jackson’s decision all the way,” Orange coach Jason Knapp said. “I gave him the green light. He made a great read. With every pitch they threw to David, he was stretching it and stretching it. Big time players make big time plays.”
Orange’s Cross Clayton, who replaced starter Ryan Hench in the sixth inning, threw two shutout innings for his first career win. Clayton made a crucial play in the seventh when leadoff batter Tyler Atkins grounded a ball to first. As the ball rebounded off the first baseman, a sprawling Conner Funk, who had just moved to second from left field to replace Clayton at 2nd base, dove for the ball and flipped to Clayton to beat Atkins to the bag. Clayton struck out the final two Warriors, then pantomimed sticking a sword back in his sheath following a victorious dual as the Panther spilled out of the third base dugout.
Though it was Orange’s Central Carolina Conference opener, there was a late season intensity in the air. The Warriors (3-3, 2-1 in the CCC) opened conference play with a two-game sweep of Person last week. Orange, which was exempt from the first week of CCC action, came into Elon after a dour 8-2 loss to Corinth-Holders in Wendell.
It was a game that had all the trappings of a pitcher’s dual. Orange’s Hench and Western Alamance’s Owen Bynum (the son of former Orange softball player Brandy Gourley Bynum) didn’t disappoint. Hench, Bynum and Orange’s Connor Funk have played on the same travel league team in Burlington and even traveled to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY together.
Hench threw five shutout innings, allowing just three hits on seven strikeouts and two walks. The Warriors never got a runner to third base.
Bynum tossed three shutout innings and conceded just one hit. He struck out two, but was replaced by Goodwin in the fourth.
Orange’s timely hitting follies started in the second. After Waitt drew a leadoff walk, Hench bunted him to second base. Designated hitter Connor Nordan singled to right field, but the Panthers grounded into a double play when Western’s Alex Nebrig threw to Eric Wagoner, who tossed to Aiden McCandless to end the first serious threat.
In the third, Orange loaded the bases with one out. Clayton led off with a walk. After Cameron Guentensberger laid a bunt down, Connor Funk reached on an error. Berini walked to juice the bases, but Bynum got a strikeout. Then Bynum made a spectacular play in covering first after Nebrig came up with a grounder. Nebrig tossed it to Bynum, who beat Waitt to the bag to provide another perfect escape.
Hench and Nordan each walked to start the fourth. Hench advanced to third after wild pitches with no one out. Goodwin replaced Gourley and struck out three straight Panthers to keep it scoreless.
In the sixth, Hench lined a one-out double to left field. He reached third with one out after a wild pitch. Orange loaded the bases after Joey Pounds walked and pinch-hitter Cesar Lozano was hit by a pitch. With two out, Goodwin forced a groundout to Nebrig to deny yet another Orange opportunity.
“That’s baseball,” Knapp said. “We preach to the guys competing in the offseason, competing against each other, competing in practice. When we’re out here in a game, it’s just second nature to compete. Yeah, we need to do a better job of timely hitting. But the guys never gave up.”
While pitching depth was a disappointment for Orange in non conference losses to Middle Creek and Corinth Holders, Hench and Clayton were solid in the late innings. The Warriors went hitless in the final four innings. After the third inning, just one Warrior touched second base.
The Warriors travel to Orange to complete the two-game series on Friday.
Berini steals home for game-winning run to lead Orange past Western Alamance 1-0
ELON—By the seventh inning, Orange was essentially beating its head against the wall without anyone telling them to stop.
In a typically tense conference opener which led to short tempers on and off the field, the Panthers were mired in a scoreless deadlock with Western Alamance. Despite a measly two hits through six innings, Orange had every conceivable chance to break the draw, but failed every time.
Finally, they pulled it off in the most inconceivable way.
Junior shortstop Jackson Berini, who reached on a one-out single to left field, stole home with two out in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning for the game’s only run. On a 1-2 pitch, cleanup batter David Waitt took ball two outside, just a whisker to the right of the plate. Western Alamance catcher Landon Rose, who thought the pitch was good enough to get the Warriors out of inning, methodically threw the ball back to pitcher Shepard Goodwin. As Goodwin took the ball, he briefly turned his back. That’s when Berini bolted down the line from third, running like he had $10,000 in his hands.
Goodwin, momentarily caught off guard, threw to Rose at the plate, but he never secured the ball. Berini slid in safely as the ball rolled free to send an Orange dugout, which has been loud all night, into a frenzy as the struggle finally ended.
“It was Jackson’s decision all the way,” Orange coach Jason Knapp said. “I gave him the green light. He made a great read. With every pitch they threw to David, he was stretching it and stretching it. Big time players make big time plays.”
Orange’s Cross Clayton, who replaced starter Ryan Hench in the fifth inning, threw two shutout innings for his first career win. Clayton made a crucial play in the seventh when leadoff batter Tyler Atkins grounded a ball to first. As the ball rebounded off the first baseman, a sprawling Conner Funk, who had just moved to second from left field to replace Clayton at 2nd base, dove for the ball and flipped to Clayton to beat Atkins to the bag. Clayton struck out the final two Warriors, then pantomimed sticking a sword back in his sheath following a victorious dual as the Panther spilled out of the third base dugout.
Though it was Orange’s Central Carolina Conference opener, there was a late season intensity in the air. The Warriors (3-3, 2-1 in the CCC) opened conference play with a two-game sweep of Person last week. Orange, which was exempt from the first week of CCC action, came into Elon after a dour 8-2 loss to Corinth-Holders in Wendell.
It was a game that had all the trappings of a pitcher’s dual. Orange’s Hench and Western Alamance’s Owen Bynum (the son of former Orange softball player Brandy Gourley Bynum) didn’t disappoint. Hench, Bynum and Orange’s Connor Funk have played on the same travel league team in Burlington and even traveled to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY together.
Hench threw five shutout innings, allowing just three hits on seven strikeouts and two walks. The Warriors never got a runner to third base.
Bynum tossed three shutout innings and conceded just one hit. He struck out two, but was replaced by Goodwin in the fourth.
Orange’s timely hitting follies started in the second. After Waitt drew a leadoff walk, Hench bunted him to second base. Designated hitter Connor Nordan singled to right field, but the Panthers grounded into a double play when Western’s Alex Nebrig threw to Eric Wagoner, who tossed to Aiden McCandless to end the first serious threat.
In the third, Orange loaded the bases with one out. Clayton led off with a walk. After Cameron Guentensberger laid a bunt down, Connor Funk reached on an error. Berini walked to juice the bases, but Bynum got a strikeout. Then Bynum made a spectacular play in covering first after Nebrig came up with a grounder. Nebrig tossed it to Bynum, who beat Waitt to the bag to provide another perfect escape.
Hench and Nordan each walked to start the fourth. Hench advanced to third after wild pitches with no one out. Goodwin replaced Gourley and struck out three straight Panthers to keep it scoreless.
In the sixth, Hench lined a one-out double to left field. He reached third with one out after a wild pitch. Orange loaded the bases after Joey Pounds walked and pinch-hitter Cesar Lozano was hit by a pitch. With two out, Goodwin forced a groundout to Nebrig to deny yet another Orange opportunity.
“That’s baseball,” Knapp said. “We preach to the guys competing in the offseason, competing against each other, competing in practice. When we’re out here in a game, it’s just second nature to compete. Yeah, we need to do a better job of timely hitting. But the guys never gave up.”
While pitching depth was a disappointment for Orange in non conference losses to Middle Creek and Corinth Holders, Hench and Clayton were solid in the late innings. The Warriors went hitless in the final four innings. After the third inning, just one Warrior touched second base.
The Warriors travel to Orange to complete the two-game series on Friday.
Odds and Sods: Cedar Ridge tennis completes season sweep of Orange; women’s soccer scores
Cedar Ridge 9, Orange 0: With a critical road trip on tap for later today against Williams, the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team has completed its first fourth straight dual win over its crosstown rival.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers 7-2 at Panther Tennis Courts. Junior Josh Mayhew maintained his undefeated record for the season with a victory at #1 singles 6-1, 6-0. The Red Wolves swept all five singles matches. At #2, Eli Rachlin prevailed 6-2, 6-0 to improve to 5-1 on the season. Lev Bearman won at #3 singles 6-3, 6-1. Bearman is now 5-1 in 2022, as well.
In the only three-set match of the day, Walker Richards-Baker of Cedar Ridge and Orange’s Nathan Pavalonis battled into the third set. Pavalonis took the opening set 6-2. Richards-Baker fought back to win the second set 6-3. In the 10-point tiebreaker to determine the match, Richards-Baker won 10-8.
Holden Rachlin won at #5 singles 6-4, 6-2. At #6 singles, junior Seth Upchurch prevailed 6-2, 6-1.
Orange won two of the three doubles matches. At #1 doubles, Justin Conover and freshman Porter Pelphrey captured the first Panther match of the day 8-4. At #3 doubles, Orange’s Tristan Plummer and freshman Cameron Foster won 8-5. Cedar Ridge’s Richards-Baker and Bearman won the #2 doubles match 8-3.
Cedar Ridge 9, Western Alamance 0: On Monday, the Red Wolves remained undefeated in Central Carolina Conference play after beating Western Alamance at Red Wolves Tennis Courts.
Mayhew won at #1 singles 6-0, 6-0 to start the sweep. Eli Rachlin, Richards-Baker, Bearman, Holden Rachlin and Upchurch also collected singles wins.
In doubles, Mayhew teamed with Upchurch for a victory at #1. Holden and Eli Rachlin teamed to win at #2. Richards-Baker and Bearman earned the duke at #3. Cedar Ridge is 5-2 overall, 5-0 in the CCC.
Women’s Soccer: Cedar Ridge 5, South Granville 0:
The Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team rolled past South Granville in its season opener in Creedmoor on March 2. In her first varsity game, freshman Fleury Nicholson scored two goals. Another freshman, Sophia Feken, scored her first high school goal, as well. Junior Lillian Dyslin and sophomore Susanna DeMarchi also added goals as the Red Wolves won over the Vikings. Ianna Pfeifer collected an assist. Sophomore Addie Reid, a member of Cedar Ridge 3A State Championship volleyball team, earned the clean sheet in net.
Cedar Ridge 9, Clover Garden School 0: Nicholson and Pfeifer each collected hat tricks as the Red Wolves defeated the Grizzlies in its home opener on March 4. Nicholson had five goals only two games into the season.
DeMarchi added two goals and assisted on three others to come away with seven points on the night. Nicholson also assisted on a goal by Pfeifer. Freshman Celine Galla scored her first varsity goal. Junior midfielder Lillian Dyslin added three assists. Another freshman, Anna Peterson, notched an assist.
Goalkeeper Addie Reid played 52 minutes to pick up the win in net.
Orange 3, Western Alamance 1: The Orange women’s soccer team won its first game in the Central Carolina Conference game at Davis Morton Field. Two freshmen scored for the Lady Panthers. Elliana Sullivan-Gaddy scored her first varsity goal. Cora Bailey, another freshman, added insurance. Junior Sydney Rogers tallied another goal for Orange. Junior Abby Monteith earned the win in net by making ten saves.
Orange 3, Northwood 2: In the first game inside Northwood’s new soccer stadium, the Lady Panthers scored late to pull out the conference win. Sydney Rogers notches two goals for Orange in earning the win. Senior Bella Brown, who was Orange’s leading scorer last season, added another goal. Monteith made five saves for her second win of the season.
Orange football coach Van Smith announces retirement
For someone who coached the hardest nosed defenses in school history, Orange football coach Van Smith is quick with a light-hearted line.
Even while officially closing a chapter of his life that spanned nearly 14 years, Smith still cracks wise.
“Me and Mike Krzyzewski realized it was just our time and we’re going out together,” Smith, an ardent UNC fan, joked last week.
After five seasons as head coach, Smith informed his team that he would step down as head coach earlier this month. In June, he will officially retire as a teacher at Orange, where he presides over U.S. History courses.
When Orange’s season ended last October in a loss to Eastern Alamance, Smith didn’t know his career was over. It wasn’t a serious consideration until about six weeks ago.
“30 years is enough for anybody,” Smith said. “I’ve been going back and forth about it. It wasn’t until late January when I found out if I had enough time to retire. I talked with my family a lot and I couldn’t really decide what to do. I met with someone to determine where I was with my retirement. He gave me some options and I asked ‘If I decide to retire this year, when would I need to make up my mind?’ He said March.”
On the morning of March 1, after laboring over it with his wife Kathy and daughters Reagan and Kennedy, Smith told Orange Principal Jason Johnson and Athletic Director Mike McCauley of his decision so they would have time to find a replacement before spring practice started. He informed his assistants and the rest of the team later that day.
“I still love what I do,” Smith said. “I was pleasantly surprised that I could retire now instead of waiting a year or two. I was confronted with reality. So it happened in a whirlwind.”
After graduating from Elon University, Smith spent 16 years as an assistant coach at Graham High under head coach Pat Moser, starting in 1993. After a regional championship in 1999, the Red Devils won the 1-A State Championship over Northside in 2000 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Moser retired after the 2004 season amid health concerns and spent time as a radio analyst.
In 2009, Moser, after losing substantial weight, returned to coaching at Orange, where he replaced Dickie Schock. Moser, Smith and McCauley would lead a resurrection of the Orange football program, which had only one winning season between 1993-2009.
Smith was the defensive coordinator of the Panthers for seven seasons under Moser. In that time, the Panthers won two consecutive Big 8 Conference championships, had five straight 10-win seasons. The Panthers hosted a state playoff game inside Auman Stadium for six consecutive seasons. From 2012-2017, Orange won 21 straight nonconference regular season games. In 2013, they defeated Northern Durham for the first time since 1968.
Moser’s final team at Orange was his best one, possibly better than his state title team in Graham. The Panthers went 11-0 for its first undefeated regular season since 1978. After losing to archival Southern Durham in five straight games (twice in the playoffs in 2014 & 2015), the Panthers throttled the Spartans 49-7 inside Spartan Stadium en route to the conference title. Smith’s defense was led by linebacker Payton Wilson (now at N.C. State), defensive end Stone Edwards (who played one season at Vanderbilt), linebacker Keyshawn Thompson (who led Campbell in tackles last season) and safety Rodney Brooks (who went on to Livingstone). Orange’s defense gave up only three touchdowns in eleven regular season games.
“If I had a gun to my head, I’d say that was the best defense I ever coached,” Smith said. “We had some great ones at Graham High School, but that Orange defense gave up 3.3 points per game. That was a fun group to work with.”
Moser retired after the 2016 season, which ended with a loss to Havelock in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs. Smith replaced him as head coach and won the Big 8 Championship in 2017. The Panthers defeated Hillside 31-20 on October 15, 2017 to end the Hornets’ 48-game conference winning streak. Late in that game, Orange running back Marvante Beasley suffered a hit that ended his career, leading to a touching and memorable scene of Hillside and Orange players kneeling in prayer together as Beasley was loaded onto an ambulance.
The following week in a victory at Cedar Ridge, Wilson tore his ACL on the opening kickoff, ending his season. The Panthers finished the season with a win over Chapel Hill to complete the conference championship, but the talent level was never as high again under Smith.
In the weeks since he announced his retirement, Smith hasn’t reflected on the championships over 30 years, though they’re memorable. It’s the relationships that come first in his mind.
“It’s funny how, at the end of the line, it seems to be true that the most important thing is the relationships you build along the way,” Smith said. “I haven’t really thought a lot about big games or big wins. I think about the great players we’ve had and the great coaches we’ve had. Even coaches we’ve gone against.”
In 2019, Smith was an assistant on the East/West All-Star Game, which included Orange linebacker Colin Guentensberger, now a walk-on at Appalachian State. Smith was recommended as an assistant by Wilmington Hoggard head coach Craig Underwood.
After this academic year ends, Smith will have more time for his daughter’s dance recitals. He recently traveled to Rockingham for one. He’ll also forever be a football fan. He’s awaiting the start of the revamped United States Football League for something to watch this spring, though he’ll probably find time to check out his former linebacker, Bryse Wilson, pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates now that Major League Baseball will have a standard 162-game season.
Could Smith return to coaching? It would only seem natural. After all, Moser, the man who Smith worked alongside for 14 years, retired and returned
In fact, not even Smith’s wife is sure he’ll stay retired.
“I’m certainly not going to rule it out,” Smith said. “I mentioned it to my wife, who gave me a heavy eye roll. Though, as of right now, that’s not in the plans.”
Now, Smith will look to join the Lawn Chair Club, a group of former Orange coaches and players who watches games underneath a bank of lights along the visitor’s end of the stadium at Auman Stadium. Naturally, Moser leads the group.
Next season, he’ll have familiar company.