Month: February 2023

There are high expectations for the Orange softball team this season. The Panthers return the top three pitchers in its rotation from last year, including senior Ryan Hench and junior Cross Clayton. On Monday night, the Panthers started the season strong with a 13-1 win over East Chapel Hill in five innings at Panther Field. 1st baseman Connor Nordan went 3-for-3 with five RBIs, including a two-run single to drive in the first two runs of the season in the first inning. Later, Nordan had a double to right field that brought in Jackson Berini and Hench. Clayton earned the ninth win of his career, scattering only two hits in four innings. He struck out seven as the Panthers won its season-opener for the third straight year. Last season, Nordan was one of the most reliable hitters for the Panthers. He hit .400 with a team-high 32 hits. He also had 25 RBIs, one behind Ryan Hench’s total of 26 for the team lead. Clayton emerged as the Panthers strong second starter last season as a sophomore. Last year, Clayton went 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA. He led the team in wins. Orange will continue its season on Wednesday night when they face Northern Durham at Knights Field at 6PM. You can hear that game on Hillsboroughsports.com.

Orange’s Cross Clayton & Connor Nordan discuss baseball win over East Chapel Hill

There are high expectations for the Orange softball team this season. The Panthers return the top three pitchers in its rotation from last year, including senior Ryan Hench and junior Cross Clayton. On Monday night, the Panthers started the season strong with a 13-1 win over East Chapel Hill in five innings at Panther Field.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team captured the Region X Championship on Sunday. The Flyers defeated Oxford College of Emory University 98-84 at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford. McMullin scored 15 points in 20 minutes off 7-of-13 shooting from the field. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. It’s the second straight year that the Flyers have won the Region X title. Sandhills will face Butler Community College of Pennsylvania for the Mid-Atlantic District Championship on Saturday.

Braden Homsey: Homsey became the all-time wins leader in the history of Ferrum College wrestling last weekend during the Southeast Regionals in York, PA. Homsey finished 2nd in the 197-pound tournament, qualifying him for a spot in the NCAA Division III National Championships. In the championship match, Camden Farrow of York defeated Homsey 9-4. Homsey reached the final after beating Cameron Butka of Wilkes 7-5. In the opening round, Homsey scored a tech fall victory over Jaden Markus 16-0. Homsey followed with an 11-5 decision over Brendon Loder of Gettysburg. In the quarterfinals, Homsey scored a major decision over Gable Crebs of Lycoming 10-2.

Jamar Davis: Competing for N.C. State, Davis finished 3rd in the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in Louisville, KY on February 25.  Davis’ best leap was 7.56 meters. Jeremiah Davis of Florida State won the championship at 8.02 meters. Davis also finished 7th in the triple jump. His best leap was at 15.14 meters. Jeremiah Davis of Florida State won the title at 16.36 meters.

Mary Moss Wirt: Wirt has opened the season playing regularly for the Elon softball team. On February 10, Wirt faced her former Cedar Ridge counterpart, Takia Nichols, when Elon faced North Carolina Central during the Elon Softball Classic at Hunt Softball Park. Elon edged the Eagles 8-7. Wirt played at catcher and went 0-for-2. On February 25, Wirt went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as the Phoenix defeated Northern Illinois 8-7 in eight innings at Liberty University Softball Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Wirt drove in the game-tying run in the seventh inning when she singled in Payton Swart. Elon rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat the Huskies. In the sixth inning, Wirt singled in Mauri Murray to trip the Huskies’ deficit to 7-3. Elon is 5-10 and will host East Carolina on Wednesday.

Takia Nichols: Nichols, the all-time home run leader in Cedar Ridge softball history, hit her first college home run for North Carolina Central on February 25. Nichols launched a solo blast in the seventh inning against Long Island University. Nichols has started five games for the Eagles. She started at first base for Central on Sunday in a 5-4 loss to Harvard at Winthrop Softball Field in Rock Hill, S.C. on Sunday.

Tori Dalehite: Starting her junior season at UNC Greensboro, Dalehite has appeared in six games this season for the Spartans, mainly as a pinch-runner. She scored a run against Morehead State on February 19. UNCG is 9-7 on the season.

Lauren Jackson: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne softball team defeated Lock Haven in the final game of the Bear Bash event in Hickory on Sunday. Jackson, the designate player, went 2-for-3 with an RBI double for the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne won all three games in the tournament. Lenior-Rhyne is 15-1. They swept a doubleheader from Belmont-Abbey on February 22. In the nightcap, Jackson went 2-for-2 with a run scored as the Bears won 10-0 in five innings. In the opener, Jackson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in a 10-2 win for the Bears. Through 13 games, Jackson is fourth on the team with a .441 batting average. She has ten RBIs, which is also fourth on the team.

Jaden Hurdle: The Division II Catawba College softball team is 10-6 on the season. Hurdle appeared in a game against Barton College on February 11. It is Hurdle’s first season with the Indians after two years with Patrick & Henry Community College.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team has won eleven in a row. The Red Hawks won four games during the Fast Pitch Dreams round-robin event at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex last weekend. Andrews, who is starting at catcher this year, went 0-for-2 with two runs scored in a 12-3 win over Howard Community College on February 25. She walked twice. Against USC Sumter, Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. This season, Andrews is hitting .174 with eight RBIs.

Baseball season openers aren’t easy.

The weather is usually cold so it doesn’t feel like baseball weather, even during a winter as tame as the current one. The crowd is usually silent because they’re more focused on staying warm. Some of the players are transitioning after basketball or wrestling season ended and have barely had time to practice.

On Monday night, it was cold, gray and overcast, not exactly the trappings of an intense atmosphere, but Connor Nordan was more than willing to fill the gap to start a season of high expectations for Orange baseball.

Nordan went 3-for-3 with five RBIs while junior pitcher Cross Clayton struck out seven over four innings as Orange cruised past East Chapel Hill 13-1 in five innings on Monday night at Orange High Field. Right fielder Cameron Guentensberger added a two-run double as the Panthers improved to 4-1 in season openers under head coach Jason Knapp.

After he surrendered his only run of the game, Clayton set down the final nine consecutive Wildcats he faced, striking out six. Clayton went 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA in his first varsity season in 2022.

Knapp elected to start Clayton ahead of Ryan Hench, a senior who started the previous two Opening Days for the Panthers. Part of it was Knapp wanted to save Hench for Wednesday’s game at Northern Durham.

“Connor has probably turned into our biggest vocal leader,” Knapp said of Nordan. “He’s really stepped up in that leadership capacity this year. We’re proud of him and he sets the tone of the whole club.”

Orange scored in all four of its at-bats. Jackson Berini, who recently committed to Gaston College, scored three runs. The Panthers opened with four runs in the first inning that started with an infield single by Berini. After Hench, who played third base, reached on a single to third, Nordan sent a bouncer that hugged the third base line to bring in Berini and Hench. Guentensberger got onboard off an error. With two out, Wyatt Hedrick loaded the bases after he got hit by a pitch. Ryan Horton, in his first start as a catcher, sent a grounder to centerfield to increase the Orange lead to 4-0.

East Chapel Hill’s Luke Ligon doubled off the left field wall to open the second inning. Ben Johnson, running for Ligon, scored the Wildcats’ only run off a groundout by Andrew Briley.

David Waitt got the run back for Orange in the second inning when he singled to centerfield. Wiatt scored off a line drive to right field by Nordan, who let out a yell after he advanced to second base on the throw.

Senior Joey Pounds, who recently committed to Barton College, opened the third inning by scoring off a wild pitch. Berini, who was hit by a pitch, later scored off a bases-loaded walk by Guentensberger.

In the fourth, Orange scored six runs. After Hedrick hit a leadoff single and Horton walked, Pounds dropped a gorgeous bunt down the third base line to lead the bases. Berini drove in a run off a bases-loaded walk. Hench was hit by a pitch to bring in Horton. Nordan ended a big night with a line drive that went over the right fielder’s head to bring in two more runs. Guentensberger knocked a first-pitch fastball to the right centerfield power ally, the deepest part of Orange’s ballpark, to score Hench and Nordan.

It’s the first of six non-conference games to open the season for Orange. The Panthers will travel to Northern Durham on Wednesday and are scheduled to host Northern Guilford on Friday.

Next week, the Panthers will host Jordan on March 6, followed by a trip to Greensboro to face Grimsley at First National Bank Field, the home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, on March 8. Orange will host Southern Alamance on March 10 before its conference opener against Western Alamance in Hillsborough.

Photo by Maria Finnegan 

Following its first playoff appearance in four years, Cedar Ridge baseball coach Bryson Massey knew there would be some rebuilding within his program when 2022 ended.

He didn’t know the extent would be deeper than he first thought.

Aidan McAllister (now playing at Hofstra University), Garrett Ray, Nick Nolan, Bryan Flores, Cristian Maces, Braedyn Jacobson, and Carlo Garay all graduated last June. Catcher Efrain Morales, who had just finished a sophomore season where he was named All-Conference, transferred to the P27 Baseball Academy in South Carolina during the summer.

That took away the Red Wolves’ leading batter from last season. Morales hit .417 last season and led the team in home runs.

Massey is focused on who is remaining for the Red Wolves and their start to the 2023 season was a successful one.

Junior Nick Atkin went 4-for-4 with a walk while Quinn Finnegan earned the win on opening day as Cedar Ridge rolled past Knightdale 19-8 on Monday afternoon in Wake County. In his first game, freshman Issac Anderson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as the Red Wolves jolted the Knights for 12 hits.

Landon Dalehite, a sophomore, hit leadoff and reached base five times, including four walks in his varsity debut.

It’s the third year in a row that Cedar Ridge has won its season opener.

“The strength of our team is on the bump,” Massey said, referring to Finnegan. “We have Quinn back. We have B.J. Thornton back. We have Mason Cates back. We have three horses back and I believe in all three of them. They’ve put their work in. They’ve brought in this offseason and they’re leaders.”

Finnegan, who started the state playoff game against Orange last year, earned the victory after he threw two innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out four.

Joe Garbee and Armando Sanchez each threw two innings in relief. Mason Cates tossed a perfect seventh to complete the win, striking out two.

Cedar Ridge struck for two runs in the first inning. Cates, who drew a one-out walk in the first inning, also scored the opening run off an error off a ball hit by Finnegan. Caden Thompson, a freshman who was a member of Stanback Middle School’s Orange Person Athletic Conference championship team last spring, scored as a courtesy runner for Finnegan after Atkin lined a single to centerfield.

After Knightdale got an unearned run in the first, Cedar Ridge struck for two more in the second. With two out, Issac Anderson was hit by a pitch, while Dalehite reached on an infield single. Anderson scored on a passed ball. Mason Cates sent a grounder to left field to bring in Dalehite and increase the Red Wolves lead to 4-1.

Atkin grounded a single up the middle to start a third inning where the Red Wolves added three more runs. Atkin scored off a sacrifice fly by David Shoof to right field. Anderson knocked in Grant McGuffey with another single. Anderson added another run when he stole second base, stole third and came in to score off a throwing error.

Shoof, who was behind the plate, replaced Morales in the starting lineup.

“He’s put some work in this offseason,” Massey said. “He knew that was going to be a spot that was open. I challenged him this summer to put the work in. He’s taken that role. He’s matured a lot and he’s a different guy this year. He was a freshman last year and he’s got a higher maturity level now.”

Cedar Ridge is scheduled to have back-to-back home games on Friday and Saturday. On Friday night, the Red Wolves will host Chapel Hill. On Saturday, they will play A.L. Brown at 1PM.

There was hope for a storybook finish in the final wrestling matches in the careers of Cedar Ridge’s Fernando Martinez and Orange’s Acoya Isley.

Each of them accomplished something in their own right when they reached their respective finals of the 3A State Wrestling championships at the Greensboro Coliseum last week. Martinez, who won the 113-pound Mideast Regional Championship in 2022, became the first wrestler for Cedar Ridge to ever reach a final in a 3A event.

Isley, at 195-pounds, is the first Orange wrestler to reach a state final since 2019. It’s only his second full year as a varsity starter.

Unfortunately, Martinez and Isley ran into quicker, stronger foes that denied them their dream finishes.

In the 113-pound final, Jacob Kresicki of First Flight defeated Martinez 8-3. Martinez was going for his second win against a regional champion in as many days. In the semifinals, Martinez defeated Israel Guerra of South Johnston, who won the Mideast Regional championship on February 11 at Cedar Ridge.

Dylan Smith of Fred T. Foard defeated Isley 10-4 in the 195-pounds championship. Smith, a senior, finished an undefeated season at 49-0.

Kresicki, a senior won finished 38-3, scored the opening takedown against Martinez just 24 seconds into the match with a single-leg. Martinez got an escape later in the period. Kresicki tossed Martinez off a collar-and-elbow tie-up to take a 4-1 lead at the end of the first period.

It remained 4-1 after two frames. Martinez had an escape point conceded by Kresicki to start the third period to make it 4-2. Kresicki shot in for a takedown, and after Martinez went for the back, Kresicki gets out and got the takedown with 1:31 remaining. Kresicki added another double-leg takedown late in the match.

Martinez ends his career as the most decorated 3A wrestler ever for Cedar Ridge. He finished with 143 career wins, 3rd in school history. The only wrestlers ahead of Martinez on the all-time wins list, Chandler Collins and Josh Collins, competed when Cedar Ridge was a 2A school. Martinez also became just the fourth Cedar Ridge wrestler to reach a state final.

Martinez was limited to 24 matches in his sophomore year because of COVID-19 restrictions. If he had a full season in 2021, he may have broken the all-time school record for career wins held by Collins, who had 166 from 2003-2007.

In the 195-pound title match, Smith double-legged Isley at the top of the circle just 25 seconds in. After a restart, Isley escaped to make it 2-1. Smith did most of his work in the second period as he started from the bottom. Isley tried to take him down but Smith escaped and got the reversal with three near fall points. Isley got a reversal. but Smith escaped to go ahead 8-3. Smith was fresher down the stretch as he prevented Isley from getting a takedown.

Smith is a member of the Fred T. Foard team that has won the Dual Team State Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Isley, known as “‘Bama,” ends the year 34-3. Last season, Isley qualified for the state championships at 195 pounds but didn’t place. He finishes his career with an overall record of 57-11 and helped Orange to back-to-back Central Carolina Conference championships.

Orange junior Jared Hutchins completed a successful season with a 5th place finish at 132-pounds. Hutchins reached the semifinals before he lost to Jackson Baglio of Central Cabarrus in 1:12. In the consolation round, Kevin Orien of West Rowan defeated Hutchins in 4:34. In the fifth place match, Hutchins defeated Barnett Klutzy of Wilson Fike 9-2. Hutchins led 5-2 after he scored the opening takedown with 38 seconds remaining in the first period, followed by two near fall points. Hutchins racked up three more near fall points in the second period. Hutchins ends the season 28-7.

Cedar Ridge’s Kaden Tatro finished sixth at 182-pounds. Tatro had a rematch against Pisgah’s Landon Pope, who he faced off with in the opening round. After Tatro won the first match 4-2, Pope took the battle in the consolation semifinals 5-2. In the fifth place match, Tatro had another rematch against Trevor Schweitzer of First Flight. Schweitzer, who lost to Tatro 6-2 in the quarterfinals, won the final match 2-0 off of two near fall points in the second period.

Tatro ends the season 54-8. He led the team in victories this season and has over 100 for his career.

Another successful season for the Orange men’s swimming team ended at the 3A State Swimming Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.

After the Panthers captured the Central Carolina Conference championship for the second straight year, Orange finished sixth in the team standing during the state championships on February 11. The Panthers also finished 2nd in the Central Regionals on February 3.

Sophomores Luke Roman and Alex Andre had standout performances for the Panthers during the state championships. Roman, Andre, senior Evan Phillips and senior Andrew Weeks teamed together to finish 7th in the state in the 200 yard medley relay. They finished with a time of 1:45.27. Northwest Cabarrus captured the state title at 1:36.75. Earlier in the day, Roman, Andre, Phillips and Weeks qualified for the finals with a 7th-place finish in the preliminaries.

Roman, Andre, Weeks and Phillips finished 2nd in the Central Regionals in the 200 yard medley relay.

In the final event of the day, Roman, Andre, Phillips and senior Nick Baczara finished eighth in the state in the 400 yard freestyle relay. With Phillips swimming the anchor leg, Orange finished at 3:33.40. Roman opened with a 24.85 opening leg. Carrboro, with Cummins starting the race, won the state championship at 3:13.96. Earlier in the day, Orange finished 7th in the preliminaries at 3:26.48.

Andre was the top individual finisher for Orange on the day. He finished third in the 500 yard freestyle. Andre raced in the second of three heats for the 500 and turned in a personal best time of 4:49.31. Andrew Cummins of Carrboro won the state championship at 4:31.06, which earned him All-American consideration. Roman, who finished 2nd in the regionals in the 500 freestyle, finished seventh in the state championships at 4:52.97.

Roman finished fourth in the 200 yard freestyle. Roman, who finished 2nd at regionals in the same event, came in at 1:46.48, nearly shaving a second off his time at regionals. Andrew Cummins of Carrboro won the state championship at 1:38.24, which earned him automatic All-American status.

In his final meet for Orange, senior Evan Phillips finished seventh in the 200 yard individual medley. Phillips finished at 2:03.12. Northwest Cabarrus swimmers had a 1-2 finish. Harrison Ranier won the state title at 1:51.66, while his teammate, Lane Bradshaw, came in 2nd at 1:53.11.

Later in the day, Phillips finished sixth in the 100 yard breaststroke. After coming in fifth earlier in the day in the preliminaries, Philips came in sixth at 1:02.07. Lane Bradshaw of Northwest Cabarrus finished with the state championship at 59.02 seconds.

Cedar Ridge’s Nikhil Agans, a junior finished fifth in the 100 yard freestyle. Agans’ final time was 49.16 seconds. Last month, Agans won the Central Carolina Conference championship in the 100 yard freestyle at the Orange County Sportsplex. Carrboro’s Will Thompson, who won the regionals title, brought home the state championship at 44.94 seconds.

Agans earned his spot in the finals following a swim-off with Ezra Zapler of J.H. Rose. Both Agans and Zapler finished tied for eighth in the preliminaries on Saturday morning. Only eight swimmers are allowed for the championship final. Agans won the two-man race against Zapler at 48.86 seconds. Zapler finished at 50.28 seconds.

Photo courtesy of Ferrum College 

(Editor’s note: We’ll catch up with softball and lacrosse players later this week. This column was already nearly 800 words without softball) 

Braden Homsey: On the verge of setting the Ferrum College record for most career wins, Homsey won the 197-pound championship of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference at Winchester, VA last weekend. Homsey scored a technical fall over Jaden Murk of Southern Virginia University. In the championship match, Homsey defeated Ryan John Sedovy of Washington & Lee University 3-1. Ferrum University will host the Division III National Championships on March 10-11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA.

Conner Crabtree: On his Facebook page, Crabtree announced that he would end his college basketball career after undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger. It’ the fifth time he has undergone surgery. Crabtree had already missed five games for the Richmond Spiders this season because of an ankle injury. Crabtree has played for the Richmond Spiders since January 4. He played in seven games this season and scored five points. After a stint at Hargrave Military Academy, Crabtree started his college career with Tulane under former Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. He averaged 7.1 points per game while appearing in 30 games with 15 starts. He transferred to Richmond in 2020. In his sophomore year, he appeared in four games, averaging 4.8 points per game. He fractured his right foot in late December 2020 and missed the rest of the season. In his junior year, he averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 35 games. Crabtree was the leader for an Orange team that won the 2016 Eastern Guilford Holiday Invitational Tournament, the last time the Panthers won any basketball tournament. He was also the leading scorer for Orange in his senior year when they won the Big 8 Regular Season Championship and reached the state quarterfinals of the 3A State Tournament.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team finished regular season play with a 110-88 win over Gateway Community College in Clifton Forge, VA on Saturday afternoon. McMullin scored 19 points. Sandhills won the Region X Regular Season Championship with a 6-0 league record. The Flyers are 26-3 overall. McMullin went 6-of-13 from the field and added nine rebounds and two assists. Sandhills edged Blue Lights College 100-99 in Pinehurst on February 11. McMullin was honored during Sophomore Day. In a dramatic win, the Flyers reeled off an 11-0 run to win its 12th straight game. McMullin scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds. He shot 7-of-11 from the field.

Joey Berini: Now a junior, Berini started twice for the #11 East Carolina baseball team in its season-opening weekend series over George Washington. In ECU’s 9-5 win over the Colonials in the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Berini went 0-for-2 with a walk. He started at second base. On Sunday, Berini went 2-for-4 with an RBI single as the Pirates swamped the Colonials 20-5.

Will Walker: The Pitt Community College baseball team has opened the season with seven consecutive wins. Pitt opened the year with a 9-0 win over Camp Community College. Walker started at first base and went 0-for-4. Walker went 0-for-2 as the Bulldogs whipped Bryant & Stratton Colley 15-1 in the latter game of a doubleheader at Trant Field in Virginia Beach, VA. Pitt defeated Camp Community College 19-11 on February 15. Walker entered the game as a reserve and went 1-for-3 with a double. Last weekend, the Bulldogs swept Richard Bland Community College in a three-game series. Walker played in a reserve role in the opening 5-2 win. In the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader, Walker had his biggest game of the season. He hit a three-run homer in the 6th inning to put the Bulldogs ahead 7-2. Walker finished the day 2-for-3 with four RBIs. On Sunday, Pitt completed the weekend sweep with a 7-2 victory. Walker went 1-for-3 with an RBI single that opened the scoring in the 2nd inning.

Davis Horton: Horton, the 2021 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year as a catcher for Orange, is already starting as a designated hitter during his freshman season for Rockingham Community College. In his first game with the Eagles, Horton went 1-for-3 with a double as Rockingham defeated Patrick & Henry 5-2 on February 4. Horton went 0-for-4 on February 5, which Patrick & Henry won 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader. In the second game, Horton went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, but the Patriots defeated the Eagles 15-5. On February 11 & 12, Guilford Technical Community College swept a two-game series from Rockingham. The Titans won the opening game 10-1. Horton went 0-for-2 with a walk. Horton had an RBI single and went 1-for-3 in the second game of the series, which Guilford won 11-3. On February 15, Rockingham split a doubleheader against Pro 5 Academy. The Eagles won the opening game 7-5 in nine innings. Horton went 0-for-5 with an RBI. Pro 5 Academy took the second game 10-3. Horton, who started as catcher, went 0-for-3 with a walk.