The Orange-Person softball rivalry is sort of a family affair.
Some of the Orange players are raised in northern Orange County, roughly 10-15 minutes from Roxboro. A few live within a closer driving distance from Person High than their own high school.
When Person and Orange meet, there are close friends that play against one another. Carson Bradsher, an Orange shortstop who is finishing her fourth year at the varsity level, has a younger sister that plays at Roxboro Community School’s middle school team.
None of that mattered by the end on Tuesday night when Orange wrestled bragging rights away from the Rockets, at least for the rest of this regular season.
Just as she did last month, Orange pitcher Caden Robinson provided the exclamation point against the Rockets. She slammed a two-run homer in the sixth inning to break open a tie game. Robinson also earned the win in the circle as the Lady Panthers defeated the Rockets 5-2 to compete a season-sweep of Person.
On March 24, Robinson’s smashed a solo homer in the sixth inning of a 4-2 Orange win in Roxboro.
Robinson struck out eight and allowed only five hits in a complete game.
Orange (8-4, 5-3) is now in third place in the CCC, leading Person by a game. They also control the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Rockets.
Orange freshman third baseman Katie Carden went 3-for-3 and started the second inning with a double that hugged the line down the left field line. After the subsequent two batters were retired, Carden generated her own offense with Kelsey Tackett at bat. Carden took off for third base, and the throw from Allie Carden went over the head of the third baseman, allowing Katie to slide in safely for the opening run.
Robinson kept the Person bats quiet in the middle innings. All that the Rockets could muster was a harmless bunt single by Lindsey Melton that started foul and rolled fair. Robinson retired Liberty Jones and Delaney Glover to end the inning.
Orange increased its lead in the fourth. Bradsher, after teasing a bunt, slapped a low line drive to right field that rolled all the way to the fence for a triple. Robinson’s knocked in Bradsher with a groundout to second baseman Camryn Clarke to make it a 2-0 Panther lead.
Person never goes away quietly and it was no different on Tuesday night. Melton reached on a leadoff single to let field. Liberty Jones laid down a bunt and reached on a throwing error, allowing Melton to reach third. Glover was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Taryn Massey had a pop-up to Orange second baseman Delaney Shaffer in shallow right field, which allowed Melton to score on a sacrifice fly. Allie Carden went a fly ball to Bryce Jones in left field, which gave Jones a chance to tag up and even the game on another sacrifice fly. Robinson struck out Kenzley Horne to end the inning.
With the game tied 2-2 and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Bradsher sent a classic slap hit to Massey at shortstop, who kicked up dust to make a diving stab but had no chance to throw Bradsher out. Robinson followed with the two-run homer that came after she fouled off a pair of potential third strikes. The dinger concluded an eight-pitch at-bat.
Glover was inserted in as the Person pitcher, but Katie Carden immediately poked a single that landed in front of a rushing Jones in right centerfield. With two out, Savannah Wynne came in as a pinch-hitter. After Carden advanced to second on a passed ball, Wynn belted a line drive to the gap in right field for a stand-up double to score Carden.
Orange will travel to Northern Durham tonight, then travel to Northwood on Friday.
Eastern Alamance 19, Cedar Ridge 4:
The Eagles improved to 6-1 in CCC action after beating the Red Wolves in Hillsborough. Eastern Alamance, the defending 3A State Champions, remain one game behind Western Alamance for first place.
Senior Grace Young knocked in the first Cedar Ridge run, scoring Kimber Shambley, who drew a walk earlier in the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, Mia Best hit a leadoff single to right field. Reagan Simmons reached on an infield single to score Best. Charlotte Lowry doubled to centerfield. Alice Ann Kohler, running for Lowry, scored off a wild pitch.
The Red Wolves were actually only down 6-4 at the end of the fourth inning. Best sent a triple to the right field corner to score young, who drew a one-out walk.
With Walter Williams forfeiting the remainder of its season, it appears this will be the final home game of the season for Cedar Ridge unless some non conference opportunities arise in the final weeks of the year.