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Once again, facing Person brought out the best in Quinn Finnegan.
Last year, Finnegan struck out five in four innings as Cedar Ridge won in Roxboro. On Friday night, Finnegan delivered his best performance of his senior season thus far, striking out nine in a complete game two-hitter as the Red Wolves defeated Person 5-1 on Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association night at Cedar Ridge Baseball Field.
After Person’s Wyatt Carden drew a bases-loaded walk to score Gavin Dodson in the first inning, the Rockets only had one more runner reach third base the rest of the game. Finnegan saved his best for last, retiring the final 15 Person batters. The Rockets’ Brady Holmes led off the third inning with a double. It was Person’s final hit. Finnegan ended the game striking out the side in order.
Person didn’t have the lead for long. In the bottom of the first, Grant McGuffey sent a dribbler to right field to score John Grove, who led off the inning with a single.
Freshman Jesus Velazquez led off the third inning with a double to right field. After Ian McGuffey dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Velasquez to third, Dominic Sena reached on an infield hit up the middle to give Cedar Ridge a 2-1 lead.
Finnegan and Carter Warren drew walks to start the fourth inning. Finnegan, going without a courtesy runner despite being the pitcher, stole third while Warren went to second. Ian McGuffey knocked a two-run single to centerfield to put the Red Wolves ahead 4-1.
The Red Wolves added an insurance run in the sixth inning. Velazquez earned his second hit of the game with a single to shortstop. Aidan Ryan, who was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, scored.
Cedar Ridge improved to 5-6 overall, 3-1 in the Central Conference. They’re tied with Person for third place as they prepare to travel to Eastern Alamance on Tuesday night.
Softball: Eastern Alamance 6, Cedar Ridge 4:
Through odd scheduling, it’s possible the two best softball teams in the Central Conference could have its entire two-game series decided before April Fool’s Day.
It’s clear that with two-thirds of the season remaining, Eastern Alamance is the favorite to win its second consecutive league title.
As was the case in its initial meeting earlier this month, the Eagles made a late rally to defeat Cedar Ridge 6-4 on Friday at Eagles Softball Field. Cedar Ridge took a 4-3 lead into the sixth inning, but the Eagles’ Edie Stewart drove in the game-winning runs with a fly ball to right field. Courtesy runner Jones Stewart and Brylea Warren scored for the margin of victory.
Cedar Ridge built a two-run lead scoring all four of its runs in the third inning. Madeline Galindo-Woodring drew a four pitch walk against Delani Straughan to lead off the inning. Mia Best sent a cue shot up the line and beat out the throw from catcher Kayden Manning. After Galindo-Woodring and Best each moved up 60 feet after a groundout, Kimber Shambley knocked in Galindo-Woodring with a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the Eastern Alamance lead to 2-1. Reagan Simmons tied the game with a line drive to right field. Rylee Capps stroked a grounder up the middle for a single. Laci Sykes loaded the bases when she got aboard off a dropped third strike. Charlotte Lowry stroked a double to right field, leading to Qiaura Rogers scoring the go-ahead run. Capps also scored to put the Red Wolves ahead 4-2.
Eastern Alamance started with two runs in the second inning. With two out, Addison Hester knocked in Kinley Henderson and Mckenzie Blevins.
The Red Wolves will return home to face Western Alamance on Tuesday night.
ELON: Any similarity between the Orange baseball team and the Duke men’s basketball during the ACC Tournament is purely coincidental.
And nearly identical.
Duke’s ACC Player of the Year Cooper Flagg suffered a sprained ankle during a nightmarish first half against Georgia Tech and didn’t return the rest of the weekend. They also lost utility forward Maliq Brown, but its depth was so thorough that it won the tournament championship anyway.
Last Monday, things seemed simple enough for Orange baseball coach Jason Knapp as he prepared for his first conference series against Western Alamance. His pitching rotation was set. Ryan Sawyer on Tuesday. Oliver Van Tiem, ranked as among the top pitchers in the class of 2027, would start on Friday in Elon.
It didn’t end up that way.
On Tuesday, Sawyer earned his fourth win of the year as the Panthers defeated the Warriors 8-1 in Hillsborough. In the fifth inning, Van Tiem injured his ankle he stepped on third base after he reached on a dropped ball in centerfield.
Suddenly, Knapp was without his Friday starter going to Elon, a place where Orange had lost in its last two trips.
If Van Tiem was Orange’s Flagg, then Mason Bullard was Maliq Brown. In the second inning against Western Alamance in Elon, Bullard sent a Baltimore chop that rose over the head of Warriors’ third baseman Bryce Runner and bounced along the third base line.
As he rounded first, Bullard pulled something in his back and was replaced by Eli Horton. Suddenly, Knapp had to replace in entire battery on another cold night at Western that didn’t start off well.
Yet the Panthers would overcome an early 4-1 deficit and pieced together an 11-7 win over Western Alamance on Friday. Senior Garrett Sawyer worked long relief, replacing starter Camryn Raspberry with one out in the first inning. Sawyer threw three-and-two-thirds innings to earn his first win of the year, allowing two hits and one run.
Garrett Sawyer nearly delivered the death blow in the third inning with the bases loaded, driving a first-pitch fastball to left field. Warriors’ left fielder Dawson Boysel backed up to the fence and made the catch. Instead of a grand slam, Sawyer had to be content with driving in Dominic O’Keefe, who scored the game-winning run, on a sacrifice fly.
“It goes back to all seniors,” Knapp said. “Garrett, Dominic and Eli Horton. We didn’t really have a great start. We didn’t make some plays behind Raspberry, who I thought did a really good job. We had to go to Garrett in a tough spot and got us out of the jam.”
Orange sophomore Kayden Bradsher, who has hit safely in eight of ten games, went opposite field on a leadoff single in the first. Sawyer legged out an infield single on a ball tapped back to the mound. Bradsher stole third and would score the first run of a long night off a groundout by Henry Hoffman.
The Warriors scored four runs in its side of the first when Cooper Marks reached on an error. Gavin Davis walked and Frederick Harrelson, who made several spectacular plays at shortstop defensively, reached on a groundout to Bradsher, who threw out Davis at second base. Harrelson stole second and Marks scored when the throw wound up in centerfield. Western’s Jackson Rippy reached on a dropped third strike wild pitch. With Jorge Banda at the plate, Harrelson touched the plate on a wild pitch. After Banda walked, Renner sent a grounder up the middle for a single to score Rippy. Ethan Oakley, running for Banda, scored off a passed ball to put the Warriors lead at 4-1.
Orange would tie the game in the second inning off three bases-loaded walks. Hoffman, Cam Brown and Gary Miller all drew RBIs.
The Panthers pulled away with five runs in the fifth. Hoffman drove in his third run of the game with a line drive to left field to bring in Mason Grooms, who’d drew a leadoff walk. Following a single by Brown, Miller and Raspberry drew walks. Horton sent a pop-up to second base that was dropped with two out, allowing Brown and Miller to score.
Cedar Ridge waited a long time to defeat its crosstown rival in softball. Nearly six years, in fact. The Red Wolves got a complete game four-hitter from senior pitcher Charlotte Lowry to defeat Orange 7-1 on Tuesday night at Cedar Ridge Softball Field. Lowry struck out nine over seven innings. The Red Wolves used the long ball to stay ahead of the Panthers. Laci Sykes hit a two-run single to right field in the first inning. Reagan Simmons and Kimber Shambley both hit home runs for the Red Wolves. Simmons added a double as Cedar Ridge earned its fourth win of the season. Lowry, the younger sister of former Cedar Ridge shortstop Ava Lowry, also went 2-for-3 at the plate. Lowry, Sykes, Simmons and Rylee Capps each had multi-hit games. The last time Cedar Ridge defeated Orange was in 2019 during a one-game playoff to determine which team would earn the #1 seed for the 3A State Playoffs. Lowry has been a strong presence in the circle for the Red Wolves. Cedar Ridge will return to action against Western Alamance on Tuesday night in Hillsborough, the first of three straight home games. The Red Wolves will host Roxboro Community School on Thursday night, then play Walter Williams on Friday.
Cedar Ridge softball pitcher Charlotte Lowry discusses win over Orange
Cedar Ridge waited a long time to defeat its crosstown rival in softball. Nearly six years, in fact. The Red Wolves got a complete game four-hitter from senior pitcher Charlotte Lowry to defeat Orange 7-1 on Tuesday night at Cedar Ridge Softball Field. Lowry struck out nine over seven innings.
The Orange baseball team won its first two Central Conference games this week. The Panthers swept Western Alamance for the first time since the two teams became conference rivals in 2022. On Tuesday, junior Ryan Sawyer struck out ten batters as the Panthers defeated Western Alamance 8-1 in Hillsborough. In five appearances so far this year, Sawyer has won four starts with a 1.91 earned run average. Sawyer also struck out ten batters in a 7-1 win over East Chapel Hill last week. During the first week of the season, Sawyer threw four innings and held Chapel Hill to three runs in an 9-5 victory over the Tigers on February 26. Sawyer’s development has been important for an Orange team that lost its top two starters and much of its bullpen from last year. In 2025, Sawyer has become the Panthers regular Tuesday starter. Last year, Sawyer won two games coming out of the bullpen. On Friday night, Orange endured cold weather, injuries and a rough start to defeat Western Alamance 11-7 in Elon. Garrett Sawyer came in relief in the opening inning and grinded out three-and-two-thirds innings of relief to earn the win. Sophomore Kayden Bradsher went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Orange will travel to Person on Tuesday night.
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The Orange baseball team won its first two Central Conference games this week. The Panthers swept Western Alamance for the first time since the two teams became conference rivals in 2022. On Tuesday, junior Ryan Sawyer struck out ten batters as the Panthers defeated Western Alamance 8-1 in Hillsborough.
This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior tennis player Cameron Foster. This season, Foster has consistently been among the two two singles players for head coach Justin Webb. With his doubles partner Porter Pelphrey, Orange has won matches over Voyager Academy, Roxboro Community School and Cedar Ridge through the first month of the season. On March 10, Foster defeated Cedar Ridge’s Grady Coleman 6-0, 6-0 as the Panthers rolled to a 9-0 win at Orange High Tennis Courts. Later that day, Foster and Pelphrey teamed to win at #1 doubles 8-1 as the Panthers won its first Central Conference match of the year. Foster has also teamed with Noah Jones in doubles. Last year, Foster frequently started at #1 singles for an Orange team that finished 12-7 overall. In 2024, Foster and Pelphrey nearly qualified for the 3A State Doubles championships. Foster’s goal for this spring is to earn a trip to the Burlington Tennis Center for the state championships. In addition, Foster plays saxophone and has performed with the Orange band. After he graduates in June, Foster plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill with a focus on music. In act, one of his favorite artists is Kenny G, who his parents turned him onto. Orange will return to action against Northwood in Pittsboro on Monday.
Orange Panther of the Week: Cameron Foster
This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior tennis player Cameron Foster. This season, Foster has consistently been among the two two singles players for head coach Justin Webb. With his doubles partner Porter Pelphrey, Orange has won matches over Voyager Academy, Roxboro Community School and Cedar Ridge through the first month of the season.
This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore cross country runner Gracie Whitaker. Last fall, Whitaker helped the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team win the Mideast Regional Championship at Owens Recreation Park in Louisburg. She also helped the Red Wolves win the Central Conference championship, finishing sixth at Lake Cammack Cross Country Course in Burlington. She finished with a time of 23:01.63, helping the Red Wolves finish with 31 points, beating out Orange, who registered 50. At the Regional Championships, Whitaker finished 21st at 23:01.38. Whitaker had several top ten finishes last fall, including at a meet at Orange High School where she came in seventh overall, clocking in at 24:27. Whitaker finished 46th at the 40th annual Greensboro Cross Country Invitational at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden. Whitaker helped the Red Wolves finished seventh at the 3A State Championships at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville. Whitaker came in with a time of 22:06.79 as the Red Wolves finished highest in the state championships than any other Central Conference team. Whitaker started the year by finishing sixth at the Eno River Academy Invitational in Hillsborough. Whitaker was among a group of young runners who stepped up last fall and helped the Red Wolves women’s cross country team to its best season as a 3A squad.
Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Gracie Whitaker
This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore cross country runner Gracie Whitaker. Last fall, Whitaker helped the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team win the Mideast Regional Championship at Owens Recreation Park in Louisburg. She also helped the Red Wolves win the Central Conference championship, finishing sixth at Lake Cammack Cross Country Course in Burlington.
