Orange Baseball

See ball. Hit ball.

If that sounds like a caveman’s approach to baseball, well, it is. At least when it comes to Connor Nordan, Orange’s designated hitter who has earned the moniker “caveman” from assistant coach Matt Roberts.

And for good reason. In his first season with the Orange varsity, Nordan leads the team in RBIs and has 20 hits, tied with two teammates for team-high honors.

Orange has vaulted to the top of the Central Carolina Conference despite lacking consistency in one area or another from game to game during this season. On Tuesday night, the Panthers finally put all the pieces of offense, defense, pitching and fundamentals together against its crosstown rival. Now, the Panthers are one win away from its first outright conference championship since 2016.

Behind Nordan’s career-best five RBIs, Orange pulled away from crosstown rival Cedar Ridge 13-5 in front of a standing room only crowd at Red Wolves Territory. Orange (13-6 overall, 8-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) simply needs to win one of its final three conference games to take the CCC regular season championship. The Panthers face Cedar Ridge on Thursday at Orange High Field, then face Eastern Alamance next week for a two-game series, starting Tuesday in Hillsborough.

“I thought we had a chance to be better,” Orange coach Jason Knapp said. “We weren’t as sharp as I would have liked in a few facets in the game. But at the end of the day, we traveled to a rival at their place and we found a win. We swung the bat well and pitched well enough.”

Cedar Ridge (12-7, 7-4) had its six-game winning streak snapped. The Red Wolves, who would have gained a share of the CCC regular season championship with a sweep of Orange, are now eliminated from finishing first in the league. Cedar Ridge can still gain an automatic spot to the 3A State Playoff by finishing second. For now, the Red Wolves are tied for 2nd in the loss column with Eastern Alamance, but control the tiebreaker over the Eagles.

Orange pitcher Ryan Hench struck out 12 batters to earn his third win of the season. Hench struck out the side three times and surpassed 100 career strikeouts in the fifth inning, all the more impressive considering he didn’t have a freshman season to speak of (one brief relief appearance against Eastern Alamance, only a week before the season ended due to the pandemic).

It was a strong night for first-year varsity players on both sides. Cedar Ridge freshman starting pitcher Quinn Finnegan was impressive in defeat. In the second inning, Orange loaded the bases with one out, but Finnegan escaped the jam without any runs crossing the plate. Catcher Efrain Morales threw out Codey Snipes after a wild pitch rebounded strong off the padding along the backstop. Finnegan got out of the frame after Cross Clayton flew out to left field.

Morales, a sophomore for the Red Wolves, finished 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning on a ball that disappeared under the Cedar Ridge scoreboard in left field.

Orange’s 15 hits tied its season-high, originally set against Person on April 8. The Panthers broke through with two runs in the third inning. Jackson Berini drew a one out walk. David Waitt lined a single to right centerfield. After Finnegan struck out Hench, Nordan lined his first RBI single of the night to centerfield to score Berini. Catcher Davis Horton sent a fly ball to shallow centerfield that dropped in front of the two fielders to bring in Waitt.

Cedar Ridge evened the game in the bottom of the frame, and by any right, should have taken the lead. B.J. Thornton and Aidan McAllister each walked. Cristian Macias lined a double over the first base bag to score Thornton. Waitt made a strong throw from right field to keep McAllister from tying the game. Moments later, McAllister scored anyway after a wild pitch that ricocheted high off the netting along the backstop, which moved Macias to third. Morales sent a fly ball to Waitt that, at first glance, appeared deep enough to bring in Macias on a sacrifice fly. Yet Waitt made the catch and unleashed a dart to Horton, who tagged out Macias at the plate. It was the closest the Red Wolves would come to going ahead.

“That was definitely a momentum shift for us,” Knapp said. “David has made plays like that for the last two years. When I saw him get behind the ball on the catch, I knew he was going to deliver a strike to the plate. That’s just typical David Waitt right there.”

Orange’s Codey Snipes, who finished 3-for-5, stated the third inning with a single to left field. Following a sacrifice bunt by Cross Clayton, Snipes moved to second. Berini took a 2-2 fastball and lined it to right centerfield to put runners at the corners. Waitt delivered another RBI single on a line drive through the 5-6 hole into left field to score Snipes. Nordan sent a grounder off the pitcher’s mound and over second base, scoring Waitt.

Cedar Ridge’s relief pitching, which was so instrumental over the past two weeks during two-game sweeps of Eastern Alamance and Western Alamance, struggled in the late innings. Orange scored four runs in the sixth and five in the seventh inning. Once again, Nordan had the biggest hits. He had an RBI single in the sixth, and added a two-run single in the seventh.

“I’m really not surprised about Connor,” Knapp said. “He just has a great approach. He has a simple hitting philosophy: ‘See Ball. Hit Ball.’ That’s exactly what he says. He just gets his hands back and lets it roll. He makes it works for us.”

Horton, in his best game of the year, went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

Cedar Ridge did score the game’s final run. Jake Mergenthal, as a pinch-hitter, drew a leadoff walk, went to second after an errant pickoff throw. took third on a groundout and scored off an error on a ball hit by Aidan McCallister.

The Orange baseball team is one win away from its first outright conference championship since 2016. On Tuesday night, Orange racked up 15 hits and pulled away from Cedar Ridge 13-5 at Red Wolves Territory. Junior designated hitter Connor Nordan finished with a career-high five RBIs after going 4-for-5. Nordan, in his first year at the varsity level, now leads Orange with 24 hits. Orange junior David Waitt came through with the biggest defensive play of the game. With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the third inning, Cedar Ridge’s Efrain Morales sent a fly ball to right field with Cristian Macias at third base with one out. Waitt made the catch in right field, then threw out Macias at the plate to end the inning. The following inning, Waitt sent an RBI single to left field to score Codey Snipes, putting Orange ahead for good. Waitt finished 2-for-3 with four runs scored and an RBI single. Orange will take the Central Carolina Conference championship outright with a win over Cedar Ridge on Thursday night at Orange High Field. The Panthers are 13-6 overall, 8-1 in the CCC. They have won six in a row. 

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior pitcher Ryan Hench. On March 22, Hench went 3-for-3 with a three-run triple, a solo homer and another triple against Walter Williams. Hench also earned the win on the mound, throwing five innings and giving up just three hits with eight strikeouts. The following night, Hench had another home run, along with another triple, as the Panthers defeated Southwestern Randolph 9-2 in Hillsborough. Hench had seven total bases against the Wildcats. This season, Hench has nine pitching appearances for Orange. He has a 1.08 ERA and leads the team with a 41 strikeouts. Last season, Hench was the co-Big 8 Conference Pitcher of the Year. His start this season has propelled Orange to an 7-1 start in the Central Carolina Conference, placing the Panthers in first place. The Panthers are going for its first conference championship since 2016. Orange will face Cedar Ridge in a two-game series starting on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Baseball Field at 7PM. The Panthers will also take on the Red Wolves Thursday night at Orange High. 

For the first time since 2016, the Orange baseball team is in first place in its conference with two weeks to go in the regular season.

That 2016 team was led by Bryse Wilson, who finished 10-2 with a 0.75 ERA. If you’re unfamiliar with him, Wilson will pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon against Washington at PNC Park.

The current Orange Panthers don’t have as dominant a starter as Wilson, but who really does? Yet not even the 2016 Panthers had two reliable starters. In fact, Wilson had to start Orange’s first three state playoff games before they lost to Topsail in the state quarterfinals.

Despite several flat performances in March, the 2022 Panthers have emerged atop the Central Carolina Conference with a 7-1 league record led by two quality staters and a bullpen that, through trial-and-error, has molded into a reliable unit.

For the second straight Friday night, Orange sophomore Cross Clayton tossed a complete game on the road, this time in Pittsboro. This time, Clayton threw a two-hit shutout. Unlike last week against Person, Clayton found himself in a pitcher’s dual with Northwood junior Zach Barnes, who held Orange scoreless through five innings.

Barnes, who also threw four innings in Tuesday’s game against the Panthers, left after the fifth inning when the Panthers loaded the bases with one out but couldn’t score. Orange finally broke through in the seventh inning when Ryan Hench drove in Jackson Berini, leading to a five-run frame and the Panthers grinding out a 5-0 win.

It was the first time in six years that Orange won a two-game series against Northwood. Last year, the Panthers swept the Chargers, but the games weren’t in a series format.

Clayton showed pinpoint control in earning his season-best fifth win of the season. He retired the Chargers in order in the sixth inning, at which point he had thrown just 60 pitches, 46 of which were strikes. Clayton has thrown 13 consecutive scoreless innings.

Berini led off the seventh with a walk and advanced to second following a sacrifice bunt by David Waitt. After catcher Davis Horton walked, Hench sent a fly ball towards the downward slope along the left field line to send in Berini and end the stalemate. Horton also scored on the throw. Designated hitter Connor Nordan singled through the left side of the infield to score Hench. After Cameron Guentensberger singled on a fly ball to centerfield, senior Connor Funk launched a double to the centerfield wall to score Neo Best, who was running for Nordan and increase Orange’s lead to 4-0. Cesar Lozano hit a RBI groundout to Northwood second baseman Mason Bae, bringing across Guentensberger for the final run.

It capped a dramatic week for Clayton, who had the game-winning hit in the opening game of the series against Northwood in Hillsborough. In the eighth inning, Clayton belted a fastball to dead centerfield that went off the fence, then off the arm of Northwood’s Andrew Johnson. Neo Best, pinch-hitting for Codey Snipes, scored from first base for the game-winning run as Orange won 3-2. In the second inning, Clayton blasted a solo homer to put Orange ahead 2-0.

Orange scored the game’s opening run when Davis Horton reached on an infield single. After Hench was hit by a pitch, Connor Nordan lined a single to left field. Ty Walker, a courtesy runner for Horton, scored.

The Chargers’ only true threat of the game came in the fifth inning against Hench, Orange’s top stater. Yet they still scored two runs. Nate Ortiz reached on an error at third base, which was followed by a single off a bouncing ball by Luke Smith. After a sacrifice bunt by Shaner advanced each runner 90 feet, Kaleb Howell knocked in Ortiz with a groundout to Berini at shortstop. Jake Leighton, running for Smith, scored off a passed ball while Johnson was at the plate.

Hench nearly won the game in regulation after a two-out single to centerfield. Nordan sent a sharp grounder that went through the third baseman’s legs and wound up going into left field. Orange head coach Jason Knapp, coaching third, waved in Hench in an attempt for the game-winning run, but a great throw by Northwood’s Nate Davis found the cutoff man Ortiz, who relayed to catcher Luke Smith, who tagged out Hench at the plate to force extra innings.

Joey Pounds earned the win for Orange.

Orange’s trip to Carrboro was much less tense on Wednesday. The Panthers cruised 10-0 in five innings. Sophomore Josiah Gibbs threw three-and-one-thirds shutout innings for his third win of the season. He gave up just four hits. Lozano and Funk completed the shutout on the mound.

Funk scored the first run of the game in the second inning after Clayton drew a bases-loaded walk. Best added another run off another bases-loaded walk by Berini.

The Panthers scored eight runs in the fourth inning against the Jaguars. After Funk hit a leadoff single on a bunt, he advanced to second on a steal, then went to third on a passed ball. Best hit an RBI single to left field.

Davis Horton finished 2-for-3 with a double against Carrboro. Funk went 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Nordan had an RBI double.

Orange is 12-6 overall, 7-1 in the CCC.

There was drama at Orange Baseball Field on Tuesday night as the Panthers maintained first place in the Central Carolina Conference. Cross Clayton sent a single off the fence in centerfield in the 8th inning, allowing Neo Best to score from 1st base for the game-winning run as the Panthers defeated Northwood 3-2 in eight innings. Clayton was the hero of the game for Orange. In the second inning, Clayton hit his first career home run with a solo blast that landed in the bushes that overhang above the fence in left field. Designated hitter Connor Nordan went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the first innings. Nordan hit his first career home run in Friday’s win over Person. Orange reliever Joey Pounds earned his first win of the season with a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two batters. Orange maintains a two-game lead in the Central Carolina Conference with a 6-1 record. The Panthers will travel to Carrboro on Wednesday, then complete the two-game series with a trip to Pittsboro on Friday. 

The Orange baseball team may be too young to know The Rolling Stones’ song “You Can’t Always Get Want You Want,” since it was released in 1969 and all.

Coming out of the Hilltopper Invitational over Spring Break, Orange didn’t get want they wanted, which was three wins. Instead, the Panthers emerged 1-2, with losses to New Hanover and Ashely. Yet Orange Coach Jason Knapp suspected his team got what they needed, which was confidence after standing toe-to-toe in one-run losses to New Hanover (ranked #2 by MaxPreps in the 4A East Region) and Ashely (ranked #6).

So the big question on Knapp’s mind going into its two-game series against Person was what did his team learn over spring break?

The answer was a lot. It led to, by far and away, Orange’s most dominant showing of the season which paved many dividends.

Junior Cross Clayton, the younger brother of former Orange pitcher Caige Clayton, threw a one-hit shutout with ten strikeouts as the Panthers rolled to a 10-0 victory over the Rockets on Friday in Roxboro. It was Orange’s first run-rule victory in conference play this season.

Clayton, in his first year at varsity, leads Orange with four victories. His ten strikeouts are a career-high.

After Cedar Ridge swept Eastern Alamance in a doubleheader on Friday night in Mebane, Orange suddenly has a two-game lead in the Central Carolina Conference with a 5-1 record. Cedar Ridge and Eastern Alamance are tied for 2nd at 5-3.

The Panthers (9-6 overall) haven’t won a conference championship since 2016, which was Bryse Wilson’s senior year.

In addition to Clayton surfacing as the Panthers’ second starter behind Ryan Hench, Orange’s offense finally came out of neutral after several disappointing games in the first half of the season. After registering 12 hits in the series opener against the Rockets last Wednesday, Orange posted a season-best 15 hits on Friday night.

Right fielder David Waitt went 4-for-4 and is now tied with shortstop Jackson Berini for the team-lead with 18 hits. It was Waitt’s fifth multi-hit game of the season. Connor Funk finished 3-for-4.

Ryan Hench, who captured the victory on Tuesday in Orange’s 9-1 win over the Rockets, led off the second inning with a double that hugged the third base line. After Connor Nordan moved Hench over to third with a fly ball to left field, Cameron Guentensberger scored Nordan with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Nordan and Guentensberger started the fourth inning off with consecutive singles. Funk grounded to Person second baseman Bryce Thaxton, who threw out Guentensberger at second. The relay on the double play attempt wound up behind first base, leading to Nordan scoring. After Cesar Lozano grounded into a fielder’s choice, leading to Funk being thrown out. Codey Snipes reached on a grounder that rolled into right field for a single. Berini, who hit a grand slam against Person on Tuesday, lined a single to left field to bring in Lozano and Snipes, who scored when the throw from the outfield missed the cutoff man. Waitt followed with a line drive to left field to score Berini and increase Orange’s lead to 5-0.

Person’s only baserunner in the opening four innings was Cayden Goodwin, who had a two-out single in the first inning. After that, Clayton set eleven consecutive Rockets down. The only other Rocket get aboard in the game was Dylan England, who walked in the sixth.

Orange racked up five in the sixth inning to draw things to a close. Berini drew a one-out walk, while Waitt singled to right field. Catcher Davis Horton belted a hard grounder up the middle to score Waitt. Nordan followed with his first career home run, a three-run dinger to left field to score Neo Best (running for Horton) and Hench.

The Panthers will start a two-game series against Northwood tonight. The Panthers will host the opening game tonight at 6 PM. Orange will also travel to Carrboro on Wednesday afternoon at 5PM.

Photo courtesy of FoxSports.com

Bryse Wilson: The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 in Busch Stadium on Sunday. Wilson made his first start of the year for the Pirates and threw four innings. He took a no decision. Wilson struck out two and gave up three runs on five hits with one walk. He was replaced by Miguel Yajure, who earned the win in middle relief. It was the Pirates only win of the weekend. Wilson is slated to return to action against Washington at PNC Park on Saturday.

Joey Berini: The East Carolina baseball team took two-out-of-three against Wichita State at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville over the weekend. On Sunday, the Shockers salvaged a game out of the series from the Pirates with a 5-0 win. Berini entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and went 0-for-1. He remained in the game as a second baseman for the final three innings.

Dante DeFranco: The Charlotte 49ers baseball team was swept by #18 Southern Miss over the weekend at Hayes Stadium in Charlotte. On Sunday, the Golden Eagles edged the 49ers 6-5 in 13 innings. DeFranco entered the game as a pinch runner in the seventh inning for Drew Tyndall. On Friday, Southern Miss won 2-1 over Charlotte. DeFranco again played as a pinch runner for David McCabe in the fifth inning and was stranded at second base. Charlotte is 17-14 overall, 4-8 in Conference USA.

Brandon Andrews: The Nicholls State baseball team dropped two-out-of-three games against Houston Baptist in a weekend series at Husky Field in Houston. On Saturday, Houston Baptist defeated the Colonels 6-5. Andrews suffered his first loss of the season after giving up a walkout single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Andrews threw one-thirds of an inning.

Phillip Berger: Berger had two appearances for Division III William Peace over the weekend against North Carolina Wesleyan at Bauer Field in Rocky Mount. On Friday, Berger took his first loss of the year in a 13-1 win by the Battling Bishops. Berger started and threw three innings and gave up six runs off eight hits. He had three strikeouts and one walk. On Sunday, Wesleyan outscored Peace 16-15. Berger entered the game out of the bullpen in the fifth inning and threw two innings. He gave up one run off three hits and two walks. He struck out two. Berger is 5-1 with a 4.47 ERA. The Pacers are 16-13 overall, 6-6 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State baseball team dropped all four games against Tallahassee Community College last week. On Thursday, the Eagles defeated the Pirates 2-1 in Pensacola. Porter started at shortstop for Pensacola and went 0-for-4. Tallahassee took the nightcap 15-5 in seven innings. Porter led off for the Pirates and finished 0-for-4. On Saturday, the Eagles edged the Pirates 1-0. Porter went 0-for-3. He also pitched one-thirds-of-an-inning and retired the final Eagle. Tallahassee captured the second game of the doubleheader 4-3. Porter, once agin hitting leadoff, went 0-for-4. Pensacola State is 15-23 overall.

Will Walker: Walker started two games at first base as the Pitt Community College baseball team swept a weekend series from Brunswick Community College in Greenville. On Friday, the Bulldogs defeated the Dolphins 9-7. Walker went 0-for-2 with an RBI after he walked with the bases loaded in the 7th inning. On Sunday, Walker went 3-for-5 with two RBIs as the Bulldogs won 16-11. Walker singled in the first inning and scored off a home run by Robert Buckley. In the fourth inning, after the Dolphins rallied to take a 10-6 lead, Walker lined a single to left field to score a run. The Bulldogs scored six runs in the sixth inning. Pitt Community College 25-5 overall, 20-5 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Mia Davidson: Another weekend, another milestone for the all-time home run hitter in Mississippi State softball history. Davidson hit career home run #85 in the Bulldogs 9-2 win over Missouri at Nusz Park in Starkville. Davidson’s solo blast in the third inning, which tied the game 1-1, tied her for seventh place in NCAA history. It was her 16th homer of the year. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Friday. In the Bulldogs’ 2-0 win on Saturday, Davidson went 1-for-1 with a run scored. On Sunday, the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 8-5 in eight innings. Davidson went 0-for-4. Mississippi State has won five of its last seven Southeastern Conference series. They’re 26-14 overall, 7-5 in the SEC.

Jaden Hurdle: Hurdle got to face one of her former Orange High teammates in Wake Tech’s Kara Tackett on Saturday. Patrick & Henry Community College defeated swept a doubleheader from the Eagles in Martinsville, VA. In the opening game, Hurdle went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Patriots won 10-2 in five innings. In the nightcap, Hurdle went 1-for-2 with an RBI double. The Patriots won once again 10-2. On Sunday, Patrick & Henry swept another doubleheader, this time against Southwest Virginia. The Patriots won the opener 6-2. Hurdle went 0-for-3. In the Patriots 9-1 win in the finale, Hurdle hit leadoff and went 1-for-1 with two RBIs. She also earned her sixth win of the season in the circle, throwing a complete game. In five innings, Hurdle surrendered only two hits with one run. She had one strikeout and one walk. The Patriots are 24-10 overall, 15-3 in Region X. Hurdle is second in Region X with nine home runs, behind only Essence Champion of USC Salkehatchie.

Kara Tackett: Tackett started in centerfield against Patrick & Henry on Saturday. She also pitched one and one-thirds innings in the nightcap. Tackett also started in the circle in the second game of a doubleheader against Surry Community College on Friday. Surry won 11-1. Tackett started in centerfield in the opening game of the doubleheader against Surry.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team got back on the winning track with two doubleheader sweeps this weekend. On Friday, the Red Hawks swept USC Union at Kiwanis Park in Hickory. Andrews, starting at third base, went 0-for-3 in CVCC’s opening 5-0 win. The Red Hawks won 9-1 in five innings in the nightcap. Andrews went 0-for-2 with a walk. On Saturday, CVCC swept a doubleheader from Cleveland Community College. The Red Hawks won both games via run rule. Andrews went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the opening 15-0 win in five innings. In the second game, where the Red Hawks rolled 13-5 in five innings. Andrews hit a home run in the 2nd inning. The Red Hawks are 12-2 in Region X, tied in the loss column with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute for 2nd place.