Orange Baseball

There wasn’t a Central Conference Baseball Tournament this year because the coaches didn’t want to wear out their pitcher’s arms going into the state playoffs.

It was just as well. Turns out, the opening two rounds of the 3A State Playoffs will essentially be a mini-Central Conference Tournament with the winner advancing to the round of 16. And the biggest grudge match imaginable will comprise one end of the bracket in Hillsborough.

On Monday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released the field of 64 in the 3A State Playoffs. Orange received a #12 seed and will face crosstown rival Cedar Ridge at Panther Field on Tuesday night. The winner will face either Southern Alamance, who received a #5 seed, or Eastern Alamance on Friday.

Orange, who claimed a share of the Central Conference championship with Southern Alamance after they each finished with a 9-3 league record, was supposed to face the Patriots on Saturday to determine the league’s #1 seed. Once both teams showed up to Southeast Alamance to play, the rain started coming down and didn’t really ease up. It was determined that Southern Alamance had earned the #1 seed after they swept a two-game series from Williams, who finished third in the conference. Orange split the series with Williams.

The loss to the Bulldogs on April 12 turned out to be costly. The Panthers finished #2 in the 3A East Region RPI, behind only J.H. Rose. Instead of a #2 seed in the East Region, Orange got a #12.

And they will face a Cedar Ridge team playing its best baseball of the season and craving a win over Orange. The Red Wolves have lost ten in a row to the Panthers. They haven’t won at Orange High Field since 2012.

That’s enough to make the matchup juicy as it is. Then there was the matter of the April 2nd game that Orange won 10-4 at Cedar Ridge that left plenty of hard feelings on both sides. It led to coaches from both teams being suspended, complaints by parents to the county administrative offices and more spice to a rivalry that already has plenty of animosity.

It may also be the last time that Cedar Ridge and Orange meet in the state playoffs in any sport. In August 2025, the NCHSAA will expand from four classifications to eight. If realignment is based on enrollment, it’s possible that Cedar Ridge and Orange will be in the same conference, but it looks unlikely they will be in the same classification.

Currently, Orange has 1,272 students. Cedar Ridge has 1,141.

That won’t be the only wrinkle of finality. It will almost certainly be the final home game for eight Orange seniors, including pitcher Cross Clayton, who earned his 20th career win last week. He became the first Panther with 20 wins since Bryse Wilson in 2016. Orange regularly starts six seniors, including centerfielder Cameron Guentensberger, who has become the team’s closer with four saves in its last six games. There’s also first baseman Ryan Honeycutt, who missed the first six games of the season after breaking his right thumb playing Cedar Ridge in basketball last February.

Cedar Ridge arrives into the state playoffs under head coach Bryson Massey with six straight wins. The Red Wolves started April with six straight losses, then started a rebound with a victory over Eastern Alamance in Mebane. Junior Quinn Finnegan has won his last two starts, including a 3-2 victory over Chapel Hill on April 24. Last week, Cedar Ridge senior Mason Cates earned the win in his final home game in an 8-2 victory over Knightsdale. The Red Wolves swept a two-game series from Western Alamance to conclude the regular season.

It’s the third straight year that Cedar Ridge has reached the state playoffs.

Cedar Ridge will go for its first postseason win since 2019, when they defeated Southern Alamance 10-2 in Hillsborough.

MEBANE–Orange baseball had to win Friday to get to Saturday.

Though it wasn’t overwhelming, Orange did precisely that to win a share of the Central Conference championship.

Senior Josiah Gibbs struck out seven to improve to 7-0 on the season as the Panthers held off Eastern Alamance 5-2 to close out the regular season at Eagles Field on Friday night. Cameron Guentensberger was called in from centerfield to get the final out, earning his fourth save in six games. The Panthers finished tied with Southern Alamance for first place in the Central at 9-3.

The Patriots and the Panthers are slated to have a one-game playoff to determine the #1 seed from the Central Conference going into the 3A State Tournament on Saturday afternoon at 5 at Southeast Alamance High School in Haw River. It comes after the Panthers and the Patriots split its two-game series last week with the Patriots winning the opener in Graham.

A young Eastern Alamance team solely consisting of freshmen and sophomores committed six errors, which directly led to the opening three Panther runs that proved to be enough. Wyatt Hedrick, one of six Orange senior starters, lined a double off the right field fence to lead off the second. Designated hitter Garrett Sawyer stroked a grounder through the heart of the 5-6 hole for a single, moving Hedrick to third. With Cross Clayton at the plate, Eagles starter James Wellons picked off Sawyer trying to steal, but first baseman Conner Horner’s throw went off the back of Sawyer’s leg as he slid head-first into second. Hedrick scored the opening run as the ball rolled into right field.

Gibbs retired the first seven Eagles in order until Wellons singled to centerfield, the first hit of the two-game series for the Eagles.

Orange freshman Oliver Van Tiem was beaned to open the third inning and Hedrick laid down a bunt to get him over to second. After Sawyer walked, Cross Clayton sent a grounder that appeared to set up a double play, but the throw to second wound up in right field. Van Tiem scored off the error and Sawyer went to third as right fielder Jarrett Newell had trouble picking up the ball in foul territory. That extra base proved crucial as Elijah Santos lined a fastball to Newell, scoring Sawyer off a sacrifice fly to increase Orange’s lead to 3-0.

Eastern’s Zach Merchel provided the first Eagles run of the series solely from his legs. He beat out a throw by Van Tiem for an infield single, stole second, stole third, and scored off a wild pitch by Gibbs, the only run he conceded in five innings.

Clayton sent a fly ball to centerfield where a diving attempt by Tyler Westbrooks came up short and it one-hopped the fence for a double. Santos lined a fastball tight down the left field line to score Clayton. Santos would advance to third off a wild pitch. With Kayden Bradsher at the plate, Merchel uncorked another wild pitch, allowing Santos to score.

There were nervous moments for Orange late, where the final two innings felt like pulling teeth. Newell and Horner drew walks in the sixth, which paved the way for Sawyer to come in from the bullpen. After Kasen McGinnis reached on a fielder’s choice where Van Tiem threw out Newell at second, Horner walked. McGinnis would score from third after Tate Yount grounded out to Ryan Honeycutt at first to cut the Orange lead to 5-2.

In the seventh, the tying run got to first base for Eastern. Sawyer struck out pinch-hitter Christian Vieau, but Rett Page got plunked on the back on a 3-2 pitch. Sawyer struck out Westbrooks, which prompted Orange coach Jason Knapp to call in Guentensberger to close it out. Braxton Ballard sent a bouncer to Clayton at second, but the ball eluded Clayton. Newell loaded the bases after another infield single where Van Tiem did everything he could just to chase it down. McGinnis grounded out to Van Tiem to clinch Orange’s fourth straight conference title.

On Saturday, Orange and Southern Alamance will play in a game that will determine playoff seeding. If Orange wins, they will likely get the #2 seed in the East Region, which means every game will be at home as long as the Panthers keep winning until the Eastern Regional Championship series. If they lose, Orange will likely receive a #12 seed, which means a first-round home game against a more formidable opponent.

There are some things out of Orange’s hands, namely the weather. There’s a 30% chance of rain early Saturday night, which would put the tiebreaker game at Southeast Alamance in question.

But for now, Orange has taken care of what they can control.

They are conference champions. Again.

It’s been eight years since an Orange pitcher won 20 games in his career. On Tuesday night, senior Cross Clayton became the first Panther hurler to do it since Bryse Wilson. Clayton made it an outing to remember, throwing a 5-inning no hitter as the Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance 11-0 at Panther Field in its final regular season home game of the season. Clayton allowed just one baserunner to get onboard, off an error in the fourth inning. Up to that point, Clayton had retired the first eleven batters he faced. Clayton is the first pitcher from Hillsborough to earn 20 wins since Phillip Berger won 21 games for Cedar Ridge from 2016-2019. The victory over Eastern Alamance was Clayton’s second career no-hitter. In 2022, he threw a five-inning perfect game against Cedar Ridge, which clinched the regular season Central Conference championship. Clayton is now 14-1 lifetime against conference opponents. He needed just 49 pitches to finish five innings against the Eagles. Ryan Honeycutt hit a grand slam for the Panthers to complete a 10-run third inning. Clayton struck out six against the Eagles in his second career win against the Eagles. Orange will finish the regular season with a road trip to Mebane to face the Eagles on Friday night. With a win, they will clinch a share of the regular season championship. 

Orange senior Cross Clayton discuses 20th career win

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On March 1, 2022, Cross Clayton was one of several Orange baseball hopefuls trying to prove themselves as life returned to normal after the pandemic.

On a chilly, blustery day in Hillsborough, he entered a game against Northern Durham and threw a scoreless sixth inning to keep Orange’s deficit at 1-0. It would turn into Clayton’s first win when David Waitt stroked a two-run single to cap a three-run sixth.

Three years later, Clayton has become the winningest pitcher in Orange baseball since Bryse Wilson, who is now in his sixth Major League season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

On Tuesday night, Clayton earned his 20th career victory as Orange easily defeated Eastern Alamance 11-0 in five innings. In his final regular season start at Panther Field, Clayton threw a five-inning no-hitter. The only Eagle to reach, Jarrett Newell, got aboard off an error at second base with two out in the fourth inning after Clayton had retired the first eleven batters he faced.

Clayton ended the night with six strikeouts and no walks. He retired 15 out of the 16 batters he faced on only 49 pitches, 38 of which were strikes.

Clayton is just the third pitcher from Hillsborough in the last decade to win 20 career games. Cedar Ridge’s Phillip Berger won 21 from 2016-2019. He went on to pitch at Division III William Peace University. Wilson holds the Orange record with 33 career victories–and that came after he threw only three games his sophomore year because of an injured shoulder.

The Panthers (16-5, 8-3 in the Central Conference) remained tied for first in the loss column with Southern Alamance for first place in the Central Conference. Orange will travel to Eastern Alamance for its regular season finale on Friday night. With a win, Orange will take a share of the conference championship, which would be its fourth straight league title.

Southern Alamance’s game against Western Alamance was postponed on Tuesday night because a power line was cut hours before the first pitch in Graham. The game was rescheduled for Wednesday night at 5.

“He’s one of the best arms that I’ve had the pleasure and honor of coaching in my 24 years,” said Orange coach Jason Knapp. “That says a lot because I’ve been around some really good pitchers. He pounds the zone. He was a bad hop away from a perfect game.”

Orange was going against one of the hottest pitchers in the Central Conference in Eastern’s Jarrett Newell, who had allowed only five runs in his previous three starts. Orange’s Cameron Guentensberger sent a fly ball over the head of right fielder James Wellons in the first inning. The very next pitch to Kayden Bradsher was stroked into right field for an RBI single, which was all the run support that Clayton needed.

Turns out, he got more. Much more.

Guentensberger started a 10-run third inning by reaching on an error at third base. Bradsher laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw went to second base where Guentensberger beat out the throw. Orange loaded the bases when Ryan Honeycutt walked. Oliver Van Tiem drove in a run off a walk. Wyatt Hedrick dropped a bloop single into centerfield to score Bradsher. Designated hitter Garrett Sawyer lined a two-run single to left field to increase the Orange lead to 6-0. Hedrick would score off a wild pitch. With Guentensberger, Dominic O’Keefe and Elijah Santos on base, Honeycutt delivered his first career grand slam over the centerfield fence. Honeycutt now has four home runs, which leads the team. It was his first career grand slam.

After Van Tiem retired Merchel for the game’s final out, Clayton was presented with a poster created by Orange’s Baseball booster to commemorate is 20th career win.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior catcher Ryan Horton. This season, Horton is tied for the team lead for home runs. On March 26, Horton hit two home runs as Orange defeated Northern Guilford 8-4. He became the first Orange player to hit two home runs in a game since Dante DeFranco did it against Northern Durham in 2019. Against Western Alamance on March 25, Horton went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including a two-run double in the sixth inning that paved the way for Orange’s first conference win. Horton had a two-run double against Cedar Ridge in a 10-4 win at Red Wolves Field. This season, Horton is hitting .359 and leads the team with 17 RBIs. He has been Orange’s starting catcher the past two years and provided valuable experience on offense after the Panthers lost six starters from last year. Horton had an RBI single against Southern Alamance on Friday night, which put the Panthers back in a tie for first place in the Central Conference. Last week, Horton went 3-for-4 on senior night as the Panthers defeated Voyager Academy. Against Person on April 27, Horton went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the first inning. After he graduates from Orange next month, Horton will attend Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

Orange Panther of the Week: Ryan Horton

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The Orange baseball team has gained a split in its biggest two-game series of the season. On Friday night, the Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 10-6 in Hillsborough to tie the Patriots for first place in the Central Conference. Cameron Guentensberger had a huge night on three different levels. He went 2-for-3 with two doubles, driving in two runs during a six-run 3rd inning. Senior right fielder Elijah Santos grounded a two-run single up the middle in the third. Santos also had a hand in scoring the game’s opening run when he reached on a throwing error at third base, which scored Wyatt Hedrick. Guentensberger came on in the sixth inning to replace Garrett Sawyer on the mound and made the defensive play of the game. After the Patriots battled back from a 7-1 deficit to get the tying run on second base, Guentensberger took a short grounder hit by Noah Madren and flipped it to the plate to catcher Ryan Horton, retiring Carson Bolton on a force out. Guentensberger finished with his third save in four games. The Panthers need two more wins to secure a share of its fourth consecutive conference championship. They will face Eastern Alamance in the Panthers final regular season home game on Tuesday night at 7. They will travel to Mebane on Thursday.

Orange baseball’s Cameron Guentensberger & Elijah Santos discuss win over Southern Alamance

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The Orange baseball team will end this week the same way they started it.

In a tie for first place in the Central Conference. And they have their versatile centerfielder/leadoff man/bullpen closer to thank for it.

Cameron Guentensberger earned his third save in four games and laced two doubles, both of which led to crooked number innings that overwhelmed Southern Alamance in a 10-6  Orange victory at Panther Field on Friday night. The Panthers tied the Patriots for first place in the Central with two games remaining in the regular season.

Orange (15-5, 7-3 in the Central) needs to sweep a two-game series against Eastern Alamance next week in order to gain a share of its fourth straight conference championship.

Josiah Gibbs earned his 16th career win and improved to 6-0 on the season, receiving plenty of help from his batters as the Panthers jumped out to a 7-1 lead at the end of the third inning.

If you thought the Panthers would cruise to victory from there, then you don’t know Southern Alamance baseball. The Patriots engaged in a furious rally where they scored four unanswered runs, deepening the jubilation of the sizeable Southern Alamance contingent who filled the visitors grandstand for its first conference game at Orange in decades.

With the Patriots playing for a conference championship, tensions reached a fever pitch after Cooper Partin slammed a double off the left field fence to score Janden Evans and cut Orange’s lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth. After reliever Garrett Sawyer walked Ethan Mann to load the bases, putting the tying run at second, Orange coach Jason Knapp called in Guentensberger from centerfield for a four-out save. Southern’s Noah Madren laid down a cue shot 20 feet from the plate, Guentensberger bolted from the mound, gloved the ball and softly underhanded it to catcher Ryan Horton, getting the force out as courtesy runner Carson Bolton slid into home plate a second late, resulting in a cacophony of cheers and boos from opposite side of the stands.

Immediately after making the defensive play of the game, Guentensberger led off the sixth inning with a double that slammed off the bottom of the left field wall. A line drive by Kayden Bradsher landed safely in left field for a hit, moving Guentensberger to third. Ryan Horton added a crucial insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right field. captured by Madren, but deep enough to plate Guentensberger. Freshman Oliver Van Tiem brought in Bradsher with a screamer to centerfield. After Wyatt Hedrick was hit on the foot by a pitch from reliver Eli Gilley, Sawyer lined another RBI single up the middle to increase the Panther lead to 10-5, scoring Van Tiem.

Southern wasn’t done keeping Orange fans worried, loading the bases in the seventh inning with no outs. Mark King got his first base hit of the series with a single to right field. Designated hitter Braxton Cain spaced an infield single to the left of the infield, then Bradley Capps walked. Guentensberger struck out Johnny Rojas. Evans sent a high liner to right field, where Elijah Santos made a jumping grab that was deep enough to score King. Eli Holland, who had reached in six of seven plate appearances in the two-game series, flew out to Sawyer, who had moved to centerfield to the game. It was the first time that Holland had been retired all night.

Knapp, who has known Patriots coach Jason Smith for 19 years, understood that a 7-1 lead with a conference championship on the line wasn’t safe.

“We’ve had many, many battles,” Knapp said. “The one thing I know about Southern Alamance is they do not quit. When we got up like we did, I told the guys “You’re going to have to finish this game. You’re going to have to continue to find runs.’ Great game. I feel fortunate to come out on top.”

Unlike Tuesday’s loss in Graham, Orange hit the ball against the Patriots on Friday. On Tuesday, the Panthers were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. On Friday, they were 7-for-17.

Orange senior Wyatt Hedrick grounded a single up the middle to lead off the second. After stealing second, Santos sent a nubber to third base, which was thrown away by Evans. Hedrick rushed around third to score the opening run.

The Patriots immediately tied things up when Capps reached on an infield single, then moved to second after a sacrifice bunt by Johnny Rojas. Evans sent a grounder that rolled into left field, plating Capps. Holland singled to left to move Evans to second with one out, but Gibbs struck out Partin and Mann to end the inning.

The Panthers’ offensive runneth over in the third inning, scoring six runs against Patriots starter Cayden Barnard. Ryan Honeycutt opened with a walk, while Horton lined a single to left field. With one out, Hedrick loaded the bases with an opposite field base hit. Sawyer scored Honeycutt with a bases-loaded walk. After Cross Clayton struck out, Santos banged a single over second base to score Hedrick and Henry Hoffman, who was running for Horton. That led to Guentensberger’s first double, a liner to Scoreboard Alley in right centerfield, the deepest part of Orange’s park that scored Sawyer and Santos to put the Panthers ahead 6-1. Bradsher skied a perfectly placed opposite field floater down the right field line for a double, bringing in Guentensberger.

Orange will host Eastern Alamance in its final regular season home game on Tuesday. The return trip to Mebane is slated for Thursday.