Orange Women’s Soccer

Jaylin Jones: Jones was named to the Division III USA South Athletic Conference first-team as a short-stick defensive midfielder over the weekend. Jones, who played lacrosse and football at Orange, also was named to the USA South All-East Division first-team. On Saturday, Pfeiffer captured the USA South East Division championship with a 13-11 win over Greensboro College at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. It was Pfeiffer’s tenth consecutive victory, a school record. Jones had two ground balls and created two turnovers. Next weekend, Pfeiffer will face Piedmont College for the USA South Conference championship at Lefko Field. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Montana Davidson: On Friday, the former Orange High shortstop hit two home runs for the Mississippi State softball team in an 8-7 loss to South Carolina at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C. In the second inning, Montana drilled a two-run homer to centerfield. In the fourth, Davidson hit a solo blast to left field. Montana finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Mississippi State bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to take the series. On Saturday, Montana had an RBI off a fielder’s choice to wrap up a 6-run 1st inning as the Bulldogs won 6-2. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI double as Mississippi State won 7-1. For the weekend, Montana hit .400 with a team-high 6 RBIs.

Mia Davidson: Mia tied a Mississippi State record with her 67th career home run in Sunday’s win over the Gamecocks. Davidson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie Rafael Palmeiro for the most home runs in Mississippi State history, baseball or softball. Mia is now in 3rd place in Southeastern Conference softball history for career home runs behind Florida’s Lauren Haeger (71) and Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo (69). Davidson also drew a walk with the bases loaded against the Gamecocks in the sixth inning. On Saturday, Mia drove in the Bulldogs’ opening run with another bases loaded walk. She finished 1-for-3. On Friday, she went 0-for-3. Mississippi State is now 27-22, 3-15 in the SEC.

Tori Dalehite: On Saturday, Mercer defeated UNC Greensboro softball 2-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Sikes Field in Macon, GA. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner. The Spartans rebounded to win the final two games of the series and are now 28-15 overall, 11-4 in the Southern Conference.

Jaden Hurdle: On the weekend she celebrated her 19th birthday, Hurdle had several strong performances for the Patrick Henry Community College softball team. On Sunday, Patrick Henry swept a doubleheader from Surry Community College in Martinsville, VA. In the opening 4-3 win, Hurdle earned the save as she threw the final two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered one hit. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-3. The Patriots won the nightcap 4-0. Hurdle hit her ninth home run of the season. She also had an RBI double and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. On Friday, Florence-Darlington Technical College swept a doubleheader from Patrick Henry by identical 5-2 scores. In the opener, Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. Patrick Henry finished the regular season 19-17 overall, 13-7 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Patriots finished 3rd in the Region X West Division, only one game behind first-place Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. In 34 games, Hurdle hit .356 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. On May 14, Patrick Henry will be in the Region 10 Tournament at Springwood Park in Burlington.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory on Saturday. Catawba Valley took the opener 9-2. Andrews, starting a shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning. Andrews later scored off a double by Lillie Pennington. CCTI took the second game 14-7. Andrews went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the 3rd inning. Catawba Valley finished the regular season 23-11, 12- 8 in Region X. Andrews played in all of the Red Hawks’ games and was second on the team with a .461 batting average (10th in Region X). She led the team with 53 hits (4th in Region X) and 41 RBIs (tied for 4th in Region X). Andrews also scored 35 runs (3rd on the team), hit eleven doubles (2nd on the team), and eight home runs (2nd). She goes into the Region X Tournament on a 7-game hitting streak.

Landon Riley: Riley earned his second win of the season for the Liberty baseball team in a 9-8 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday. In one-third of an inning, Riley surrendered three runs off three hits. It was only the second game this year where Riley surrendered a run. The Flames earned the walkoff win in the bottom of the ninth inning when Logan Mathieu hit a two-run homer. The Flames are now 30-11, 14-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was optioned by the Atlanta Braves to the team’s alternate training site after he started Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. In three innings, Wilson surrendered seven runs off four hits with two walks and one strikeout. The Cubs won 9-3 and Wilson fell to 1-2 on the year.

Natalie Chandler: The #2 UNC women’s soccer team has started play in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Denver 2-0 in Matthews on Friday. Chandler, who was the captain of the Orange women’s soccer team in her junior and senior seasons, is a senior for the Tar Heels. UNC will face Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Wednesday.

Women’s Soccer: The standard for goal scoring at Cedar Ridge for years, and possibly decades, to come will be 87 goals.

That’s what Cedar Ridge senior forward Emerson Talley ended her storied high school career with after the Red Wolves defeated Vance County 9-0 in Henderson on Monday. It was Talley’s 14th career hat trick and the fourth of the abbreviated 2021 season.

The Red Wolves ended the season 5-9 after Southern Durham forfeited the final game of the season, which was slated for Wednesday night. Talley, who vowed to former Cedar Ridge head coach P.J. Michaelson that she would score 100 goals in her career, likely would have exceeded that total in her junior season if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

Last week, Talley formally signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne.

As Talley’s career ended with a hat trick, a Red Wolf freshman had her first three-goal game. Rachel Alverson had a hat trick for Cedar Ridge, as well. In her final game, Cedar Ridge’s Nicol Anderson had a brace.

ORANGE 4, NORTHERN DURHAM 1

The Orange women’s soccer team concluded its most successful season since 2015 with a 4-1 victory over Northern Durham at James Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday night.

Sophomore Madison Orange scored two goals for the Lady Panthers, who finished the season 11-5. In her final game, senior co-Captain Logan Rogers notched a goal and dished out an assist. Sophomore Isabel Jones also scored a goal for Orange. Freshman Ella Wimsatt had two assists. Junior Bella Brown, who transferred from Alamance Christian School last summer, also assisted on a goal.

Brown ended the year as Orange’s leading scorer with 15 goals and four assists, as well as four hat tricks.

In terms of record, Orange had its best season since they went 15-4-2 in 2015.

WRESTLING: ORANGE 78, NORTHERN DURHAM 0; ORANGE 60, EAST CHAPEL HILL 18

For the first time this century, the Orange wrestling team started as challengers to the Big 8 Conference title as opposed to the defending champions. Things started promising as the Panthers defeated East Chapel Hill 60-18 on Tuesday night inside Panther Gymnasium.

On Thursday, Orange rolled past Northern Durham 78-0 in Hillsborough. Only four matches were contested as the Panthers claimed the other nine bouts via forfeit.

Matthew Smith-Breeden pinned Wyatt Gardner at 152 pounds. At 220 pounds, Hugo Vazquez scored his second pin of the week. Tyler Larkin earned a pin at heavyweight over John Neiman. Samuel Crawford scored his own pin at 145 pounds. Dillon Heffernan, Talan Pearley, Joshua Dunn, Kessel Summers, Avery Clark, Chase Harward, Nate Hecht, Brendon Worsham, and Korbin Nevius all earned forfeit wins.

Against East Chapel Hill, Orange scored nine pinfalls. Summers, a junior who has committed to wrestle at Bluefield College (NAIA) in Virginia, earned a pinfall victory. Joshua Dunn (126), Jose Grimaldo (145), Smith-Breeden (152), Hecht (170), Worsham (182), Nevius (195), Vasquez (220), and Larkin also scored pins for Orange.

CEDAR RIDGE 52, SOUTHERN DURHAM 24

On Thursday night, the Cedar Ridge wrestling team earned its first win of the young season with a 52-24 victory over Southern Durham. The Red Wolves got pins from Fernando Martinez at 120 pounds and veteran James Rosati-Brown at 152 pounds.

Daina Pritchard, fresh off of wrestling season ending, scored a major decision over Thomas Johnson 14-5 at 145 pounds. Mac McGhee, Gavin Mintz, Kaden Tatro, C.J. Jackson, Wyatt Robinson, and Aiden Kearns all claimed forfeit wins.

On Tuesday, Cedar Ridge participated in a tri-match against Northwood and Providence Grove. The Chargers edged the Red Wolves 40-36. Martinez scored a pin at 1:16 in his match. Pritchard, Rosati-Brown and Tatro all earned pinfall victories, as well. At 195 pounds, Wyatt Robinson pinned Northwood’s Jason Schroeder in 1:59.

Providence Grove defeated the Red Wolves 60-21. Martinez earned another pin over Logan Armfield in 1:18. Pritchard pinned Derrick Isley in 1:43. Rosati-Brown pinned Nathan Hutcherson in 3:03. Robinson grinded out a 5-2 decision over Gavin Hardister at 195.

MEN’S TENNIS:

CEDAR RIDGE 9, SOUTHERN DURHAM 0

Will Ballenger and Colby Alford ended their senior seasons successfully for the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team on Wednesday afternoon. The Red Wolves rolled past Southern Durham to conclude the regular season 9-4. It was Cedar RIdge’s most successful dual season since 2017, when the Red Wolves finished 10-3.

Ballenger started at #1 singles and captured a 6-1, 6-1 win. Alford started at #2 singles and won 6-0, 6-2. Junior Derrick Stephens, Bowen Woods and Leo Filley also picked up singles wins for the Red Wolves.

In doubles, Ballenger and Alford teamed for a win at #1. Walker Richards-Baker and Jason Pattison won at #2 doubles. Woods and Filley completed the sweep at #3 doubles.

Cedar Ridge will start play in the Big 8 Conference Men’s Tennis Championships inside Lindsey Linker Tennis Courts at East Chapel Hill High School on Friday afternoon.

ORANGE 6, SOUTHERN DURHAM 0

The Orange men’s tennis team completed its fourth straight winning season with a 6-0 victory at Southern Durham on Tuesday.

Colin O’Hagerty, Joseph Clark, Finn Kelly, Tristan Plummer, Brandon Kessler and Jackson Panning took singles wins for the Panthers.

Photo by Abbey Lipcsik

Kayla Hodges: The Elon Women’s Soccer team made its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I women’s soccer tournament on Wednesday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Milwaukee defeated the Phoenix 1-0 in the opening round. Hodges, who starred at Orange, fired one of the Phoenix’s six shots in the game. Elon concludes the year 6-4, 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association, as well as the first CAA Tournament Championship in team history. Hodges was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s Team of the Week after her performances against Hofstra and UNC Wilmington in the CAA Tournament. Hodges was a vital factor defensively as the Phoenix defeated Hofstra for the first time in program history.

Landon Riley: Riley closed for the Liberty baseball team in its 6-5 loss to Virginia on Tuesday at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, VA. In two-thirds of an inning, Riley retired both batters that he faced. He struck out one. Virginia avenged an earlier loss to the Flames. Liberty is 27-11 and will face Bellarmine in a weekend series starting Friday at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA starting Friday.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team won its eighth straight game with a decisive 10-2 victory over the Charlotte 49ers at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium in Charlotte on Wednesday. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner and scored off a single by Melanie Darges in the 5th inning. UNCG will travel to Macon, GA for a weekend series with Mercer starting this Friday. The Spartans are 26-14, 9-3 in the Southern Conference, one game in the loss column behind Western Carolina for first place.

Grace Andrews: After having five games canceled last week, the Catawba Valley Community College softball team returned to action on Tuesday. They started by sweeping a doubleheader over Southeastern Community College in Whiteville. In the Red Hawks’ opening 13-0 win, Andrews hit her eight home run of the season. She finished 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, two runs scored. The Red Hawks captured the nightcap 4-1. Andrews went 1-for-3.

On Wednesday, Catawba Valley swept a doubleheader from Cleveland Community College at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory. In the opening game, which Catawba Valley won 11-2 in six innings, Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. In the 1st inning, Andrews hit a sacrifice fly to score Alleigh Himes.

Catawba Valley won the nightcap 12-5 Andrews went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth. Andrews, who started at shortstop, has hit safely in seven of Catawba Valley’s last nine games. She’s hitting. 467, second on the team. Andrews leads the Red Hawks with 37 RBIs and 50 hits.

Jaden Hurdle: Patrick Henry Community College swept a doubleheader from Cleveland Community College on Monday in Martinsville, VA. In the opening game, Hurdle hit her seventh home run of the year as the Patriots won 8-0 in five innings. Hurdle finished 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. In the second game, PHCC won 10-0. Hurdle went 1-for-2 with a run scored.

Patrick Henry has won eight of its last nine and is tied in the loss column with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute for 1st place in Region X’s Division II West Division. Caldwell is 13-5, while the Patriots are 11-5. Patrick Henry will conclude the regular season with a doubleheader against Florence-Darlington Technical College on Friday, then another doubleheader against Surry Community College on Monday.

Hurdle is hitting .375. She is tied for the team lead with seven home runs and is second on the squad with 24 RBIs. She also has 33 hits, good enough for third on the team.

Kate Burgess: The UNC rowing team competed in the finals of the Lake Wheeler Invitational in Raleigh on Saturday. Burgess rowed in the 2V4 A Final against Duke, Clemson and UCF. UNC finished fourth in the race with a time of 7:47.74. Duke came in first, while Clemson finished second. UNC will gear up for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships on May 14 in Clemson, S.C.

Our retro Orange Panther of the Week takes us back to the week of March 21. Lady Panther soccer forward Bella Brown scored two goals as Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 5-1 at Orange Soccer Park. It was Orange’s first win over the Red Wolves since 2017. Brown started her soccer career at Alamance Christian School. Last summer, she formally transferred to Orange. This year, Brown is the leading scorer for an Orange team that has had its best season since 2017. She scored a hat trick against Vance County on March 17. The Lady Panthers will conclude its season against Northern Durham on Wednesday night at James Armstrong Stadium. Orange had a scoreless tie against Northern on April 6. Brown will be a vital part of the Orange women’s soccer team next season. The Lady Panthers lose only three seniors to graduation this year.

This week Orange Panther of the Week is senior co-captain of the Orange women’s soccer team, Logan Rogers. This season, Rogers has led the Lady Panthers to its most successful season since 2017. Rogers is the daughter of Sonya Barnes Rogers, a member of the original Orange women’s soccer team. This season, Rogers has scored two goals in a victory over Cedar Ridge. Her older sister, Jordon, is a regular starter at William Peace University in Raleigh. Tonight, Rogers will commemorate her senior night at Orange when the Lady Panthers host defending Big 8 Champions Chapel Hill at Orange Soccer Park. After she graduates from Orange, Rogers plans to play club soccer at UNC-Charlotte this fall. Congratulations to Logan Rogers, this week’s Orange Panther of the Week.

The stages of the Orange women’s soccer team’s best season since 2017 started four years ago.

When Jacki Mignosa took over as head coach of the Lady Panthers, she brought up freshmen and had them play varsity. Against perennial state championship contenders like Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill, it was very much like getting thrown into the deep end of the pool. For Mignosa, it was development.

As the former junior varsity coach at Orange, Mignosa took over the varsity reins in 2017.

“We finally at the product of those younger players growing into varsity level play,” Mignosa said. “I think it’s been successful. We’ve had a great season. That’s been part of my strategy to develop a feeder program.”

Orange enters tonight’s home finale against Chapel Hill with an overall record of 7-3-1. Despite a disappointing loss to Northwood in Pittsboro on Monday night, the Lady Panthers are guaranteed its first winning season in four years. From a rivalry standpoint, Orange has swept crosstown rival Cedar Ridge for the first time since 2015, which was the last time the Lady Panthers reached the 3A State Playoffs.

Co-Captain Logan Rogers is a four-year member of the varsity team. Rogers is the daughter of Sonya Barnes Rogers, who was a member of the first varsity women’s soccer team fielded at Orange in the 1989-1990 season. Rogers’ older sister, Jordan, is now a midfielder at William Peace University in Raleigh. Her younger sister, Sydney, is a member of Orange’s defensive line that has been vital to this year’s success.

As Mignosa was in the midst of her rebuilding plan, the Stanford Chargers Middle School team created its own reverberations across youth soccer circles. In 2018, the Chargers stunned Phillips to win the Orange-Person Athletic Conference Championship. It was the first time ever that Stanford defeated all four members of the OPAC’s Southern Division teams (McDougle, Philips, Culbreth and Smith)

“I do feel like that’s an important aspect of how these girls get along,” Mignosa said. “They played together at the middle school level and transitioned to the high school level and they’re such a good group of girls. They get along well, yet they can still be very competitive at the high school level. Which is very important because he always say you practice the way you play. And if you’re not going to practice hard against your own teammates, then you’re not going to play hard against your own opponents.”

In the victory over Phillips in the OPAC Championship game, Madison Orange scored the game-winning goal, assisted by Lauren Garcia.

Three years later, Orange and Garcia are sophomores leading the way into a new era of Orange soccer that will take them away into a new conference next spring. It will be a league firmly entrenched away from the Chapel Hill brigade and into Alamance County, where Eastern Alamance, Western Alamance, Walter Williams and Person will join a new conference that includes current rivals Northwood and Cedar Ridge.

The aptly named Orange has notched four goals in her two-year varsity high school career.

Like a plumb from heaven, dropped in the midst of Mignosa’ rebuilding plan has been junior Bella Brown. A striker who transferred from Alamance Christian School in Graham, Brown has notched two hat tricks this season. She scored three goals against Vance County in a 9-0 victory on March 17 on Hillsborough. Against Cedar Ridge, Brown had two goals against Cedar Ridge on March 22 at Red Wolves Stadium.

“We’re connecting passes much better,” Brown said. “We moved up the field much faster rather than keeping it. We aren’t turning it over as much as we have been. I like all the teammates. They’ve welcomed me in and I like the way we advance the ball. We advance it instead of keeping it.”

Brown has been credited with a team-leading eight goals.

There’s also been a reliable backline that’s included freshman Ella Wimsatt and Channing Mahanes .

“I think one of our best things about our teams is our defensive line,” Mignosa said. “They’re really strong and they’re young. We have (sophomore) Allison Torkeiwtz and Sydney Rogers. There’s another freshman in Sydney Rogers that makes our line strong.”

Orange will conclude the regular season with road games against East Chapel Hill on Thursday and at Northern Durham next Tuesday.

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Kayla Hodges: For the first time since they joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 2014, the Elon women’s soccer team won the CAA Tournament championship on Saturday. The Phoenix defeated UNC Wilmington 1-0 at Tiger Field on Towson, MD. Hodges earned the start on an Elon defensive back line that held the Seahawks to two shots on goal. In addition, Hodges was named 2nd-team All-Colonial Athletic Association for the season as a midfielder. Elon is 6-3 and will await their selection to the NCAA Women’s College Cup. The selection show will be Monday night. The tournament begins April 27.

Mia Davidson: Mia Davidson reached another milestone for the Mississippi State softball team over the weekend. During Sunday’s game at Missouri, Davidson reached 200 hits for her Bulldog career with a home run to left field. It was Davidson’s 63rd career home run, which leaves her four behind Rafael Palmerio on Mississippi State’s all-time home run list, baseball and softball. Missouri swept the three-game series against Mississippi State. On Sunday, the Tigers held on for a 6-5 win. Davidson went 1-for-2. In a doubleheader on Saturday, Missouri won the opener 5-2 and the nightcap 4-3. Davidson went 0-for-3 in each game. This season, Davidson is hitting .304 in 41 games. She has eleven home runs and 25 RBIs.

Montana Davidson: Montana started both games of Saturday’s doubleheader for Mississippi State at third base. She went 0-for-2 in both games. Mississippi State is 22-19 overall, 0-12 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs will host Jackson State in a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team swept a three-game series against Chattanooga at Frost Stadium in Tennessee. The Spartans swept a doubleheader on Saturday against the Mocs. In the opening game, Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner and scored off a groundout by Maycin Brown to help the Spartans win 6-3. In the second game, Dalehite scored another run as a pinch runner. Dalehite touched the plate off a three-run homer from Kayleigh Willis. UNC Greensboro battled back from a 5-0 deficit to win 8-6 in nine innings. The Spartans are 21-14 overall, 6-3 in the Southern Conference.

Jaden Hurdle: Two former Orange High teammates found themselves on opposite sides on Saturday. Hurdle, a first baseman for Patrick Henry Community College, faced Catawba Valley Community College, led by former Lady Panther second baseman Grace Andrews in Martinsville, VA. Patrick Henry swept the doubleheader, capturing the opener 3-2 in eight innings, where Hurdle went 0-for-3. Patrick Henry edged the Red Hawks in the second game 7-6. Hurdle pitched the nightcap, earned the victory and added a two-run home run. She threw a complete game, allowing six runs off six hits. Hurdle struck out three to improve to 3-1.

On Sunday, Patrick Henry split a doubleheader with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Caldwell won the opener 3-2. Hurdle went 1-for-3. The Patriots earned the split with a 10-9 walkoff win in the nightcap. Hurdle hit a two-run homer in the 2nd inning. She finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Hurdle also started the second game as pitcher and came away with a no decision. Hurdle threw four-and-one-thirds innings and surrendered eleven hits and eight runs with two walks. Patrick Henry won off a walkoff home run from Carley Gravely. In 26 games, Hurdle is hitting .385 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. Patrick Henry is 12-15 overall, 7-5 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Grace Andrews: As for Andrews, she went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer for the Red Hawks in the opening game against Patrick Henry. In the second game, Andrews went 2-for-3 with another home run and a double. She scored twice. On Sunday, Catawba Valley swept a doubleheader against Surry Community College in Dobson. In the opening 3-1 win, Andrews went 1-for-2 with a run scored and two walks. The Red Hawks won the second game 6-5 in ten innings. Andrews went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Currently, Andrews is fifth in Region X of the NJCAA with a .488 batting average. She is tied for 10th (along with Hurdle and several others) with six home runs. Andrews leads Catawba Valley and is 7th in Region X with 42 hits. Catawba Valley is now 17-9 overall, 8-6 in Region X.

Phillip Berger: Berger earned two wins in a three-game series for Division III William Peace over Methodist. On Saturday at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, Berger came on in relief and threw the ninth inning. He set down the Monarchs in order with one strikeout. Peace got a walkoff single from Alec Seaton in the bottom of the ninth. Berger improved to 4-2. On Sunday, Berger made his regularly scheduled start and earned another win in the Pacers’ 7-5 win to open a doubleheader. Berger scattered four hits in six innings to improve to 5-2. He surrendered four runs, three earned with four walks and three strikeouts. Berger now leads Peace with five wins. He also has a 3.83 ERA. Peace is 18-13, 10-4 in the USA South Athletic Conference. The Pacers are two games behind North Carolina Wesleyan for first place in the USA South Athletic Conference East Division.

Olivia Ward: The Methodist women’s tennis team ended its season with an 8-1 win over Mary Baldwin on Sunday. Ward played #1 singles and defeated Alexis Seymore 6-0, 6-0. Last Thursday, Methodist defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 5-4 in Rocky Mount. Ward defeated Ana Aguilar 6-2, 6-2 at #6 singles. On April 9, Ward won again as Methodist defeated Averett 7-1. Ward, competing at #6 singles, won over Nakia Lee-Goodall 6-1, 6-1. Ward ended her freshman year at Methodist with a five-match winning streak. She ended the year 5-7 in singles, 1-1 in doubles.

Kayla Hodges: On Thursday afternoon, the Elon women’s soccer team surprised top-seeded Hofstra 1-0 in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Towson, MD. Hodges, who was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season, started for the Phoenix on defense. Claire Broderdop scored the game’s only goal in the 78th minute. It’s the first time that Elon ever defeated Hofstra. The Phoenix is now 5-3 and will face UNC Wilmington for the Colonial Athletic Association championship on Sunday afternoon.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Queen’s University in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament last Thursday. Jean, a goalkeeper, didn’t play against the Royals. She earned the victory in net during Limestone’s final win of the season, a 2-1 win over Lincoln Memorial on April 5.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team had its season end against Mary Baldwin on March 26. This season, Rogers started in all eight games for the Pacers. She played 443 minutes. Peace finished 3-5 overall, 2-4 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith volleyball team’s season came to an end on Wednesday in the semifinals of the USA Southeast Division Tournament. Averett defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 26-24, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20 inside the Grant Center in Danville, VA. Lucas ended her junior season by starting the final game of the season. She compiled 16 assists, 15 digs and one kill. Lucas led the team with 314 assists this year. She was fourth in the squad with 108 digs. Meredith ends the year 9-5.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team won both of its midweek games this week. The Bulldogs defeated Samford 8-5 in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday. Davidson went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the 7th inning. On Wednesday, Mississippi State edged Southern Miss 3-2 in eight innings at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 1-for-3 with a single in the 1st inning, and eventually scored.

Montana Davidson: Montana hit an RBI single in the fourth inning for Mississippi State against Samford. In the third inning, Montana scored in the third inning off an RBI single by Fa Leilua. She finished 1-for-2 with an RBI against Samford. Against Southern Miss, Montana went 0-for-2 with a walk. Mississippi State is 22-16 and will travel to Missouri this weekend searching for its first Southeastern Conference win of the season.

Brandon Andrews: The former Cedar Ridge pitcher made his debut for Jacksonville State last month. In one-thirds of an inning, Andrews gave up three runs off two hits as the Gamecocks lost to Kennesaw State 12-10 at Stillwell Stadium in Kennesaw, GA on March 24. After two seasons and 37 relief appearances at Nicholls State, Andrews transferred to Jacksonville State last summer. He redshirted last season with Nicholls State. Jacksonville State is 16-15, 7-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Gamecocks will travel to Eastern Kentucky this weekend.

Kate Burgess: Burgess, a former center for the Orange women’s basketball team and cross country runner, is now a member of the UNC rowing team. On March 27, UNC’s 1V4+ quad earned its first win of the season over UCF at Virginia’s South Fork River Reservoir in Charlottesville, VA. Burgess was in the 2V4 race, joined by freshman coxswain Isabelle McGimsey, along with Gigi Maroney, Nicole Van Liew and Claire Melgard. They finished the race in 8:10.9. UCF’s team finished in 8:05.7.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team defeated Greensboro College 18-8 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Wednesday. Jones, who played football and lacrosse at Orange, had two ground balls for the Falcons. Pfeiffer improved to 8-1 overall, 6-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Pfeiffer will face Methodist in Fayetteville on Saturday.

The Orange women’s soccer team is off to its best start since 2015. On Monday night, the Lady Panthers rolled past Vance County 9-0 at Orange Soccer Stadium. Junior Bella Brown, the leading scorer on the team, had two goals and two assists as Orange improved to 5-2-1 overall, 3-2-1 in the Big 8 Conference. Katelyn Van Mater, Logan Rogers, Ella Wimsatt, Sydney Rogers, Lily Clayton, Kassi Scarantino and Abby Monteith all scored for the Lady Panthers. Isabel Jones added an assist. Jones has been a striker who had moved along the right wing under Coach Jackie Mignosa’s 4-1-4-1 formation. Two years ago, while many of Jones’ classmates won the Orange-Person Athletic Conference women’s soccer championship at Stanford, Jones was in Germany based on her father’s job. Orange’s Big 8 Conference season has been completed, but the Lady Panthers will try to improve its overall record. They will face Cedar Ridge at Red Wolves Stadium on Tuesday night. Orange has already beaten the Red Wolves this season. The last time the Lady Panthers swept Cedar Ridge was 2015.