Orange Softball

Mia Davidson: The Diablos Rojos won the championship of the Mexican Softball League last month. Davidson, playing her first season in Mexico, helped Diablos defeat Sultanes de Monterrey 3-0 in the best-of-five Serie de la Reina (The Queen’s Series). The third and deciding game, played in front of 12,424 fans at Estadio Alfredo Harp Help, was captured by Diablos 5-0. The series broke the league record for attendance. Davidson started at first base in all three games of the series. In game one, which the Diablos won 7-6, Davidson hit the game-winning three-run home run in the sixth inning to vault the Diablos ahead 7-5. She finished game one 2-for-4 with three RBIs. The Diablos finished first in the regular season with a 23-5 record, three games ahead of Bravas de Leon.

Bryse Wilson: In his first games for the Chicago White Sox, Wilson threw two innings of middle relief. He tossed a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout agains the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field on March 30. Los Angeles won 3-2. On March 29, Wilson threw another scoreless seventh inning, giving up two hits and a strikeout. The Angels won 1-0. The White Sox are 2-3 after losing to Minnesota on Tuesday.

Katie Belle Sikes: The greatest swimmer in Orange High history finished her freshman season at Georgia in the NCAA National Championships in Federal Way, Washington. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Sikes, Helena Jones, liane Reinstein Bri Robertson finished as second-team All-Americans. They finished 16th in the nation with a time of 3:13.20. Sikes swam the anchor leg at 48.27 seconds. Georgia finished 16h in the country with 58 points. Virginia won its fifth-consecutive national championship with 544 points.

Mary Moss Wirt: Delaware took two-out-of-three games against Elon in a softball weekend series in Newark, DE over the weekend. Wirt scored Elon’s only run in the Blue Hens’ 9-1 win over the Phoenix last Friday. Wirt, starting at catcher, went 1-for-2. On Sunday, Delaware edged the Phoenix 3-2. Wirt went 1-for-3. Against Monmouth on March 23, Wirt finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored as the Phoenix defeated the Hawks 11-0 in five innings. Elon swept the three-game series from Monmouth. In the opening game of the series, Wirt scored a run as a pinch-runner. Currently, Wirt is hitting .242 in 18 games. Elon is 17-14 overall, 9-3 in the Coastal Athletic Association.

Takia Nichols: The North Carolina Central Eagles took the series from Coppin State at CSU Softball Complex in Baltimore over the weekend. Nichols drove in a run off a sacrifice fly in the second inning of Sunday’s series-finale, which the Eagles won 10-0 in five innings. In Central’s 6-2 win over Coppin State on Friday, Nichols drove in the opening run off another sacrifice fly. Nichols went 1-for-2 in the opener. She started all three games at first base. The Eagles are 4-5 in the MEAC. They will host Morgan State at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary starting with a doubleheader on Saturday.

Carson Bradsher: The Division III Averett University softball team dropped a doubleheader to #5 Virginia Wesleyan at Cougar Field in Danville, VA on Sunday. Bradsher, hitting leadoff for the Cougars, went 2-for-7 with an RBI against the Marlins. #14 Randolph-Macon swept a doubleheader from Averett on March 29. Bradsher went 2-for-7 in the doubleheader. Averett is 11-14 overall, 2-6 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Bradsher is leading the team with a .439 batting average. She also leads the team in hits (43), runs (23), and total bases (46).

Ava Lowry: Against Guilford, Lowry went 2-for-5 with a double as North Carolina Wesleyan split a doubleheader against the Quakers on March 25. Lowry had an RBI single as the Battling Bishops improved to 2-2 in the USA South Conference. Over the weekend, Lowry started both games at shortstop as Wesleyan swept a doubleheader from Southern Virginia on scores of 4-0 and 9-1.

Olivia Aitkin: The former Cedar Ridge utility player started in centerfield for Division III Amherst on Sunday. Tufts University swept a doubleheader from the Mammoths. Aitkin also started in centerfield as Amherst split a doubleheader from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. In a 6-5 loss to Middlebury, Aitkin drove in a run off a sacrifice fly.

Brianne Foster: Foster started at catcher for Wake Tech and went 1-for-3 on March 26 against Louisburg at Buffaloe Road Athletic Park in Raleigh. Foster finished 1-for-3. Louisburg won 16-1 in six innings. Wake Tech is 14-15 overall, 8-8 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Foster has played in 18 games this season and is hitting .205 with six RBIs.

The Orange softball team captured its Central Conference opener in a wild game over Western Alamance on Tuesday night. In its final trip to Elon for a league game, senior Sadie Cecil went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 13-10. Last week, Orange held off Roxboro Community School 4-2. Cecil hit two home runs, including a three-run blast that put the Lady Panthers ahead in the second inning. Sophomore Addison Guentensberger has become Orange’s top pitcher this season, replacing Caden Robinson. Guentensberger earned the win throwing a complete game. She also had a single in the second inning and scored off the Cecil homer. In the season opener against South Granville, Cecil threw a three-hitter in a 10-1 win over South Granville in Creedmoor. She struck out three. Against the Vikings, Cecil went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cecil has opened the season with a five-game hitting streak as Orange has started the season 3-2. Guentensberger has thrown 27 innings through five starts. Orange sits atop the Central Conference going into its doubleheader tonight (Friday) against Walter Williams in Hillsborough. Last month, Cecil signed to play at Division II Mars Hill College, along with her Orange teammate, Allie Carden. Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday.

Orange softball’s Sadie Cecil & Addison Guentensberger discuss start to season

The Orange softball team captured its Central Conference opener in a wild game over Western Alamance on Tuesday night. In its final trip to Elon for a league game, senior Sadie Cecil went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 13-10. Last week, Orange held off Roxboro Community School 4-2.

Since 2021, a softball team currently in the Central Conference has won the 3A Eastern Regional Championship three times. Two of them won state championships.

In the final year of possibly the most powerful softball conference in the state, Orange used its potent batting lineup to win its league opener at Western Alamance.

The Lady Panthers put up eight runs in the fourth inning, then held off a Warriors rally to win 13-10 in its final league trip to Elon on Tuesday night.

Allie Carden put the exclamation point on the decisive frame with a grand slam, vaulting the Lady Panthers ahead 11-2. Allie had two at-bats in the frame. She rounded the bases after sending a fly ball to right field at the fence, which was dropped, leading to a Little League home run.

At that point, Orange’s lead was only 4-2 and it appeared that would be all after the next two batters grounded out. Then the Lady Panthers scored seven runs with two outs, starting with senior Rhiley Crabtree and Natalie Roberson each hitting singles. Senior Sadie Cecil dropped a fly ball into centerfield to score Crabtree. Camryn Rodrigues replaced Addison Beal as Western pitcher, but Orange scored when Katie Carden drew a bases-loaded walk to score Roberson.

On the verge of getting run-ruled, Western Alamance came back with five runs in its side of the fifth inning, capped by a two-run homer from Rodrigues.

Cecil struck back with  a RBI single to centerfield to score Molly Kate Ollis in the fifth, putting Orange ahead 12-7. Hayleigh Hammond dropped down a sacrifice bunt to score freshman Reese Blank, who reached on a pinch-hit single to right field earlier in the inning.

Cecil finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Katie Carden drove in four runs, including the opening tally of the night with an RBI single in the third inning.

Orange sophomore Addison Guentensberger threw six innings to earn the win.

Cedar Ridge 15, Person 2, 5 innings: 

Cedar Ridge smashed a season-high 18 hits, including three hits each from senior Kimber Shambley and freshman Reagan Remaly, in an each win in Roxboro on Tuesday night.

Senior Reagan Simmons hit a solo homer in the second inning as the Red Wolves bounced back from a crushing home loss to Eastern Alamance to even its league record to 1-1. In five innings of work, senior Charlotte Lowry struck out nine to improve to 3-1.

Cedar Ridge chained together three consecutive singles to scratch the opening run across. Remaly and Shambley each reached. Junior Rylee Capps lined to center to score Remaly.

Simmons home run in the third help the Red Wolves pull away. Remaly singled and stole second with Shambley at bat. Shambley earned her second hit with a fly ball that dropped into right field. On a double steal with Capps at the plate, Remaly scored as Shambley bolted for second. Capps then earned another RBI with a single to right field.

Cedar Ridge sent 14 batters to the plate during a 10-run fourth inning. Mia Best sent a two-run single to centerfield that brought in Parker Kennedy and Brittany Goddard, putting the Red Wolves ahead 6-0. Simmons stroked an RBI single to score Madeline Galindo-Woodring. Remaly hit a two-run single on a worm burner to right field to score Best and Simmons. Then Remaly scored off a single from Capps, along with a throwing error by a Person outfielder. In her second at-bat of the inning, Goddard hit an RBI double to score Laci Sykes. Earlier in the frame, Goddard reached on an error.

Best increased Cedar Ridge’s lead to 14-0 with a two-run double to left field.

In a pinch-hitting situation, Emma Going hit a RBI single in the fifth inning to score Shambley.

Cedar Ridge will host Falls Lake on Thursday night in Hillsborough.

Carson Bradsher: Last Saturday, the Division III Averett University softball team swept Meredith University in a doubleheader at Meredith Softball Complex in Raleigh. Bradsher factored in heavily as the Cougars came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Avenging Angels. In the 3rd inning, Bradsher had an RBI double to score Hannah Jones. In the seventh, Bradsher reached an infield single and scored the game-tying run off a bases-loaded double by Kadence Woodlief. Averett completed the sweep with a 12-3 win in six innings. Bradsher went 2-for-3 with an RBI single during a seven-run 2nd inning. She also had a stolen base. On Tuesday, Christopher Newport University swept Averett in a doubleheader at Captains Park in Newport News, VA. Bradsher went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in the opener, which Newport won 6-1.

Mary Moss Wirt: On March 2, Wirt started for the Elon softball team against UNC Greensboro in the second game of a doubleheader at UNCG Softball Stadium. Starting at catcher, Wirt drew three walks. UNC Greensboro defeated the Phoenix 16-4 in five innings. Last Saturday, Wirt went 1-for-4 as Sacred Heart defeated Elon 4-1 at Hunt Softball Park in Elon. The Phoenix are 7-11.

Takia Nichols: On Tuesday, Nichols had an RBI single for North Carolina Central against Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs wound up winning in five innings.

Ava Lowry: North Carolina Wesleyan dominated Valley Forge 25-1 in five innings at North Myrtle Beach Softball Complex during the FastPitch Dreams Spring Classic on Monday. Lowry, starting at shortstop, drew a walk and scored a run. Also last weekend, Waynesburg defeated Wesleyan 4-1 Monday. Lowry finished went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly RBI. N.C. Wesleyan is 3-5 and will play at Walnut Creek Park in Raleigh. They will open with Oberlin on Friday afternoon.

Brianne Foster: The former Orange catcher went 1-for-2 for Wake Tech’s softball team on Tuesday. Louisburg defeated the Eagles 11-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader. Foster started at catcher. Last weekend at Brunswick Community College, Foster went 1-for-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. The Dolphins defeated the Eagles 5-3 in the back end of a doubleheader. Foster also played second base in the opening game of the twin bill.

Olivia Aitkin: As Amherst softball prepares to start its season on March 16, Aitkin was recently the subject of a behind the microphone segment from the university.  

Jackson Berini: Currently, Berini is in his sophomore year at Gaston College in Dallas, North Carolina. Next year, he will move on to play at Wichita State of the American Athletic Conference. Through 12 games this year, Berini is hitting .261 with the Rhinos. Among the highlights of Berini’s season so far is going 1-for-3 with three runs scored in a 10-0 win over Hartford Community College on February 14. On February 9, Berini went 2-for-4 with a double in a 13-6 win over Catawba Valley Community College. Gaston is 15-6-1 overall, 3-3 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Jackson’s older brother, Joey, has joined the Orange baseball staff as an assistant coach.

Cross Clayton: Clayton made his college debut with Gaston College against Wake Technical Community College on February 25. Clayton threw two-thirds of an inning and allowed two runs off three hits. Gaston won 11-3. Clayton graduated from Orange last year and was the first Panther pitcher since Wilson to win 20 games in a career.

Wyatt Hedrick: The Wake Tech baseball team fell to the North Carolina Wesleyan junior varsity squad 6-5 on February 27. Hedrick made his debut for the Eagles and threw a perfect fourth inning, striking out the side. Wake Tech is 9-10 overall, 6-3 in Region X.

Bryse Wilson: So far in spring training, Wilson has thrown in two games for the Chicago White Sox. On Wednesday, he started against the Milwaukee Brewers, where he played the past two seasons. Wilson allowed one run off three hits in three innings. He also had three walks and three strikeouts. On February 26, Wilson threw two shutout innings against the San Diego Padres. He struck out one and allowed two hits.

There are plenty of new faces for Orange softball as they start the new season.

First-year coach Emily Pearce got power up and down her lineup to win her first game against an eight-time state champion.

Junior Katie Carden slammed two home runs while Allie Carden added another dinger as the Lady Panthers hammered South Granville 10-1 in Creedmoor on Wednesday night. In her first varsity game, freshman Kylee Allen also homered as the Lady Panthers accomplished the rare feat of beating the Lady Vikings.

South Granville has won eight straight conference championships and 51 consecutive conference games, stretching back to its days as a 2A team.

Even Orange’s 2017 3A State Championship team, featuring Mia Davidson and Carden’s cousin Jayden Hurdle, lost to South Granville.

Pearce, who was raised around a softball powerhouse at Alexander Central, was posed with the dilemma of replacing three-year starting pitcher Caden Robinson, who graduated last year. Sophomore Addison Guentensberger stepped in and allowed just three hits in a complete game victory, striking out three.

South Granville’s Chaleigh Currin struck out 12 over seven innings.

Katie Carden finished 4-for-4 with six RBIs. She immediately struck for a RBI single to drive in Hayleigh Hammond, who stole second after walking in the first inning. The Vikings’ Tiatana Bates drove in Avery Wilson to even the game for the Vikings only run in the bottom of the inning.

The game remain tied going into the fourth inning until Allie Caden stroked a triple to right field. Senior Karley Neighbors lined a single to left field to bring in Carden, starting a string of nine unanswered Orange runs.

Katie Carden’s first home run ignited a four-run fifth inning that put the game out of reach. After leadoff batter Sadie Cecil reached on a single to centerfield, Carden drove one deep to right that landed on a steep hill over the fence. Orange hit back-to-back-to-back home runs with Allie Carden and Allen each hitting dingers to put the Lady Panthers ahead 6-1.

Cecil drove in Guentensberger with an RBI single in the sixth. That led to Katie Carden’s second home run, a three-run blast scoring Cecil and Reese Blank.

Orange’s game against Apex Friendship was canceled on Friday. They’re scheduled to host Southeast Alamance in its home opener on Monday afternoon in Hillsborough.

Cedar Ridge 16, Chapel Hill 1: Junior Mia Best struck out nine as the Red Wolves defeated Chapel Hill 16-1 for its first win of the season on Wednesday at CHHS. Best finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs.

Senior Charlotte Lowry, who started in the circle in Cedar Ridge’s season-opener against Wakefield last week, hit a three-run homer in the third as the Red Wolves finished off the Tigers in six innings. Reagan Simmons, who spent last season at Apex, returned to the Cedar Ridge lineup starting at catcher.

Junior Laci Sykes drove in the opening run in the second inning with a bloop pop-up in the infield that eluded the Chapel Hill infielders. Raegan Remaly, who lined a double to right earlier, scored. Best drove in Sykes and Madeline Galindo-Woodring with a double to right field.

Lowry blew the game wide open with a three-run blast in the third. Simmons and Remaly both reached on errors to start the frame.

Simmons, Rylee Capps and Remaly all drew walks to open the fifth inning. Galindo-Woodring lined a single to right field to bring in Simmons and Capps. Best drove in Remaly with a single that reached the edge of the right field grass.

Senior Kimber Shambley, who has signed with Western Carolina, opened the sixth inning with a double to centerfield. Shambley would later score off an error.

Cedar Ridge will host Eastern Alamance in its Central Conference opener in Hillsborough on Monday night at 6.

Two instrumental parts of the Orange softball program signed to play with the Mars Hill Lions on Wednesday night. Senior shortstop Sadie Cecil and catcher Allie Carden were honored during a ceremony at the Orange High School Library. Carden, accompanied by Mike Carden, Carla and Justin, joined Orange last season after two years at Person. She tied for the team lead with 33 RBIs as the Lady Panthers finished 16-7 and reached the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs. It was the deepest playoff run for Orange since they won the 2017 3A State Championship. Carden and Cecil played for the Carolina Elite travel team coached by John Warf. Cecil’s contributions for Orange athletics isn’t limited to the softball diamond. An aspiring athletic trainer, Cecil has been a regular at Orange football practices, where her brother Luke is the starting center. She sits in the golf cart alongside trainer Emily Gaddy and assistant Alicia Harris from August to November. Last year, Cecil was the leadoff batter and starting shortstop. She has a lifetime batting average of .354 over 50 games. In 2024, Cecil was tied for the team for second on the team with 32 hits. She also scored 34 runs and hit .410 on the season. Sadie was joined by her father Anthony and mother Robin during the ceremony, which included many members of the Orange softball and baseball teams.

Orange softball’s Sadie Cecil & Allie Carden discuss signing with Mars Hill Lions

Two instrumental parts of the Orange softball program signed to play with the Mars Hill Lions on Wednesday night. Senior shortstop Sadie Cecil and catcher Allie Carden were honored during a ceremony at the Orange High School Library. Carden, accompanied by Mike Carden, Carla and Justin, joined Orange last season after two years at Person.

Mia Davidson: This week, Davidson will suit up for Team USA in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Softball World Cup Finals in Castions di Strada, Italy. The Americans will open against Canada on Monday at noon. Davidson continues to play for Denso Bright Pegasus in Japan’s Diamond League, where she starts regularly as catcher. She is hitting .189 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. The second half of the Japanese season starts September 7. The Bright Pegasus went 8-10 in the opening half of its season. After Davidson returns from Italy, she will resume play in Athletes Unlimited to round out the summer. It will be Davidson’s third season with Athletes Unlimited.

Ivy Garner: The North Carolina Courage U-23 women’s soccer team will host the championship game of the United Soccer W League next week at the WRAL Soccer Complex in Cary. On Saturday, the Courage defeated the Tennessee United Soccer Club 2-1 in added extra time during the W League’s semifinals. Garner, who spent her freshman season at Cedar Ridge High School before she transferred to Eno River Academy for her final three years, scored a goal in the quarterfinals against the Long Island Roughridgers, which the Courage won 3-0 on July 7. In the opening game of the W League Playoffs, Garner added another goal as the Courage whitewashed the North Carolina Fusion 7-nil. Garner helped Liberty University win the Conference USA Tournament championship last season, finishing with six goals and four assists in 20 games.

Bryse Wilson: The Milwaukee Brewers continue to lead the National League Central Division with a 54-42 record going into Saturday. They’re four games ahead of St. Louis. After starting games in May and June, Wilson has returned to the bullpen thus far in July. This season, he has a 5-3 record with a 4.12 ERA and 66 strikeouts. On Friday, Wilson threw one shutout inning with one strikeouts in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. Wilson had a no-decision. On June 25, Wilson earned the win in a game against the defending World Champion Texas Rangers 3-1 at American Family Ballpark. Wilson threw six shutout innings, allowing only three hits and striking out seven. On June 15, Wilson earned a 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. In five-plus innings, Wilson allowed three hits with zero runs, six strikeouts and two walks.

Ryan Hench: After redshirting this spring for the University of North Carolina baseball team, Hench is spending this summer playing for the Burlington Sock Puppets of the Appalachian League. Over six games, Hench is 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA with 27 strikeouts and 20 walks. Through July 13, Hench has thrown a team-high 24.2 innings. Hench earned his first win against the Sri-City Coal Cats 2-1 on June 22. He there five innings, striking out eight. He allowed four hits and just one run.

Joey Berini: Last month, Berin’s career with East Carolina came to a heartbreaking end when Evansville defeated the Pirates 6-5 at Clarke-LeClair Stadium in game seven of the Greenville Regional. In his final game with the Pirates, Berini started at shortstop. East Carolina, the #16 national seed, finished the year as the American Athletic Conference regular season champions with a 46-17 record. Berini, whose senior year at Orange was abbreviated to four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, finished his final season starting all 63 games, one of only five Pirates to play in every game. He hit .225 with four home runs and 36 RBIs. In his ECU career, Berini won four AAC regular season titles.

Dante DeFranco: In its first season in the AAC, the Charlotte 49ers baseball team finished 27-37. They were eliminated by Florida Atlantic in the AAC Tournament in Clearwater Florida in May. DeFranco, who played there years at Cedar Ridge before transferring to Orange for his senior year, hit .259 in 55 games this season. He had one home run and 18 RBIs.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior pitcher Caden Robinson. In her final game at Orange on Thursday night, Robinson broke the school record for most career strikeouts. She set down ten South Brunswick Cougars in the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. She ended her career with 380 strikeouts, breaking the previous mark of 378 by Kristina Givens. This season, Robinson was also Orange’s leading hitter, posting a .526 batting average. She also led the team with 40 hits, 17 doubles and five home runs. She tied for the team lead with 33 RBIs. A starter since her freshman year, Robinson was a part of a conference championship team in 2021. This year, Orange reached the Round of 16 in the state playoffs for the first time since 2017, when the Lady Panthers won the 3A State Championship. Caden went 14-5 this season with a 2.96 ERA. She ends her career with 27 wins. Robinson also posted a lifetime batting average of .526 with 17 home runs and 98 RBIs. This month, she posted back-to-back shutouts in the state playoffs against C.B. Aycock and South Johnston. This year, Orange won eight consecutive games, including victories at Southern Alamance and Western Alamance. After she graduates next month, she will play college softball at Averett University in Danville, Virginia.

Orange Panther of the Week: Caden Robinson

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For the first time since winning the 3A State Championship in 2017, the Orange softball team has reached the round of 16 in the state tournament. On Friday, Orange rolled past South Johnston, the Quad County Champions, 7-0 in Four Oaks. Senior Caden Robinson struck out nine in a complete game, four-hit shutout. Mia Leathers, as a designated player, roped a two-run single to break Orange’s lead out to 7-0 in the fifth inning. Orange is the last team standing from the Central Conference in the state playoffs. Robinson is 14-4 this season with 139 strikeouts. Leathers, a senior, is hitting .264 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. The Lady Panthers were in Southport last night for a game against South Brunswick. The game was interrupted by rain in the fifth inning with the Cougars leading 2-0. The game will resume today in the top of the fifth inning with Evelyn George running at first base with one out. Robinson has seven strikeouts through four innings. Robinson now has 377 strikeouts, which is only one behind the school record set by Kristina Givens, who was the hurler for Orange’s 3A State Championship team. The winner of Orange-South Brunswick will face the winner of Havelock-Cape Fear in the state quarterfinals.

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Thrive and advance.

It’s a modification of a three-word phrase that famed N.C. State men’s college basketball coach Jim Valvano coined to describe the unpredictable, exhilarating but cruel nature of March Madness.

In softball, it’s just as unrelenting. One bad inning can sink a team’s season.

Orange softball coach Rachel Peel turned that catchphrase on its head as the Lady Panthers started play against C.B. Aycock in the 3A State Playoffs on Tuesday night. In its final postseason with senior pitcher Caden Robinson, Orange has reached the round of 16 in the state playoffs for the first time since they won the 3A State Championship in 2017.

On Friday night, Robinson struck out nine in a complete-game shutout for her 14th win of the season, propelling Orange past South Johnston 7-0 in Four Oaks. The Trojans, the Quad County Conference champions who rolled through conference play with a 14-0 record, had not been shutout all season. They end the year 20-2 after suffering its first loss since March 14.

“Everyone in the playoffs is saying ‘Survive and Advance,'” Peel said after the bus returned from a two-hour journey from Johnston County on Friday night. “I keep saying ‘Thrive and Advance.’ I don’t want to have that mindset of finality. I don’t want to have that mindset of this could be the last one. I want to leave it all the field and play the absolute best you can play. Just thrive at a high level.”

Orange has outscored its opening two playoff opponents 22-0. On Tuesday night, Orange routed Aycock, another Quad County opponent, 15-0 in Hillsborough.

On Friday, Orange played an error-free game and didn’t allow a Trojan beyond second base. Robinson threw her third shutout of the season and now has 370 career strikeouts. It’s believed that the school record is held by Kristina Givens, the pitcher from Orange’s state championship team, who finished with 378 from 2014-2017.

The game was scoreless going into the fourth inning when Allie Carden reached on a walk. Hayeligh Hammond sent a ground ball to Trojans shortstop Kaylee Cox, who underhanded the ball to second baseman Randi Deese, but Carden legged it out and slid into second safely. With Rhiley Crabtree at bat, Carden raced for third. The throw by catcher Reese Penny overshot third baseman Allison Barbour, leading to Carden and Hammond both scoring.

The Trojans engineered its biggest threat when Cox singled to left field and Ava Strickland walked with two out. Orange shortstop Sadie Cecil captured a line drive from Jaydin Wall to end the inning.

Katie Carden, Addison Guentensberger and Cecil all singled to open the fifth inning. Robinson threw a bases-loaded walk to score Guentensberger. Then Allie Carden followed with another bases-loaded walk, bringing in Cecil. With two out, Crabtree was hit by a pitch, allowing Katie Carden to increase Orange’s lead to 5-0. Senior Mia Leathers delivered the big blow with a hard grounder up the middle, scoring Robinson and Allie Carden to make it 7-0.

In Orange’s 15-0 win over C.B. Aycock on Tuesday night, Cecil set the proper tone, leading off with a solo home run that sailed over the centerfield fence, her fourth of the season. Allie Carden followed with a towering three-run homer that went over dead centerfield.

In the second, Katie Carden delivered a three-run homer that scored Guentensberger and Cecil. It was Katie Carden’s second home run of the season to increase the Orange lead to 7-0. Leathers drove in Allie Carden and Hammond with a two-run single.

Orange is now the last team remaining in the state playoffs from the Central Conference. Southern Alamance, the co-league champion, lost to Union Pines 8-7 in Graham on Friday night. Southern Nash, the #1 overall seed in the East Region, held off Eastern Alamance 2-1 in Bailey.