Orange Softball

On a night where four seniors played their final games on the Orange softball field, it was a junior and a sophomore who ensured the Lady Panthers would return to the postseason.

Junior 3rd baseman Olivia Ruff went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run, while sophomore pitcher Jaden Hurdle hit her 3rd homer of the season to push Orange past Northern Durham 14-4 on Tuesday night at Panther Softball Field.

The win ensures Orange will finish at least 4th in the Big 8 Conference, which will put them in the state playoffs, which begin on Tuesday.

After a rocky start where Northern scored four runs in the first inning, Hurdle finished the game throwing four shutout innings to improve to 6-6 in the circle.

The Knights stormed out to a 4-0 lead, but Orange scored 14 consecutive runs to improve to 10-8 overall, 8-5 in the Big 8.

Orange started the comeback with five runs in the 1st, starting with Hurdle singling to centerfield. Hurdle rounded the bases without a hit, taking second on a passed ball, stealing third and scoring on another passed ball. After Hayley Funk and senior Alysann Lloyd each walked, Funk scored off another wild pitch. Freshman Emma Puckett double to right to bring in Lloyd. Ruff’s first hit of the game plated Puckett to tie the game 404. Senior Olivia Latta-Harshaw reached on an infield single that went off the glove of Northern pitcher McKenzie McCullen, scoring Ruff and putting Orange ahead 5-4.

Orange struck for eight runs in the fourth. Hurdle led off the inning with a double to centerfield. After a bunt single by Funk, Lloyd reached on an error to score Hurdle. Alisha Pettiford knocked in Funk off a hard ground ball to the shortstop. Ruff swatted a three-home homer to left field, increasing Orange’s lead to 10-4.

Sophomore Rachel Tilley started another offensive wave with a single to center. Senior Alyssa Heilman walked, leading to Hurdle’s three-run homer.

The Lady Panthers ensured a slaughter rule win with a run in the fifth. Ruff hit a two-out double to right field,  and Tilley singled her in to end the game.

Orange is now tied with Northern Durham for 3rd place in the conference. The two teams will meet again on Thursday night at 6 to conclude the regular season.

The state playoffs begin on Tuesday.

A year removed from winning the 3A state championship, the Orange softball team finds itself in a battle just to make the state playoffs.

With four games remaining in Big 8 Conference play, Orange is tied with Northwood for 4th place with a 5-5 league record. The top four teams in the Big 8 automatically earn a state playoff birth.

Northern Durham is in 3rd place at 6-3. The Knights and the Lady Panthers start a two-game series on next Tuesday. In addition, Northern is slated to make up a rained-out game with 2nd place East Chapel Hill Thursday.

Northwood starts a crucial series with East Chapel Hill on Wednesday at Wildcat Field. East travels to Pittsboro on Friday. After dropping both games to Northern Durham last week, the Chargers finish the season next week against Hillside.

64 teams will make the 3A state softball tournament. There are spots for wildcard teams that finish in 5th place in their respective conferences, based on their overall win-loss records. The regular season ends on May 3rd.

The falloff from winning a state championship isn’t surprising for an Orange team that has been scrambling to make up for losses both planned and unexpected.

From the time that Orange swept the 3A State Championship series from Piedmont last June at N.C. State’s Dail Field, the Lady Panthers fans and players knew what odds they faced in 2018. They understood the entire starting battery would be gone, and it was a battery that came along very rarely.

Catcher Mia Davidson, the 2017 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, now leads the Southeastern Conference in three categories as a freshman at Mississippi State. Pitcher Christina Givens went 22-3 with a 1.36 ERA in 22 starts in 2017. Another senior, Abby Hamlett, voluntarily moved to shortstop at the request of Coach Eddie Davidson to accommodate freshman Grace Andrews at 2nd base. Hamlett responded by hitting  a team-best .489 with 43 hits (also a team-high) and 22 RBIs, second only to you-know-who’s 39.

What wasn’t anticipated was Eddie Davidson’s departure just days before the season-opener against Eastern Alamance. Davidson moved to Washington, D.C. when he received a promotion with the National Letter Carriers’ Association, leaving assistant Henry Horn as the interim coach.

Now, Orange has a team with only four seniors on the roster with a 7-7 overall record going into a nonconference game at Eastern Guilford on Wednesday.

Last week, Orange swept Chapel Hill in a two-game series, winning 18-3 on Friday. Andrews went 3-for-3 with 5 RBI, while 1st baseman Jaden Hurdle went 2-for-3 with a double. Senior Olivia Latta-Harshaw went 2-for-2 with a double and 3 RBI.

On Tuesday, senior centerfielder Alysann Lloyd went 4-for-4 with 7 RBI as Orange defeated Chapel Hill 28-1. Sophomore Rachel Tilley hit a two-run homer to centerfield.

Hurdle, who has started eleven games as pitcher, is the leading hitter on the team with a .432 average. She also leads the team with 19 hits. Freshman Emma Puckett is hitting .415 with 13 RBIs. Junior Alisha Pettiford, playing 1st base in Hurdle’s absence, is hitting .343 and leads the team with 16 RBIs and two home runs.

Mia Davidson: For the 3rd time this season, Davidson was named the SEC Rookie of the Week after Mississippi State took two-of-three games from archrival Ole Miss. On April 16, Davidson hit her 15th home run on a 7-6 loss to the Rebels, tying her with Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo for the SEC lead. Against Ole Miss, Davidson went 6-for-10 with a double, a home run and three RBI. On Friday, Davidson hit her 16th homer against #5 Florida in a 8-3 loss. Mississippi State is now 33-15 overall, 6-12 in the SEC. Davidson was also named a Top 25 Finalist for the National Freshman of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Davidson has started all 48 games for the Bulldogs, leading the team with a .413 batting average with 16 home runs and 41 RBIs (team lead in the latter two categories). She also leads the team with 13 doubles, 127 total bases and a .480 on base percentage. Davidson is two home runs away from tying Iyhia McMichael for the school single-season record.

Rachel Peel: The Meredith Softball team ended its season over the weekend with a four-game, non-conference road series. Pfeiffer swept the Avenging Angles 8-0 and 4-3. Meredith defeated Guilford 9-0 to end the season 28-17. Against the Quakers, former Orange catcher Rachel Peel went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI and a double. In the first inning, Peel knocked in Alyssa Drake on an RBI fielder’s choice. In the next frame, Peel laced an RBI single to right, scoring Kelsey Mabe. In the 6th, Peel doubled to left field to bring in Drake and Mabe. In the 4-3 loss to Pfeiffer, Peel went 1-for-4 with a run scored. In 23 games this season, Peel hit .323 with 21 hits, five doubles and eleven RBI. Peel was named to the USA South Conference East Division first team, one of eight Avenging Angels honored.

Bryse Wilson: The 2016 Orange graduate got a no-decision on Saturday afternoon as the Florida Fire Frogs defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers 7-5 at Osceola County Stadium. Wilson gave up four hits and four runs, only one earned, through four-and-two-thirds innings, striking out five and walking two. On April 15, Wilson earned his first win of the season against the Palm Beach Cardinals, throwing five shutout innings and yielding only one hit. Wilson struck out five and walked none. Through three games, Wilson is 1-0 with a 0.68 ERA with 15 strikeouts and three walks.

Mackenzie Cates: Lenoir-Rhyne Softball captured the South Atlantic Conference regular season championship outright on April 14 after sweeping a doubleheader from Carson-Newman in Jefferson City, Tennessee. The Bears captured the nightcap 7-5 in eight innings. In that game, former Orange catcher Mackenzie Cates hit her team-record 12th home run of the season in the 7th inning. On Wednesday, Lenoir-Rhyne swept another doubleheader from Newberry, 11-0 and 6-3. In the opener, Cates hit a three-run homer. On Friday, King College ended Lenoir-Rhyne’s 16-game winning streak with a 2-1 defeat of the Bears. The Tornado went on to capture game two 4-3. Lenoir Rhyne will be the top seed in the South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship starting Saturday in Anderson, S.C. Cates leads Lenoir-Rhyne with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs. She also hitting .347.

Jordan Toney: The former Orange pitcher has seen increased action for Division II UNC Pembroke recently. Toney started against Flagler on Saturday, throwing six-and-a-third innings, giving up six hits, three runs. He took a no decision as Pembroke won 5-3. On April 18th, Toney threw an inning of mop-up duty as Pembroke put away Coker 15-9. Toney struck out two while giving up one run and two hits. Against North Georgia in April 14th, Toney threw a season-high eight innings, giving up eight hits, four runs (two earned), while striking out two in a no decision. The Nighthawks defeated the Braves 5-4 in eleven innings. Toney took his third win of the season in an 8-4 win over Francis Marion. Toney tossed seven shutout innings, scattering six hits

Stephen Tanner: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper ended the season over the weekend with Greensboro College. The Pride lost to Huntingdon 12-5 in the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament in Lagrange, GA on April 14. Tanner made eight saves in the loss. Tanner, a senior, 8-9 with a 9.12 Goals Against Average.

Cole Churchill: Churchill saw action as a defenseman for Randolph-Macon in the Yellow Jackets 25-4 win over Randolph on Saturday.

Bowen Collins: Lenoir-Rhyne capture the South Atlantic Conference regular season championship after beating Coker 15-7 on Saturday. Collins played in the game late for the Bears.

Zach Wright: The former Orange attacker fired two shots as Mars Hill defeated Newberry 10-9 on Saturday. It was the Lions 2nd win of the season.

How big was the Orange softball team’s win over Northwood on Tuesday night? It may make the difference between Orange making the state playoffs and staying home. Lady Panther right fielder Rachel Tilley lined the game-winning hit to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Olivia Ruff. It was Tilley’s 3rd hit of the game, and her second triple. Orange. Is now 5-6 overall, 3-4 in the Big 8 with a rematch against Northwood set for Friday in Pittsboro.

Orange RF Rachel Tilley Talks Game-Winning Triple vs. Northwood

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Bryse Wilson: 2016 Orange graduate Bryse Wilson was assigned by the Atlanta Braves organization to the Florida Fire Frogs of the Class A Florida State League to start his 2nd full professional season. Wilson was supposed to make his Florida debut on Friday against the Daytona Tortugas, but the game was rained out. The Florida State League is High-A baseball in the minor league structure, a step up from the South Atlantic League, where Wilson played with the Rome Braves in 2017. Last year, Wilson went 11-8 with a 2.20 ERA through 32 starts. Wilson had 168 strikeouts with 45 walks.

Mia Davidson: In the last two weeks, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have faced #10 Texas A&M and #6 Georgia. MSU, ranked #22 as of last week, went combined for a 1-5 record against the Bulldogs and the Aggies. Davidson, a freshman catcher, hit .263 against Georgia and Texas A&M with two doubles and a home run. Davidson currently leads the SEC in slugging percentage (.843), is 2nd in home runs (13), 3rd in hits (52), 5th in runs scored (38), 5th in doubles (12), 9th in batting average (.409) and tied for 12th in RBIs (34). The Bulldogs are currently 29-11 with an 4-8 SEC record.

Mackenzie Cates: Lenoir-Rhyne swept a doubleheader against Mars Hill on Sunday, winning 6-5 and 10-1. It was the Bears Senior Day. Former Orange High catcher Mackenzie Cates combined to go 2-for-6 in the doubleheader with a double, a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. Cates is hitting .353 with nine home runs (3rd in the South Atlantic Conference) and 30 RBIs (9th in the SAC). The Bears are ranked #12 in Division II, has won ten in a row and is 20-0 at home this year. The Bears have also won 34 of their last 36 contests and maintained their four-game lead in the SAC.

Brad Debo: The former Orange catcher appeared as a pinch-hitter on Friday and Saturday in the Wolfpack’s series against Louisville. This season, Debo has played in 25 games and is hitting .264 with one home run and 13 RBIs. N.C. State, 25-6, has reached #2 in the country in the Baseball America, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball polls, matching the highest ranking in school history.

Brandon Andrews: The 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate threw an inning of mop up duty against #17 LSU on April 3rd, giving up only one hit. So far in his freshman season, Andrews has pitched in eight games, throwing nine innings with a 7.00 ERA. Andrews has struck out five and walked two.

Rachel Peel: The Meredith catcher went 1-for-3 against Ferrum in sweeping a first-round USA Conference Series on Friday. Meredith advanced to face Covenant on Friday. In 19 games this season, Peel has hit .280 with one home run and seven RBIs.

Stephen Tanner: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper earned the win on Sunday as Greensboro College defeated Randolph College 9-7. Tanner made nine saves. Tanner is 8-8 for the Pride this season. Tanner is third in the USA South Atlantic Conference (Division III) with 150 saves and is 5th with an 8.96 goals against average.

Cole Churchill: Now a junior defenseman with Randolph-Macon, Churchill has seen action in nine games. Last week, Churchill got the start in the Yellow Jackets’ 10-7 at Bridgewater, Virginia.

Bowen Collins: The former Orange High midfielder fired two shots as Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Lincoln Memorial 14-11 on Saturday. The Bears are now 12-1, ranked #3 in Division II. They lead the South Atlantic Conference with a 5-0 league mark. This season in eight games, Collins has scored four goals and two assists.

Zack Wright: The former Orange attacker started and got off two shots in Mars Hill’s 19-7 loss at Queens. This season, Wright has played in three games and scored two goals.

Seven innings, three hits, four runs and six strikeouts.

Ordnarily, Orange’s Jaden Hurdle’s pitching line would be more than enough for victory.

But not on Wednesday night, because no one can beat perfect.

That’s what Cedar Ridge’s Rivers Andrews was against Orange. Not only perfect, but untouchable.

Andrews struck out 20 Panthers out of 21 batters she faced. Only Alysann Lloyd was able to put the ball in fair play, grounding out to second. Every other Lady Panther went down on strikes.

Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 4-0. Sophomore Tori Daltehite went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the 2nd iinning. Tionna Carter had the only CRHS hit, and scored off a sacrifice fly from Taylor Ruhl.

It was a performance reminiscent of the last time Cedar Ridge defeated Orange on April 26, 2016. Andrews struck out 14 Lady Panthers, including Mia and Montana Davidson, to propel the Red Wolves to an 8-2 win. That night, the Orange batters walked six times and collected two hits.

The Red Wolves remain tied for 1st place with East Chapel Hill in the Big 8 Conference with a 3-0 record, 4-1 overall. Orange, who was swept by East Chapel Hill in a doubleheader two weeks ago, falls to 4-4 overall, 2-3 in the Big 8.

Cedar Ridge will host Orange on Thursday at 6:30 to conclude the two-game series. The Red Wolves will go for its first season sweep of the Panthers this decade.

A year ago, the gap between Orange and Cedar Ridge softball seemed wider than ever.

Orange had the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year in catcher Mia Davidson, now starting for Mississippi State. The Lady Panthers swept the Red Wolves, including a game at OHS that ended 15-0 in just three innings. A month later, Orange would claim the 3A state championship, long after the Red Wolves had ended a 6-12 campaign.

When the crosstown rivals start a two-game series tonight at Orange, things figure to be considerably different. Of course, Orange lost Davidson, shortstop Abby Hamlett and pitcher Christina Givens to graduation. Those departures were a foregone conclusion.

What Orange parents and fans didn’t expec at the end of lose season would be to lose head coach Eddie Davidson just days before the season opener against Eastern Alamance on March 7th. Henry Horn, who left softball coaching after a stint at Northern Durham and didn’t have any intention to return until Mia Davidson persuaded him back into it, is now the interim head coach.

With all the changes, Orange is 3-3, already as many losses as they had in all of 2017. They’re 2-2 in the Big 8, two games behind conference leader East Chapel Hill.

On the other end of town, Cedar Ridge stormed out of the gates 3-0, including a resounding sweep of Northwood to open the Big 8 campaign. Despite losing to Roxboro Community School on Monday night to drop to 3-1, the Red Wolves will have confidence agains the Lady Panthers because of two players who didn’t play last season.

Senior pitcher Rivers Andrews is 3-1 with a 0.58 ERA. he has 50 strikeouts and four walks. A third-year varsity starter, Andrews has had past success against Orange. In her sophomore season, with Mia and Montana Davidson in the starting lineup, Andrews struck out 14 in an 8-2 Cedar Ridge win. Three nights later, she fanned 13 Panthers, but Orange won 3-1 behind a two-run single from Mia Davidson. Andrews went 14-6 her sophomore season with 243 strikeouts.

Just as Cedar Ridge struggled to find a replacement for Andrews last seaosn, Orange has been hard pressed to find a replacement for Davidson, which was hardly unpredictable since she was the most accomplished female athlete in school history. Yet both of the catchers on Orange’s roster played at Stanford Middle School last year. Originally, freshman Hunter Balog was penciled into Davidson’s spot, but she was hit in the head by a practice ball the night before the season opener against Eastern Alamance. Alaysia Sanford, who was supposed to play junior varsity, was rushed to the main roster as the emergency replacement.

Another factor for Cedar Ridge has been the emergence of sophomore Tori Dalehite, who missed last season after tearing her ACL in the first high school basketball game she ever played in. While going hitless on Monday against RCS, Dalehite is still hitting .615 with seven RBIs through her first four varsity games. In fact, she homered in her first high school game against Eastern Alamance.

Kymberlie Thacker is hitting .357 for Cedar Ridge, while junior Tionna Carter is hitting .287.

Orange has depth of its own. Alisha Pettiford hit two home runs during a doubleheader with East Chapel Hill. Freshman shortstop Emma Puckett went 3-for-4 in her first varsity game, also against Eastern Alamance.

The first game of the two-game series will be tonight at Orange starting at 6:30. Cedar Ridge will host Thursday night’s game also at 6:30.

The first Orange Panther of the Week for the spring sports season is Orange softball pitcher/1st baseman Jaden Hurdle. A sophomore, Hurdle has pitched in victories over Eastern Alamance and Roxboro Community School this season. On Thursday against RCS, she led off the game with a home run. Last season, Jaden started at 1st base as a freshman, helping the 2018 Orange softball squad become the first team in OHS history win a female team sports state championship. Jaden also accepted an invitation to the prom after Thursday’s win over RCS, but it turns out she was prepared before she was even asked.

Orange Panther of the Week: Jaden Hurdle

The first Orange Panther of the Week for the spring sports season is Orange softball pitcher/1st baseman Jaden Hurdle. A sophomore, Hurdle has pitched in victories over Eastern Alamance and Roxboro Community School this season. On Wednesday against RCS, she led off the game with a home run.

After six days between games, the Orange softball team was hungry to play again.

With 15 days since its last win, the Lady Panthers were also ready to taste victory again. On Thursday night in Hillsborough, they did both.

Jaden Hurdle led off the game with a solo homer and went on to throw a complete game five-hitter to help Orange (2-3) defeated Roxboro Community 7-2 at Orange High Softball Field.

Hurdle, who played first base last season during Orange’s march to the 3A State Championship, earned her second win of the season by striking out eleven Bulldogs, walking only one.

It was a double win night for Hurdle. After she left the locker room after the game, she found an unique prom proposal waiting for her, which she accepted.

Orange jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings. Following Hurdle’s solo blast in the first inning, the Panthers racked up five runs in the second inning. Alyssa Heilman laced a double and finished 1-for-3. Emma Packett went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Alisa Pettiford went 1-for-2 with an RBI and drew two walks. Alaysia Sanford, a freshman who is now catching after the projected starter Hunter Balog sufferered a broken hand and wrist following an ATV acccident, went 1-for-3.

Orange ended a three-game losing streak that started when they fell to Eastern Alamance on March 7th. East Chapel Hill swept a doubleheader from Orange last Friday.

On Friday, Orange will host Hillside for a doubleheader at Orange High Softball Field starting at 5. The original game at Hillside was rained out on Tuesday.

Mia Davidson: Last week, Davidson was named the SEC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. Davidson knocked eight hits, six of which went for extra bases, as the Bulldogs earned wins over Boston College, Illinois and UMass Lowell. Davidson is the first Bulldog to be honored with the award twice in a season since pitcher Alexis Silkwood in 2014. Over the weekend, Mississippi State took two of three games in its opening conference series against Missouri in Columbia, MO. In the Bulldogs’ 4-0 victory on Friday, Davidson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. In Sunday’s 6-3 Mississippi State win, Davidson hit her 10th homer of the year in the 3rd inning. In the 4th inning, she drew a bases-loaded walk for her 29th RBI, tied for the team lead.

Brad Debo: For the first time in program history, N.C. State completed a three-game sweep at Clemson over the weekend. N.C. State is now 18-3, 5-1 in the ACC. Former Orange catcher Brad Debo started all three games, drawing two walks in Friday’s 4-0 win over the Tigers. Last Tuesday in an 15-11 win over UNC Asheville, Debo went 2-for-2 with an RBI single.

Mackenzie Cates: The Lenoir-Rhyne softball team went 6-0 last week, running its winning streak to 13. Former Orange catcher Mackenzie Cates hit .347 for the week, including a home run during the second game of a 3-1 doubleheader win over Tusculum in Greensville, Tennessee. In the opening game of the doubleheader against Pioneers, Cates went 2-for-4. On Thursday, the Bears swept a doubleheader from USC-Aiken in Aiken, South Carolina on scores of 9-0 and 5-0. In the opening game of the doubleheader, Cates went 2-for-4 and scored three runs. In the final game, Cates again went 2-for-4. This season, Cates is hitting .351 with seven doubles. She leads the team with five home runs and 21 RBIs.

Stephen Tanner: The former Cedar Ridge Goalkeeper made eight saves while facing 41 shots against Huntingdon in a 5-4 loss in a USA South Athletic Conference (Division III) match in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday. Tanner has started eleven games this season, recording a 6-4 record. He is 5th in the South Atlantic Conference with an 8.21 Goals Against Average and 7th with a 48.9% save percentage. Greensboro is 7-4 on the season.

Brandon Andrews: In his freshman year with Nicholls, Andrews threw two-thirds of an inning in the first game of a doubleheader against Houston Baptist in a 13-4 loss on Saturday. Andrews gave up two hits and an earned run. On Friday, Andrews threw 1 and two-thirds innings of middle relief, giving up one hit and striking out one as the Colonels defeated HBU 5-4.

Rachel Peel: Rachel Peel had a double as Meredith rallied to defeat Averett University 8-7 on Saturday. Peel also started in Sunday’s 4-3 win over Greensboro College.

Bowen Collins: The former Orange High star assisted on a goal as Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Tusculum 14-10 on Saturday. On the season, Collins has played in five games, scoring two goals and two assists. The Bears are now #3 Division II team in the country with an 8-1 record, 2-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. Lenoir-Rhyne has won 18 consecutive South Atlantic Conference regular season games.

Jordan Toney: In UNC Pembroke’s 12-6 win over Winston-Salem State on Friday, Toney threw a shutout inning of relief. The Braves are now ranked #25 in Division II.

Cole Churchill:  A former Cedar Ridge defenseman, Churchill saw action for Randolph-Macon on Saturday as the Yellow Jackets lost to Washington & Lee 12-6.