Orange Softball

The spring sports season has started at some schools across the southeast. Next weekend, it will gets underway for the vast majority of colleges. There are many former Orange and Cedar Ridge athletes who will take the field or have already started their college careers.

Lauren Jackson: Jackson immediately made an impact for the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team. In just her second game, Jackson delivered the On Saturday, Jackson delivered the game-winning hit as the Bears defeated Lee University 9-8 in seven innings at Butler Field in Cleveland, TN. With two out in the seventh inning, Jackson stroked a bases-loaded single to centerfield to bring in Abbey Nixon and Julia Mardigian, which proved to be the game-winning runs. On the day, Jackson went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. In the fourth inning, Jackson had an RBI when she grounded out to the pitcher Natalie Pruitt. The Bears swept the doubleheader against the Flames. In the opener, Jackson entered the game as a reserve in the sixth inning. Lenoir-Rhyne won the opening game 8-0.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team is picked to finish second in the Southern Conference this spring. Dalehite, the 2019 Big 8 Conference Hitter of the Year, returns for her junior season with the Spartans. Last season, Dalehite hit .162 in 29 games. She had three RBIs. In her freshman year, the Spartans won the Southern Conference championship and reached the NCAA Tournament Regional in Athens, where Dalehite faced her favorite school growing up, Duke. The Spartans start its season in Fort Myers, FL in the Florida Gulf Coast Kickoff Classic. The Spartans will face Long Island on Friday morning, then face Binghamton later that day. UNCG will also face Florida Gulf Coast and Southern Illinois.

Takia Nichols: The all-time leading home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history will start her college career on Friday in the Charleston Southern Kickoff Tournament hosted in Charleston, South Carolina. The Eagles will open with Siena on Friday morning, then face Monmouth. Nichols had 32 home runs and 109 RBIs in her Cedar Ridge career, which included the 2019 Big 8 Conference Championship. Nichols is also the first-ever member of the Hillsboroughsports.com 4-Timers Club, winning Athlete of the Week four times in four years. Since then, she has been joined in the club by Cedar Ridge volleyball outside hitter Cameron Lloyd and wrestler Fernando Martinez.

Mary Moss Wirt: The Elon softball team will kick off its season against Southern Indiana in the Elon Softball Classic on Friday morning. The round-robin event will also include Winthrop and Morgan State. Wirt played third base, second base and shortstop during her time at Orange. She was a starter on the 2021 Big 8 Conference championship squad that went undefeated during a season abbreviated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Elon, Wirt is penciled in as a catcher, a position she never played at Orange. In 52 games at Orange, Wirt hit .309 with 30 RBIs.

Olivia Aitkin: The Division III Amherst Mammoths will start its season later than most college teams. Amherst begins on March 12 against Bethel University. Aitkin, a former All-Conference performer in softball and golf, played centerfield for Cedar Ridge. In 48 career games, she hit .423 with 53 RBIs and 14 doubles. She was a member of Cedar Ridge’s 2019 Big 8 Conference championship team.

Ava Lowry: The Division III North Carolina Wesleyan softball team starts its season on February 25 with a doubleheader at Mary Washington at Fredricksburgh, VA. In four years at Cedar Ridge, Lowry played shortstop. In 57 games, she hit .455 with four home runs and 50 RBIs. She played alongside Nichols, who was at third base, for much of her middle school and high school career.

Grace Andrews: Andrews will begin her third season at Catawba Valley Community College this week. She was supposed to begin this weekend, but a series against the Belmont Abbey junior varsity team, but the doubleheader was canceled. For the first time in her college career, Andrews will get some reps at catcher. In 45  games last season with the Red Hawks, Andrews has an .301 average.

Through many twists and turns, Carson Bradsher has never lost sight of her goal to play college softball. There are no backward steps in life, something that Bradsher has learned throughout a process that has been challenging. Last month, in a ceremony inside Orange High Library, Bradsher formally signed with South Carolina Upstate in Sparanburg, South Carolina. Joining Carson for the ceremony was her father, Wayne, who retired just last week. Also there was her mother, Shannon, a member of Orange’s first fast-pitch softball team in the 1990s. Carson made All-Big 8 Conference in her sophomore season, a year that was limited to only eight conference games. During that year, she hit .700 and led the Lady Panthers in seven offensive categories. Orange won the Big 8 Conference championship with an undefeated mark. Bradsher’s freshman year was limited to only four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carson’s summer travel coach, Rick Webster, was also on hand for the ceremony. She will join a USC-Upstate team that has been a member of the Big South Conference since 2018. Last year, the Spartans went 48-10 in 2022 and won the Big South Regular Season Championship.

Photo courtesy of Hailstate.com

Mia Davidson-Smith: After her college career at Mississippi State ended last May, it seemed inevitable that Mia Davidson-Smith would play for the United States softball team in some capacity. Sure enough, Davidson-Smith was added to the United States squad for the World Baseball Softball Confederation Pan American Championship in Guatemala, where she was a member of a gold medal team. The Americans thoroughly dominated the event, winning eight of the nine games via the run rule. In the gold medal game, the U.S. defeated Canada 12-1 in four innings. Davidson-Smith hit .412 for the tournament with four extra base hits, including three home runs. She started all nine games either as a catcher, first baseman or a designated player. Davidson-Smith homered in a 13-1 win over Venezuela on November 13. She also scored three runs, drove in two runs, drew two walks and was hit by a pitch. The Americans won that game 19-3. The U.S. belted Costa Rica 20-0 on November 15, a game where Davidson-Smith homered and drove in four runs. In the gold medal game against Canada, Davidson-Smith singled, drove in a run off a sacrifice fly and walked. The U.S. is one of 18 teams now qualified for group play for the 2024 Women’s Softball World Cup in Italy. Group play will start next year in Italy, Ireland and Spain. Of those 18 teams, eight will qualify for the 2024 World Cup in Italy.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball season has officially started. The Flyers opened the year with seven consecutive wins and are averaging a whopping 125 points per game. McMullin, who scored over 1,000 points in his Orange career, opened the season by scoring 19 points in the Flyers 90-79 win over Lenoir Community College on November 2. On November 4, McMullin scored 12 points and grabbed two rebounds in a 130-67 win over Shooting 4 Greatness in Pinehurst. The following day, the Flyers defeated Anne Arundel Community College 110-80. McMullin had a team-high 19 points along with five assists and four rebounds. On November 9, McMullin scored 14 points as Sandhills defeated Guilford Technical Community College 116-88. The Flyers won its fifth consecutive game when they defeated Wake Technical Community College 107-89 in Raleigh. McMullin had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists, including 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. Last Tuesday, the Flyers destroyed Hosana Bible College 122-36. McMullin scored 15 points in eleven minutes. At that point, the Flyers were ranked #1 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III rankings. The following night, Sandhills outscored Pitt Community College 122-113 in Pinehurst. McMullin led the Flyers with 22 points. He also grabbed five rebounds. On Tuesday night, Sandhills suffered its first loss of the season. Spartanburg Methodist defeated Sandhills 105-79 in Spartanburg, SC. McMullin scored 14 points in 18 minutes. Through eight games, McMullin leads the team with 16.8 points per game. He’s also averaging 3.5 rebounds per game.

Aaliyah Harris: After graduating in June, Harris made her college debut for the Division III Randolph-Macon women’s basketball team in a 57-54 win over Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore on November 16. Harris came off the bench to play two minutes and had one steal. Randolph-Macon is 2-3 and will face Virginia Wesleyan on November 30.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum wrestling team competed in the Star City Classic in Salem, Virginia on Sunday. Homsey, competing at 197 pounds, went 2-1 on the day. Homsey scored a technical fall over Mac Hirsh of Huntingdon 19-3. The Panthers went on to win the dual match 35-9. In the final dual match of the day, Homsey pinned Zachary Watson of Thomas More in 1:21. Thomas More defeated Ferrum in the dual match 32-21. Ferrum opened the tri-match against Division II Mount Olive. Jonathan Clark of Mount Olive pinned Homsey in 1:47. On the season, Ferrum is 4-2.

Photo courtesy of Hailstate.com

June 13, 2013.

The date just rolled off Mia Davidson’s tongue during her final postgame press conference as a Mississippi State softball player. That was the date she committed to play softball in Starkville.

That brief moment exemplified Mia and Montana Davidson’s approach to softball, and life in general, that they learned from their father Eddie Davidson when he coached them during tee ball games in Hillsborough and eventually at Orange High.

You did things right or your didn’t do them at all.

On Saturday, Mia and Montana ended their careers at Mississippi State after Arizona defeated the Bulldogs 7-1 to sweep its best-of-three Super Regional Series at Nusz Park in Starkville.

For two players who spent their softball careers taking teams they played on to new heights, a trip to the Women’s College World Series would have been the perfect way to end their careers. Mississippi State has never been to Oklahoma City in the 40-year history of the program.

While they fell short of Oklahoma City, the Davidsons still took Mississippi State softball to another level in their final days with the program.

On Saturday, Arizona defeated the Bulldogs in front of 2,299 fans at Nusz Park, a school-record. The previous record of 2,209 was set the day before in the opening game of the series, one where Mia Davidson game the home crowd one last thrill.

Mia broke open a scoreless game in the bottom-of-the-fifth inning with a solo homer to dead centerfield that banged off a motorized scaffold, sending an ESPN cameraman ducking for cover. It was the 92nd and final home run of her Mississippi State career, leaving her tied for third in NCAA history. It was her school-record fifth home run in the NCAA Tournament and her last hit as a Bulldog.

She could have easily had another home run earlier. In the first inning, Davidson sent a deep drive to centerfield, where Arizona’s Janelle Meono reached over the wall and brought the ball back into the park.

Mississippi State led 2-1 going into the seventh inning before Arizona rallied and evened the game in the top-of-the-seventh. The Wildcats took the lead in the eighth inning off a home run by Izzo Pacho.

In game two on Saturday, Arizona dominated behind pitcher Devyn Netz, who limited the Bulldogs to five hits in a 7-1 Wildcats win. Arizona scored five unearned runs.

Afterwards, an emotional Mia Davidson delivered remarks that went viral almost immediately.

“From the get-go, this is what I set out to do,” Mia said. “I wanted to come to a program and make something off it and leave it better than I found it. I wanted to make sure we had a team that was we over me and make sure that everybody knew that role and had their part. I just know that I gave my all, my heart and my soul since June 13, 2013 when I committed. And I just know that Mississippi State will always have my heart and will always be a home, no matter what. Thank you Coach (Samantha) Ricketts for the opportunity to live out my dream. As a little girl from Hillsborough, North Carolina, I couldn’t ask for anything else from this program, from the school. From John Cohen (Mississippi State Athletic Director), from everybody. All the time, effort, and everything you did to put Mississippi State on the map. I appreciate every single person in this room.”

After Saturday’s game, before they left the field together, Mia and Montana placed their cleats at home plate at Nusz Park and waved goodbye to the fans.

Montana Davidson took to Facebook over the weekend to share her final thoughts.

“Softball was my first love and this sport has given me so much,” Montana said. “That’s why saying goodbye to it is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but I can step away knowing that I gave my full heart to this game.”

Montana Davidson graduated from Orange in 2016. She was a career .438 hitter for the Lady Panthers with 26 home runs. In her freshman season, Orange went undefeated in the Carolina 6 Conference.

Mia Davidson graduated in 2017 and led Orange to the 3A State Championship her senior year. Before starting softball season, Mia was a starting center for B.J. Condron’s women’s basketball team, which opened the year with a school-record 21 straight wins. Orange would go on to win the Big 8 Conference regular season and tournament championships.

In a memorable softball season, the Lady Panthers became the first female team in the history of Hillsborough high school athletics to win a state championship.

Davidson set a North Carolina High School Athletic Association career record with 53 career home runs. She was limited to 12 her senior year, mainly because her reputation as a power hitter carried on from coast-to-coast to near comical proportions. In the second round of the 3A State Playoffs, Orange trailed Topsail 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Davidson stepped up to plate with the bases loaded, where Topsail’s head coach intentionally walked her, willfully surrounding the lead. Kristina Givens drove in Alysann Lloyd for the game-winning run in the next at-bat as Orange won 3-2.

The Pirates didn’t win, but at least Davidson didn’t beat them. Two weeks later, the Piedmont Panthers wouldn’t be as fortunate. In the opening game of the 3A State Championship series at N.C. State, Orange trailed 2-1. With Abby Hamlett at first, Piedmont’s pitcher was instructed not to give Mia anything close to the plate. It didn’t work. Davidson took a fastball and parked it over the centerfield wall to put Orange ahead for good on that night. The following morning, Orange didn’t trail and defeated Piedmont 4-1 to sweep the series.

Mia leaves Mississippi State having set 12 school records. She is the most prolific home run hitter in Southeastern Conference history with 92. She also is the all-time Mississippi State leader in games played, games started, slugging percentage (.775), runs scored (219), RBIs (220), total bases (610), hit-by-pitches (57), runners picked off (13), defensive chances (1753), putouts (1555), and runners thrown out (47).

In the end, the most rewarding thing for Mia was that she got to play with, and leave her cleats at home plate, alongside her best friend.

Mia Davidson: The odds that Mia and Montana Davidson would play their final game at Mississippi State on Sunday were very strong. Thus, it would likely be their final game as teammates, something they’ve been since they were adolescents playing in Hillsborough. Instead, Mississippi State softball team pulled off the biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament, shocking #2 seeded Florida State in back-to-back games to win the Tallahassee Regional at JoAnne Graf Field in Florida.

It is the first regional championship in Mississippi State softball history. On top of that, the Bulldogs will host a Super Regional starting on Friday when they face Arizona in a best-of-three series at Nusz Park in Starkville.

In the opening game on Sunday, Mississippi State won 5-0. Davidson hit a solo home run in the 3rd inning. It was her 91st career home run, putting her in fifth place all-time in NCAA history. It was its first win over a top-three team since 2016. Davidson finished 1-for-2 with two walks.

In the seventh and deciding game, Davidson scored the game-winning run as the Bulldogs won 4-3. Chloe Malau’ulu singled up the middle and Davidson slid under the tag at the plate in the fifth inning. Davidson went 0-for-3 in the deciding game.

Mississippi State started the Tallahassee Regional with a loss to South Florida on Friday. She went 0-for-2. That loss meant that the Bulldogs had to win four games over a span of 28 hours in order to reach the Super Regional, which is exactly what they did. They started with a 6-3 win over Howard. Mia went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Later on Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs eliminated South Florida 6-0. Mia went 0-for-4 with an RBI. Davidson knocked in Rylie Hull on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

Montana Davidson: In Mississippi State’s win over Howard, Montana Davidson started as the designated player. She helped knock in a run in the second inning when she sent a fly ball to right field, which was dropped. Montana scored after a fly ball hit by her younger sister, which was caught in left field. In Mississippi State’s final win over Florida State, Montana Davidson entered the game as a pinch-hitter. She also played against South Florida as a pinch-hitter on Friday.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team had a disappointing end to the season in the Southern Conference Tournament. After winning the Southern Conference regular season title, the Spartans were eliminated after losing twice to Chattanooga. In an elimination game against Samford on May 13, Dalehite scored a run as a pinch-runner off a double hit by Makeena Matthijs. The Mocs ended the Spartans season 9-7 on May 14. Dalehite also played as a pinch-runner. Dalehite played 29 games this season. She started 12, hitting .162.

Jaden Hurdle: Hurdle ended her career at Patrick & Henry Community College in the Region X, Division II Tournament. On May 11, the Patriots opened the tournament with a 8-0 win over Cleveland Community College in five innings. Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a run scored. In the second round, Pasco-Hernando State College defeated Patrick & Henry 14-6 in Richmond, VA. Southeastern Community College defeated the Patriots 8-3 to end their season on Sunday. In 43 games this season, Hurdle hit .376 with ten home runs and 37 RBIs. Hurdle will play at Division II Catawba College in Salisbury next year.

Grace Andrews: Andrews ended her career at Catawba Valley Community College last week. Southeastern Community College defeated the Red Hawks 5-2 in Henrico, VA. Andrews went 1-for-4 in her final game in Hickory. Catawba Valley ended the year 37-10.

Jaylin Jones: The Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team had its season come to an end in the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament on May 7. Top-seeded Southern Virginia defeated the Falcons 13-11. In his final game, Jones assisted on a goal. He had six ground balls and created two turnovers. Pfeiffer concludes the season 12-4. This season, Jones played in 16 games for Pfeiffer. He scored three goals and added six assists. He had 49 ground balls and created 17 turnovers.

After spending this season facing several Division I college pitching prospects within its own conference, the Orange softball team is used to defensive duals.

Which meant they were well prepared for its state playoff opener on Tuesday night.

In most likely her final at-bat at Orange Softball Field, senior Courtney Watkins hit a grounder up the middle to score Kelsey Tackett in the bottom-of-the seventh inning for the game’s only run as Orange defeated Franklinton 1-0 in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. The Lady Panthers, seeded #14, will face Cape Fear in Fayetteville on Thursday night in the round of 32.

Watkins, the designated player hitting eighth, provided the game’s only RBI.

It was her second of the year.

Tackett provided Orange a glimmer of hope to end the scoreless stalemate with an one-out single on a fly ball to right. Serenity McPherson moved Tackett to second on a sacrifice bunt for the second out.

Orange sophomore pitcher Caden Robinson earned her fifth win of the season where she started dominant, but spent the final innings hanging on by a thread in the face of adversity, which coincidentally resembles the Lady Panthers’ injury-riddled season.

After Robinson set the first 12 Rams down in order, Franklinton loaded the bases with no one out in the fifth inning. First baseman Mackenzie Williams ended Robinson’s attempt at a perfect game after getting hit by a pitch. After shortstop Chelsea Jones walked, the Rams’ Kyndal Hopkins broke up the no-hitter with a soft pop-up that barely reached the edge of the grass behind second base to load the bases. Robinson, who is now Orange’s top pitcher after an injury to senior Gracie Walker suffered against South Granville, struck out Emelyn Kirby, then forced an infield pop-up by Makenzie Helton which was caught by Tackett. With two out, Orange senior third baseman Mary Moss Wirt fielded a quick hopper hit by Franklinton’s Allie Mabrey right along the line three steps in front of the bag. Instead of letting it go foul, Wirt instantly snatched up the ball and made a pinpoint throw to Tackett to end the inning.

Orange was largely devoid of scoring opportunities in the opening three frames. Wirt led off the fourth with a double that reached the left field corner, but was thrown out trying to steal third. Franklinton pitcher Morgan Strickland allowed six hits in six-and-two-thirds innings. Only two Orange players reached third base the whole game.

In the second, Tackett lined on a single to left and advanced to second after the ball got past the left fielder. Watkins drew a walk where ball four was a wild pitch, which allowed Tackett to get to third. Yet the threat immediately ended after Watkins was thrown out by Strickland trying to reach second off the walk.

A moment of hesitation may have cost Franklinton a chance to get a run across in the sixth inning. After Robinson struck out leadoff batter Kaylei Main, the Rams’ Noelle Faulkner sent a double over the head of Orange left fielder Savannah Wynne. Strickland followed with a faint liner to shallow right. Tackett, second baseman Sadie Cecil and right fielder Alexis Latta-Harshaw converged on the ball, which caused Faulkner to remain on second. The ball bounced where the infield dirt met the outfield grass and kicked into foul ground in right field, leading Strickland to get another double. But Faulkner’s brief uncertainty cost her a chance to score and was held at third. Robinson struck out Williams for the second out, then forced Jones into a groundout back to shut down another Franklinton threat.

Robinson, who finished with seven strikeouts, set the Rams down in order in the seventh, leading to Watkins’ heroics.

Orange will face a Cape Fear team that finished second in the 4A/3A United Eight Conference behind 4A squad Purnell Swett. The Colts, the top 3A team in the United Eight, split the season series with Purnell Swett, beating the Rams 4-3 in 14 innings on March 14. Last Thursday, Cape Fear lost to Purnell Swett in the United Eight Conference Tournament Championship game 2-0.

The Colts (21-4) disposed of Northwood, from the Central Carolina Conference, 11-0 in the opening round of the state playoffs on Tuesday.

Mia Davidson: As her career at Mississippi State winds down, Mia Davidson earned another honor on Wednesday. Davidson was selected in the Athletes Unlimited College Draft. She was one of 13 athletes invited to the league. Players with Athletes Unlimited are not sent to an individual team. They play as individuals on new teams that are drafted each week and collect points for themselves. Davidson will play her final home series starting Friday against LSU. She is two starts shy of the Mississippi State record. Currently, she’s hitting .411, which is sixth in the Southeastern Conference.

Tori Dalehite: The Charlotte 49ers softball team defeated UNC Greensboro 10-5 at UNCG Softball Stadium on Wednesday. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning. The Spartans are 35-15 and will look to remain in first place in the Southern Conference this weekend when they travel to Birmingham, AL to face Samford for a three-game series.

Marvin Jones: Last week, Jones won the high jump competition at the Penn Relays. Competing for North Carolina Central University, Jones leaped to a personal-best 2.12 meters to win the high jump in the 126th Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Jones was the only competitor to leap over 2.10 meters. It was his sixth victory since the start of 2022. Jones is now in the top-20 in the East Region and the top-50 in the entire NCAA.

Cy Horner: The Division III Methodist University men’s lacrosse team ended the season with a 16-10 win over Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL on Saturday. Horner, a freshman who played for Orange last season, finished with one goal and four assists. For the season, Horner had 28 goals and 22 assists for the Monarchs, who ended the year 9-8 overall, 4-5 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Chase Finley: The Division II Shorter University men’s lacrosse team ended its season in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Tuesday night. Montevallo defeated the Hawks 24-5. Finley, the goalkeeper for the Hawks, made 13 saves in 48 minutes before he was replaced by Jacob Sutley. Finley faced 43 shots. Shorter ends the season 3-14.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team dominated Averett University 24-7 to win on Senior Day at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Saturday. Jones assisted on three goals for the Falcons, including Pfeiffer’s first goal of the night scored by Quinn Becraft. Jones also had two ground balls. Pfeiffer improves to 11-3 overall, 7-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. The Falcons will face Piedmont in the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament starting Friday in Buena Vista, VA.

Aidan Poole: The Greensboro College men’s lacrosse team ended its regular season with a 16-4 win over LaGrange College at Panther Field in LaGrange, GA on Saturday. Poole started for the Pride on defense and created one turnover. He also scooped up one ground ball. On Tuesday, Greensboro defeated William Peace University 14-10 in the opening round of the USA South Tournament at Pride Field in Greensboro. Poole came off the bench and fired one shot for the Pride. He also had a ground ball. Greensboro will face Southern Virginia in the tournament semifinals on Friday afternoon.

Photo by Angie Carden Hurdle

Jaden Hurdle: As the career of Jaden Hurdle as a member of the Patrick & Henry Community College softball team starts to wind down, she earned a honor for the Lady Patriots. Before starting a weekend series at Surry Community College, Hurdle was named the Patrick & Henry Female Athlete of the Year during a ceremony last week. On Friday, Patrick & Henry defeated Surry Community College 8-0 in six innings in the opening game of a doubleheader. Hurdle went 0-for-3. In the final game of the season, Surry defeated the Lady Patriots 8-2 at Fisher River Park. Hurdle started as the pitcher and went six-and-one-thirds innings. At the plate, she went 0-for-2. Last Tuesday, Ferrum College swept a doubleheader from Patrick & Henry in Martinsville, VA. In the opening game, which the Panthers won 11-2, Hurdle went 1-for-1. In the nightcap, Ferrum won 9-2. Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. She also relieved starter Brandy Roberts as pitcher in the fourth inning. Hurdle threw four innings and gave up five runs off five hits. She struck out four. Hurdle currently has a .377 batting average with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. Her ten home runs is fourth in Region X Division II. She also leads the team with four triples. As a pitcher, Hurdle is 7-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 18 appearances. Hurdle will play next season at Catawba College in Salisbury.

Mia Davidson: Mia Davidson continues her climb up the all-time NCAA Softball Home Run list. On Sunday, Davidson became the first player in Mississippi State history to have two 20-home run seasons. Davidson blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning in a 9-5 loss to #11 Kentucky at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, KY. it’s just the fourth time in school history that Mississippi State has had a player hit for 20 home runs in a season. Davidson has done it twice. Davidson now has 89 career home runs. Only five players have ever hit 90 career home runs in Division I history. On Sunday, Davidson went 1-for-1. On Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 6-2. It was Mississippi State’s sixth win against a ranked team this season. Davidson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to increase the Bulldogs’ lead to 5-2. Davidson also broke the school record for career hit-by-pitches. She was plunked for the 54th time on Sunday. On Friday, the Wildcats defeated the Bulldogs 7-3. Davidson went 0-for-1 with a run scored and two walks. Mississippi State is 31-21 overall, 9-12 in the Southeastern Conference. On Wednesday, Mississippi State knocked off Southern Miss 9-5 in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Montana Davidson: Montana entered the game as a pinch-hitter in Saturday’s win over Kentucky for Mississippi State.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team honored its sophomores on Sunday. The Red Hawks easily swept a doubleheader from Bryant & Stratton at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory. In the opening game, a 17-0 Red Hawks’ win, Andrews went 1-for-1 with a two-run single. She also scored twice. In the second game, Andrews started at third base again and finished 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Andrews concludes the regular season with a .311 batting average through 44 games. The Red Hawks will prepare for the Region X/South Atlantic District Tournament in Richmond, VA, which starts May 11.

Kara Tackett: The Wake Tech Community College softball team defeated Brunswick Community College 13-4 in Raleigh on Sunday. Tackett started in centerfield and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI single. Wake Tech swept a doubleheader from the Dolphins. The Eagles won the opening game 10-0 in five innings. Tackett went 0-for-3 in the opening game. On Friday, Southeastern Community College shutout the Eagles 11-0 in Whiteville. Tackett went 0-for-2. Southeastern won the opening game of the doubleheader 9-1. Tackett hit leadoff and went 1-for-3.

Bryse Wilson: After four starts this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wilson came out of the bullpen for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers in PNC Park. Milwaukee won the game 3-1. Wilson relieved starter Dillon Peters in the third inning and threw four innings. He allowed only one hit with four strikeouts. Wilson left the game with the game scoreless.

Joey Berini: The East Carolina baseball team had a weekend sweep of the Cincinnati Bearcats at Clarke-LeClair Stadium in Greenville. On Saturday, the Pirates defeated the edged the Bearcats 4-3. Berini entered the game in the sixth inning as a shortstop. East Carolina defeated Cincinnati 6-3 on Sunday. Berini replaced Zach Agnos at shortstop in the eighth inning. The Pirates are 11-4 in the American Athletic Conference, 27-18 overall.

Brandon Andrews: Pitching for Nicholls State, Andrews earned his first save of the season on April 19. Andrews tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the Colonels in a 2-0 win over Southern University at Didier Field in Thebodaux, LA. He gave up only one hit. On Sunday, New Orleans defeated Nicholls 6-2. Andrews came out of the bullpen and retired the only Privateer he faced.

Landon Riley: The UNC baseball team rolled past Liberty 8-1 at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill on Tuesday. Riley closed out the game for the Flames. He threw the eighth inning with one strikeout and one walk.

Phillip Berger: Berger earned another complete game win for Division III William Peace University on Friday. The Pacers defeated Southern Virginia University 11-1 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. In seven innings, Berger threw a three-hitter. He gave up one unearned run with six strikeouts and three walks. Berger is 7-2 this season for the Pacers. He leads the team in wins. He has a 4.38 ERA. The Pacers are 21-18, 11-10 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They will prepare for the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament, which starts on Thursday.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State baseball team ended its season last week. Tallahassee Community College defeated the Pirates 8-3. Porter started at third base and when 2-for-4 with a double. Porter ends the season with a .224 batting average over 41 games. He hit one home run with ten RBIs.

Will Walker: Bryant & Stratton Community College edge Pitt Community College 3-2 on Saturday in the final game of a doubleheader. Will Walker, starting at first base for PCC, went 0-for-3. In the opener, Bryant & Stratton won 8-5. Walker reported in as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-1. The Bulldogs defeated Lenoir Community College 13-12 on Wednesday. Walker finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Pitt Community College is 34-7 as they move on to the Region X South Atlantic Tournament.