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Beyond where the eye can see below Memorial Stadium at Walter Williams High School, there’s a creek running underneath.

It extends through the football field, which is also shared by the men’s and women’s soccer teams, and runs all the way west to the baseball stadium.

When someone tosses a rock inside a creek, it can cause a minor ruffle in the water, depending on the current and the size of the stone. Most years, the end of the Orange women’s soccer season barely creates a ripple. Other spring sports at Orange, like baseball and softball, are almost annually in the playoffs and deep playoff runs are common.

Which is precisely why this Orange women’s soccer team will go down in the annals as something special. Late last week, after the Lady Panthers’ stunned Cape Fear 5-2 in Fayetteville to reach the 3rd round of the state playoffs for the first time ever, it grabbed the attention of the school. Motorists along Orange High School Road saw “Go Orange Soccer” spelled out in bright Orange and Black plastic cups at the entrance of the student parking lot. It was still there on Memorial Day, nearly a week after Walter Williams ended Orange’s season.

After the Bulldogs emerged 3-2 with the win at Memorial Stadium last Tuesday, a steady mist fell onto the field as Orange head coach Jacki Mignosa held her postgame huddle in front of the strongest turnout of Panther fans for a road game all season. There were tears among some players that is standard for any team that just had it season end. The damp weather couldn’t dose the fire in the eyes of several starters who watched Williams’ players celebrate. They wanted to secure Orange’s first-ever trip to the state quarterfinals. Just because time ran out didn’t mean their emotions were empty.

There was also the elephant in the room of Orange losing its starting goalkeeper with the game in the balance. Tied 1-1 with 32:03 remaining, Abby Monteith sprinted to the edge of the box for a loose ball, which wound up being blown dead for offside. In the process, Monteith collided with a Williams’ player and a teammate and immediately grabbed her right knee. It forced her from the game. Less than 90 seconds later, Williams’ Olivia Vandre headed in a corner kick for the game-winning goal.

Four minutes later, Williams’ Vanessa Wright sent a long shot into the net from 23 yards to extend the Bulldog’s lead to 3-1.

Despite losing Monteith, Mignosa refused to use her injury as an excuse.

“Their goalkeeper made a ton of good saves,” Mignosa said. “We kept pounding and I’m proud of them for doing that. It’s never just the goalkeeper’s fault. It’s the mistakes made at midfield and then defense. The goalkeeper is just the last person. We talk about that a lot as a team.”

And it showed. Trailing 3-1 with 28:00 remaining, Orange was the aggressor for the balance of the game. Freshman Elliana Sullivan Gaddy scored off a breakaway when she moved in against Williams’ goalkeeper Tahani Villines. Initially, Villines made the save, but Sullivan Gaddy chipped in the rebound with 21:14 remaining.

Senior Bella Brown nearly added the equalizer. Off a long throw-in by Sydney Rogers from midfield, Sullivan Gaddy sent a cross to Brown, who had a shot from the penalty spot. It was also the dampest part of the field, which prevented Brown from getting much steam on it. Villines captured the ball diving to her right.

With 10:00 left, sophomore wingback Channing Mahaney found Sullivan Gaddy on a clearing pass. Sullivan Gaddy had a strong shot from ten yards, but Villines denied her with a diving save.

“I tell them all the time ‘no regrets,'” Mignosa said. “Don’t come off this field with regrets. You gotta play hard. Any substitution I make, I make it to the best of my ability. And there’s no regrets. I don’t like to live that way. I don’t like to think ‘what if?'”

After Williams’ Lila Fleming opened the scoring off an assist from Vandare with 27:44 remaining in the first half, Brown tied the game for Orange. Sullivan Gaddy found Brown, who dribbled into the right edge of the box and fired it in off the hands of Villines.

Orange kept the pressure coming based off the attack of junior Sydney Rogers, whose is the fourth member of her family to play with the Lady Panthers. Her older sister, Jordan, recently graduated after playing four seasons at Division III William Peace University in Raleigh.

“She’s always been a strong player since her freshman year,” Mignosa said. “I was lucky enough to coach her two older sisters. She’ll be amazing her senior year.”

Next February will feel different for Orange women’s soccer. There will be higher expectations. Bella Brown, who was second on the team with ten goals and 27 points, is the only senior with substantial playing time graduating. Sullivan Gaddy, who led the squad with 13 goals and 31 points, will return. So will Rogers, a healthy Monteith, freshman Caroline Cathey (five goals) and rising senior Allison Torkewitz.

“We’ll absolutely miss Bella,” Mignosa said. “But we’re a young team. I told them that after the game. Now we have this expectation and the younger kids are going to have to step it up. Because now I’m expecting us to go even further.”

FAYETTEVILLE–91 degrees at kickoff in 45% humidity playing 102 miles from Hillsborough against a team that finished undefeated in its conference.

None of those obstacles were big enough to stop the Orange women’s soccer team from making history.

Senior Bella Brown notched her fifth career hat trick, her first this season, to propel the Lady Panthers (11-7-1) past Cape Fear 5-2 at Colt Stadium on Thursday night in the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Freshman Elliana Sullivan Gaddy notched the game-wining goal with 27:29 remaining. Sullivan Gaddy, who scored two goals in Orange’s win at Harnett Central on Tuesday night, now leads the Lady Panthers with 13 goals this season.

Cape Fear (15-4-2), who finished undefeated in winning the United Eight Conference championship, got both goals from sophomore Jayda Angel. She ends the season with 32 goals.

It’s the first time in the 34-year history of the program that Orange reached the 3rd round of the state playoffs. On Tuesday, the Lady Panthers defeated Harnett Central 5-3 for its second postseason victory in team history. The other was in double overtime against Southern Lee in 2016.

“It’s really a tribute to their hard work,” said Orange coach Jacki Mignosa. “I’m just kind of there to guide them, but they put in that time, they put in that effort. I’m glad they’re reaping the benefits.”

While Sullivan Gaddy got the game-winner, Brown injected Orange with a huge boost of adrenaline on a muggy night in the final minute of the first half. Junior midfielder Sydney Rogers sent an entry pass from 35 yards away. Cape Fear goalkeeper Meridith Wenthur struck the ball at the edge of the six-yard box. The ball popped off Wenthur’s hands, then bounced off the leg of Isabel Jones and off the chest of Brown, where it rolled into the right corner of the net with only 13 seconds remaining.

The equalizing goal provided Orange with momentum that they would not lose again.

Cape Fear had the first scoring opportunity in the second half when senior forward Brooke Dawkins dribbled up the right sideline. Dawkins fed a cross to Angel, whose attempt was blocked by Rogers. Throughout the second half, the Colts’ repeatedly tried to attack Orange’s sophomore left back Lily Crayton, who shut down every threat Cape Fear offered as Orange started controlling possession.

“When Lily gets on like that, there’s no stopping her,” Mignosa said. “She’s gets in that mindset and keeps steeping and going. She’s only a sophomore.”

Orange earned three corner kicks in the opening ten minutes of the second half. With 31:10 remaining in the second half, Brown sent a high line drive off the crossbar from 18 yard away. After Orange centerback Channing Mahaney cleared an entry pass, Crayton forced a turnover that led to a shot by Rogers that was saved by Wenthur.

As wingback Christina Paz sent a back pass to Wenthur, Sullivan Gaddy stuck her leg out, which doesn’t work about 95% of the time. This was an exception.

Sullivan Gaddy made just enough contact at the edge of the box to force a turnover. Sullivan Gaddy beat Wenthur to the ball and tucked it into the right corner of an empty net to put Orange ahead 3-2.

Cape Fear nearly earned a penalty kick on the subsequent possession. Angel sprinted towards the middle of the field, where Crayton rubbed her off the ball and fell to the turf. The Cape Fear fans screamed for a handball, but the official shook his head “no” as Crayton successfully cleared it down the field.

With 24:27 remaining, Ella Wimsatt fired a long shot that Wenthur blocked with both hands. The rebounds spilled out to the right flank, where Brown fed Jones on a gorgeous cross. Jones chipped it over the goal line from eight yards away into the right corner of the net for Orange’s first insurance goal.

Brown, who transferred from Burlington Christian Academy in 2020, ended the scoring with possibly the goal of the season for the Lady Panthers. After Crayton picked off a cross, Jones played it to Sullivan Gaddy. Brown got a slither of daylight from 22 yards away and fired a gorgeous ball that sailed into the left corner past a flailing Wenthur to send the Orange bench into hysteria.

“She’s had a lot of really pretty goals,” Mignosa said. “But that was beautiful.”

Brown now has 24 career goals.

As has happened time and time again across women’s sports in the Central Carolina Conference, Orange will face a conference rival in the third round of the state playoffs. On Monday night, the Lady Panthers will travel to Burlington to face Walter Williams. On Thursday night, the Bulldogs upset second-seeded Union Pines 2-1.

Orange and Williams had a bizarre season series where the Bulldogs dominated Orange 2-0 in Hillsborough on April 14. Just eleven days later, Orange traveled to Burlington and handled the Bulldogs 5-0.

That win started a four-game winning streak for Orange that propelled them into the sate playoffs. Now, this Orange team has gone where no other Lady Panther squad before them ever has: the Sweet 16 of the 3A State Playoffs.

“I’m so proud of them,” Mignosa said. “It’s amazing and it’s really just an honor to watch them and to just have time with them and be a part of their lives right now. This team works so hard. I lot of times, I feel like they get overlooked. So I’m so happy that they gets this time in the spotlight. They deserve it.”

A decade ago, the Orange lacrosse team finished a winless conference season by losing to crosstown rival Cedar Ridge 15-3.

On Tuesday night, some 3,679 days after a largely ignored end to a forgettable season, the same Orange program hosted the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional Men’s Lacrosse Championship game in front of thousands of fans at Auman Stadium.

It was a world of difference between what Orange lacrosse was then and what it is now. The storybook finish would have led the Panthers playing again in Cary this Friday night for the state championship.

That will have to wait.

The First Flight Nighthawks reeled off an 11-1 run at the end of the first quarter to beat Orange 13-7 at Auman Stadium on Tuesday night.

First Fight (12-3), who came into the season with only one state playoff win in school history, captured its first regional championship in lacrosse. They will face Lake Norman Charter for the 3A/2A/1A State Championship on Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.

Junior Jacob Gray continued a strong postseason with five goals to lead the Nighthawks. Gray scored eight goals against Cedar Ridge in a 14-10 win in the third round of the State Playoffs in Kill Devil Hills last Tuesday.

While hosting a regional championship game for the first time in school history will always be a point of pride for this Orange team, the loss to the Nighthawks will likely leave sour feelings. Last year, the Panthers played at a high level in losing to East Chapel Hill in the state quarterfinals at Auman Stadium. The Wildcats won, but Orange played well offensively. East had Alec Levy, whose five goals was enough to take the Wildcats to the regional final. Two teams played its best and the better one won.

Against the Nighthawks, the Panthers were held to its lowest scoring output of the season. While the Nighthawks defense may have been the best Orange has faced, the Panthers were sloppy offensively. Simple passes that Orange usually completes almost effortlessly wound up out of bounds or in the pockets of Nighthawk sticks. The Panthers were just 1-of-5 in man-up opportunities, rarely getting multiple shots on possessions when the Nighthawks had someone confined to the penalty box.

After Orange led 3-1 at the end of the first quarter, they were held to just one goal in the subsequent 23:26. Sophomore Connor Kruse and junior Joe Cady, Orange’s leading scorer with 136 points this season, was held without a goal for the first time this year.

First Flight longstick defenseman Cam Van Lunen, the son of head coach John Van Lunen, defended Kruse for much of the game.

Tigh Metheny and Jake Wimsatt each had two goals for Orange.

“We weren’t able to possess the ball the way we wanted to do it,” said Orange coach Chandler Zirkle. “I think we got caught up with how electric the crowd was. The moment got a little bit bigger than us.”

After Grey Crabtree knocked a loose ball into the net past First Fight goalkeeper Porter Smith, Orange led 3-1 at the end of the first quarter. Josh Cowan and Metheney opened the Panther scoring. Orange goalkeeper Katie Wolter made three saves from point-blank range against the Nighthawks in the first quarter and it appeared the Panthers were in good shape.

That changed very quickly.

Immediately in the second quarter, the Nighthawks assumed command. Joey Krieg scored in transition off a feed from Joe Wagner only 43 seconds into the frame. Grey tied the game after another fast break goal assisted by Van Lunen. After Orange’s Alden Cathey was called for a slashing penalty, senior Jackson Kelly notched his 23rd tally of the year on a diagonal pass from Krieg for the first man-up goal of the game. First Flight took its first lead 4-3 with 9:22 left in the first half and they were just getting warmed up.

Sophomore James Summerton went low to the bottom right corner against Wolter to make it 5-3. Kelly, Wagner and Grey (three goals in the first half) all scored in the final minutes of the second quarter to put the Nighthawks ahead 7-4 at the half.

Orange was no stranger to comeback wins in the regular season. They trailed Northwood 8-1 in Pittsboro on March 21 and still prevailed 14-9. They trailed the Chargers again 10-7 with 8:43 remaining on April 27, then finished the game with the final five goals to win 12-10.

There would be no rally on Tuesday. The Nighthawks kept Orange scoreless in the third quarter. Senior Nicholas Gardill, First Flight’s leading scorer, hat a hat trick in the third quarter. His final goal, assisted by Gray, gave First Flight an 11-4 lead.

Wimsatt scored Orange’s only man-up goal in a 6-on-4 situation in the fourth quarter. Joe Cady notched his lone tally after he whacked a rebound into the top of the net to cut the Orange deficit to 13-7 with 6:27 remaining. There was some left time for a miracle, but First Flight was too disciplined and ran out the clock as the faithful from Kill Devil Hills, who had driven four hours to Hillsborough, cheered on.

The Orange players got a standing ovation from the largest lacrosse crowd in Auman Stadium history. The Panthers’ following in lacrosse will likely only grow from here. A team that has twice as many sophomores as seniors will return all of its offensive weapons from a 17-3 team, the most successful in school history.

But for Zirkle as his Orange coaching staff, there’s pain right now which may only grow as the weekend approaches. In 2005, Chandler’s father, Franklin, took his East Chapel Hill Wildcats into Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park (then called SAS Stadium) and won the North Carolina Lacrosse Association’s State Championship over Chapel Hill. Even now, 17 years later, the game’s final score of 10-2 just rolls off the tip of his tongue.

Chandler Zirkle was a ballboy for that East team. Now, his father is an assistant at Orange after amassing over 200 head coaching wins at East and Leesville Road. Zirkle wanted to coach in Cary this weekend, just like his father did in 2005. Now, he’ll explore how to get better with the bulk of a Mid-Carolina Conference Championship team returning for 2023 and a bevy of 8th graders arriving from Orange Middle School waiting to make their mark, some possibly sooner than later.

But for now, there’s just pain after a lost opportunity.

“First Flight played a really good game,” Zirkle said. “They had a really good defensive game plan. We had too many uncharacteristic turnovers and I’m not sure what they were based on. We just threw the ball away too much. It’s probably a product of not being fully ready for the moment. I think that’s probably more of it than anything else. We have a really young group. I hope at this time next year, we’re more ready for this.”

In a year where Duke and North Carolina finally met in the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, it was only fitting that Orange and Cedar Ridge would square off in the state playoffs in some sport.

It could have been volleyball. There were three teams from the Central Carolina Conference in the state quarterfinals, with Cedar Ridge ultimately taking it all.

It could have been lacrosse, and it still very much could.

The fact that it will happen in baseball, still one of the most widely participated youth sports from one end of Orange County to the other, makes the matchup juicier than a 5-pound sirloin steak.

The field of 64 in the 3A State Baseball Playoffs was unveiled on Monday morning by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Orange, the regular season champions of the Central Carolina Conference, received a #8 seed. Cedar Ridge got a #25 seed, and the two teams will square off head-to-head tonight at Orange High Field. First pitch will be at 6:30.

“I had a pretty good idea it was going to be Cedar Ridge,” said Orang coach Jason Knapp, who was mowing his outfield grass well into Monday night in preparation for the game. “We were prepared for it. It’s going to be a lot of excitement in the community and a great atmosphere.”

The winner will meet the winner of Terry Sanford and Union Pines in the second round later this week.

“This is a great opportunity for our guys,” said Cedar Ridge coach Bryson Massey. “I don’t want to make it any bigger than it is. That’s my way of thinking about it. It’s just another game and it’s great to play in the state playoffs. That was one of our goals at the beginning of the year was to play in the playoffs.”

Going into last week, an Orange-Cedar Ridge matchup in the opening round of the state playoffs looked highly unlikely. As Orange finished first in the CCC, Cedar Ridge came in second. Yet both teams had disappointing results in the CCC Tournament, which is the main reason why they’re playing tonight.

Last Monday, 7th-place Walter Williams upset Cedar Ridge 6-2 in the first postseason game at Red Wolves Territory since 2018.

“We didn’t play our best baseball,” Massey said. “For the guys, it was their first taste of postseason baseball. They got that underneath their belt and realizing how it is. I think it was a good experience for them before the state playoffs. Realizing how it is. It was a learning lesson for them that every out is big. That’s postseason baseball for you.”

Orange, the tournament’s #1 seed, was stunned by Person 4-0 on Tuesday. The Rockets went on to win the tournament championship at Northwood on Thursday night.

“I think we learned you can’t take anything for granted,” Knapp said. “You can get beat any given day at any given time. I think it was an eye-opener for us. We had a great couple of practices in the days after the Person game and had a really good practice today. I think we’re ready to go.”

It will be Cedar Ridge’s first state baseball playoff game since 2018, when they lost to Terry Sanford 7-4 in the 2nd round.

Meanwhile, Knapp is going for his first postseason win in Hillsborough. The Panthers’ last win in the state playoffs came in 2018 when they prevailed at Jacksonville. Four nights later, Chapel Hill dominated the Panthers in what was Dean Dease’s final game as Orange’s head coach after 31 years.

In 2019, J.H. Rose pounded Orange 15-3 in the opening round in Hillsborough. Last June, Asheboro edged the Panthers 5-4 at McCrary Park in a thrilling game that ended with a walkoff double by Tanner Marsh.

The two crosstown rivals met in a two-game series only three weeks ago with plenty on the line. Orange wound up sweeping the series to officially wrap up the CCC regular season championship. On April 21, the Panthers got a 5-inning perfect game from sophomore Cross Clayton in a 16-0 win. The Panthers had a season-high 17 hits.

On April 18, Orange pulled away from Cedar Ridge at Red Wolves Territory 13-5. Leading 4-2 going into the top of the sixth inning, the Panthers scored nine runs in the final two frames. Right fielder David Waitt went 2-for-3 with four runs scored, while sophomore Connor Nordan went 4-for-4 with 4 RBIs.

Nordan went 8-for-9 with seven RBIs in the two-game series against the Red Wolves.

In order to advance to the second round of the state playoffs, Cedar Ridge will also have to battle history. The Red Wolves haven’t won at Orange since April 18, 2012.

The Orange baseball team won its final regular season home game on Thursday night. The Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance 2-0 behind Ryan Hench’s production in the field and at the plate. Hench drove in Orange’s opening run on a base hit down the third base line, scoring Jackson Berini. In the fifth inning, Hench added a solo homer. It was his fourth of the season, which leads the team. On the mound, Hench struck out ten for his fourth win of the season. In the seventh inning, Connor Funk came in from centerfield and earned his second save of the season. Funk struck out two of the three batters he faced. After Eastern Alamance mounted threats in the first and third innings, the Orange defense retired 12 of the final 13 Eagles. The Panthers are now 15-7 overall, 10-1 in the Central Carolina Conference. Orange will travel to Mebane to face the Eagles on Friday night, which will conclude the regular season. The Panthers will then prepare for the Central Carolina Conference Tournament. Orange, the champions of the CCC regular season, will be the top-seed in the conference tournament and will receive a bye into the semifinals. Orange will start play in the tournament on Tuesday night in Hillsborough.

See ball. Hit ball.

If that sounds like a caveman’s approach to baseball, well, it is. At least when it comes to Connor Nordan, Orange’s designated hitter who has earned the moniker “caveman” from assistant coach Matt Roberts.

And for good reason. In his first season with the Orange varsity, Nordan leads the team in RBIs and has 20 hits, tied with two teammates for team-high honors.

Orange has vaulted to the top of the Central Carolina Conference despite lacking consistency in one area or another from game to game during this season. On Tuesday night, the Panthers finally put all the pieces of offense, defense, pitching and fundamentals together against its crosstown rival. Now, the Panthers are one win away from its first outright conference championship since 2016.

Behind Nordan’s career-best five RBIs, Orange pulled away from crosstown rival Cedar Ridge 13-5 in front of a standing room only crowd at Red Wolves Territory. Orange (13-6 overall, 8-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) simply needs to win one of its final three conference games to take the CCC regular season championship. The Panthers face Cedar Ridge on Thursday at Orange High Field, then face Eastern Alamance next week for a two-game series, starting Tuesday in Hillsborough.

“I thought we had a chance to be better,” Orange coach Jason Knapp said. “We weren’t as sharp as I would have liked in a few facets in the game. But at the end of the day, we traveled to a rival at their place and we found a win. We swung the bat well and pitched well enough.”

Cedar Ridge (12-7, 7-4) had its six-game winning streak snapped. The Red Wolves, who would have gained a share of the CCC regular season championship with a sweep of Orange, are now eliminated from finishing first in the league. Cedar Ridge can still gain an automatic spot to the 3A State Playoff by finishing second. For now, the Red Wolves are tied for 2nd in the loss column with Eastern Alamance, but control the tiebreaker over the Eagles.

Orange pitcher Ryan Hench struck out 12 batters to earn his third win of the season. Hench struck out the side three times and surpassed 100 career strikeouts in the fifth inning, all the more impressive considering he didn’t have a freshman season to speak of (one brief relief appearance against Eastern Alamance, only a week before the season ended due to the pandemic).

It was a strong night for first-year varsity players on both sides. Cedar Ridge freshman starting pitcher Quinn Finnegan was impressive in defeat. In the second inning, Orange loaded the bases with one out, but Finnegan escaped the jam without any runs crossing the plate. Catcher Efrain Morales threw out Codey Snipes after a wild pitch rebounded strong off the padding along the backstop. Finnegan got out of the frame after Cross Clayton flew out to left field.

Morales, a sophomore for the Red Wolves, finished 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning on a ball that disappeared under the Cedar Ridge scoreboard in left field.

Orange’s 15 hits tied its season-high, originally set against Person on April 8. The Panthers broke through with two runs in the third inning. Jackson Berini drew a one out walk. David Waitt lined a single to right centerfield. After Finnegan struck out Hench, Nordan lined his first RBI single of the night to centerfield to score Berini. Catcher Davis Horton sent a fly ball to shallow centerfield that dropped in front of the two fielders to bring in Waitt.

Cedar Ridge evened the game in the bottom of the frame, and by any right, should have taken the lead. B.J. Thornton and Aidan McAllister each walked. Cristian Macias lined a double over the first base bag to score Thornton. Waitt made a strong throw from right field to keep McAllister from tying the game. Moments later, McAllister scored anyway after a wild pitch that ricocheted high off the netting along the backstop, which moved Macias to third. Morales sent a fly ball to Waitt that, at first glance, appeared deep enough to bring in Macias on a sacrifice fly. Yet Waitt made the catch and unleashed a dart to Horton, who tagged out Macias at the plate. It was the closest the Red Wolves would come to going ahead.

“That was definitely a momentum shift for us,” Knapp said. “David has made plays like that for the last two years. When I saw him get behind the ball on the catch, I knew he was going to deliver a strike to the plate. That’s just typical David Waitt right there.”

Orange’s Codey Snipes, who finished 3-for-5, stated the third inning with a single to left field. Following a sacrifice bunt by Cross Clayton, Snipes moved to second. Berini took a 2-2 fastball and lined it to right centerfield to put runners at the corners. Waitt delivered another RBI single on a line drive through the 5-6 hole into left field to score Snipes. Nordan sent a grounder off the pitcher’s mound and over second base, scoring Waitt.

Cedar Ridge’s relief pitching, which was so instrumental over the past two weeks during two-game sweeps of Eastern Alamance and Western Alamance, struggled in the late innings. Orange scored four runs in the sixth and five in the seventh inning. Once again, Nordan had the biggest hits. He had an RBI single in the sixth, and added a two-run single in the seventh.

“I’m really not surprised about Connor,” Knapp said. “He just has a great approach. He has a simple hitting philosophy: ‘See Ball. Hit Ball.’ That’s exactly what he says. He just gets his hands back and lets it roll. He makes it works for us.”

Horton, in his best game of the year, went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

Cedar Ridge did score the game’s final run. Jake Mergenthal, as a pinch-hitter, drew a leadoff walk, went to second after an errant pickoff throw. took third on a groundout and scored off an error on a ball hit by Aidan McCallister.

Photo courtesy of FoxSports.com

Bryse Wilson: The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 in Busch Stadium on Sunday. Wilson made his first start of the year for the Pirates and threw four innings. He took a no decision. Wilson struck out two and gave up three runs on five hits with one walk. He was replaced by Miguel Yajure, who earned the win in middle relief. It was the Pirates only win of the weekend. Wilson is slated to return to action against Washington at PNC Park on Saturday.

Joey Berini: The East Carolina baseball team took two-out-of-three against Wichita State at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville over the weekend. On Sunday, the Shockers salvaged a game out of the series from the Pirates with a 5-0 win. Berini entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and went 0-for-1. He remained in the game as a second baseman for the final three innings.

Dante DeFranco: The Charlotte 49ers baseball team was swept by #18 Southern Miss over the weekend at Hayes Stadium in Charlotte. On Sunday, the Golden Eagles edged the 49ers 6-5 in 13 innings. DeFranco entered the game as a pinch runner in the seventh inning for Drew Tyndall. On Friday, Southern Miss won 2-1 over Charlotte. DeFranco again played as a pinch runner for David McCabe in the fifth inning and was stranded at second base. Charlotte is 17-14 overall, 4-8 in Conference USA.

Brandon Andrews: The Nicholls State baseball team dropped two-out-of-three games against Houston Baptist in a weekend series at Husky Field in Houston. On Saturday, Houston Baptist defeated the Colonels 6-5. Andrews suffered his first loss of the season after giving up a walkout single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Andrews threw one-thirds of an inning.

Phillip Berger: Berger had two appearances for Division III William Peace over the weekend against North Carolina Wesleyan at Bauer Field in Rocky Mount. On Friday, Berger took his first loss of the year in a 13-1 win by the Battling Bishops. Berger started and threw three innings and gave up six runs off eight hits. He had three strikeouts and one walk. On Sunday, Wesleyan outscored Peace 16-15. Berger entered the game out of the bullpen in the fifth inning and threw two innings. He gave up one run off three hits and two walks. He struck out two. Berger is 5-1 with a 4.47 ERA. The Pacers are 16-13 overall, 6-6 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State baseball team dropped all four games against Tallahassee Community College last week. On Thursday, the Eagles defeated the Pirates 2-1 in Pensacola. Porter started at shortstop for Pensacola and went 0-for-4. Tallahassee took the nightcap 15-5 in seven innings. Porter led off for the Pirates and finished 0-for-4. On Saturday, the Eagles edged the Pirates 1-0. Porter went 0-for-3. He also pitched one-thirds-of-an-inning and retired the final Eagle. Tallahassee captured the second game of the doubleheader 4-3. Porter, once agin hitting leadoff, went 0-for-4. Pensacola State is 15-23 overall.

Will Walker: Walker started two games at first base as the Pitt Community College baseball team swept a weekend series from Brunswick Community College in Greenville. On Friday, the Bulldogs defeated the Dolphins 9-7. Walker went 0-for-2 with an RBI after he walked with the bases loaded in the 7th inning. On Sunday, Walker went 3-for-5 with two RBIs as the Bulldogs won 16-11. Walker singled in the first inning and scored off a home run by Robert Buckley. In the fourth inning, after the Dolphins rallied to take a 10-6 lead, Walker lined a single to left field to score a run. The Bulldogs scored six runs in the sixth inning. Pitt Community College 25-5 overall, 20-5 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Mia Davidson: Another weekend, another milestone for the all-time home run hitter in Mississippi State softball history. Davidson hit career home run #85 in the Bulldogs 9-2 win over Missouri at Nusz Park in Starkville. Davidson’s solo blast in the third inning, which tied the game 1-1, tied her for seventh place in NCAA history. It was her 16th homer of the year. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Friday. In the Bulldogs’ 2-0 win on Saturday, Davidson went 1-for-1 with a run scored. On Sunday, the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 8-5 in eight innings. Davidson went 0-for-4. Mississippi State has won five of its last seven Southeastern Conference series. They’re 26-14 overall, 7-5 in the SEC.

Jaden Hurdle: Hurdle got to face one of her former Orange High teammates in Wake Tech’s Kara Tackett on Saturday. Patrick & Henry Community College defeated swept a doubleheader from the Eagles in Martinsville, VA. In the opening game, Hurdle went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Patriots won 10-2 in five innings. In the nightcap, Hurdle went 1-for-2 with an RBI double. The Patriots won once again 10-2. On Sunday, Patrick & Henry swept another doubleheader, this time against Southwest Virginia. The Patriots won the opener 6-2. Hurdle went 0-for-3. In the Patriots 9-1 win in the finale, Hurdle hit leadoff and went 1-for-1 with two RBIs. She also earned her sixth win of the season in the circle, throwing a complete game. In five innings, Hurdle surrendered only two hits with one run. She had one strikeout and one walk. The Patriots are 24-10 overall, 15-3 in Region X. Hurdle is second in Region X with nine home runs, behind only Essence Champion of USC Salkehatchie.

Kara Tackett: Tackett started in centerfield against Patrick & Henry on Saturday. She also pitched one and one-thirds innings in the nightcap. Tackett also started in the circle in the second game of a doubleheader against Surry Community College on Friday. Surry won 11-1. Tackett started in centerfield in the opening game of the doubleheader against Surry.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team got back on the winning track with two doubleheader sweeps this weekend. On Friday, the Red Hawks swept USC Union at Kiwanis Park in Hickory. Andrews, starting at third base, went 0-for-3 in CVCC’s opening 5-0 win. The Red Hawks won 9-1 in five innings in the nightcap. Andrews went 0-for-2 with a walk. On Saturday, CVCC swept a doubleheader from Cleveland Community College. The Red Hawks won both games via run rule. Andrews went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the opening 15-0 win in five innings. In the second game, where the Red Hawks rolled 13-5 in five innings. Andrews hit a home run in the 2nd inning. The Red Hawks are 12-2 in Region X, tied in the loss column with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute for 2nd place.

Photo by Sherri Corbin Nevius

There’s the Crustacean Sensation. There’s the Cow Man. There’s the son of a former UNC lacrosse star that is its leading scorer. And the goalkeeper is female.

Those parts, and many, many more, have put the Orange lacrosse team in line for its second straight conference championship.

Connor Kruse, the son of former UNC and Johns Hopkins lacrosse midfielder Travis Kruse, scored six goals while junior Tigh Metheney added two goals in the fourth quarter as Orange remained undefeated in the Mid-Carolina Conference with a 14-8 win over Cedar Ridge at Red Wolves Stadium on Friday night.

The Panthers (9-2, 7-0) have won seven in a row.

Cedar Ridge senior co-Captain Roman Oguntoyinbo factored in on every Red Wolf tally except one, scoring four goals and assisting on three others. Oguntoyinbo tied the game at 7-7 after he grabbed a ground ball on the opening faceoff of the second half, won by Cedar Ridge’s Jackson Kralic, and sent an overhand shot past Orange sophomore goalkeeper Katie Wolter just 25 seconds into the third quarter. Wolter and the rest of the Orange defense held Cedar Ridge to just one goal for the rest of the game. Wolter finished with eight saves.

In the second half, five different Panthers scored, including junior Joe Cady notching the game-winning goal with 8:29 remaining in the third quarter when he ran in from the right wing and threw a bounce shot past Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Leo Oguntoyinbo. Kruse, Metheney, Andrew Harris and Josh Crabtree added goals during Orange’s 7-1 run to finish the game.

“We have a pretty deep team,” said Orange coach Chandler Zirkle. “I think we have more guys who can up the middle of the field than other teams. This Cedar Ridge team is a phenomenal team. This is the best Cedar Ridge team since I’ve been here. It is, by far, the best coached team. They picked their level up to a pace that was insane.”

Cedar Ridge, under first-year head coach Cole Churchill, played its third game in as many days. On Wednesday night, Northwood scored in the final two minutes to defeat the Red Wolves 9-8. Cedar Ridge bounced back the next night with a 12-5 win over Seaforth in Pittsboro.

“I think we have some more running to do,” said Cedar Ridge coach Cole Churchill. “We can always be in better shape. I think we played a good first half and in the second half we lost some of our focus. We did some of the silly things that hurt us quickly. As the momentum shifted, we just never caught back up. Our energy was low because we were tired and we didn’t get the same kind of bench energy.”

Kruse, who had four goals in a 14-7 win at Western Alamance on Wednesday night in Elon, immediately inserted his influence by scoring the game’s opening two goals in just 48 seconds. Metheny found Kruse for the second goal, and the Panthers roared out to a 2-0 lead they wouldn’t concede for the rest of the half.

Oguntoyinbo hit senior attacker James Clayton with a centering pace, and Clayton fired in an sidearm shot from the top of the box for the first Cedar Ridge goal. Kruse responded with another goal with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter, following by the opening tally from junior Jake Wimsatt, Orange’s face-off ace. Kruse scored his fourth goal in the opening quarter on a running bounce shot with 1:27 remaining.

Cedar Ridge went on a 4-2 run to close out the first half. Junior Billy Power, who transferred to Hillsborough in November, took a pass from Clayton and fired in a shot from 15 yards away. After Cady scored for Orange, Oguntoyinbo fired in a shot in a man-up situation off an assist from Power after Orange was called for a slashing penalty. Clayton whittled the Orange lead down to 6-5 off a feed from Ogunotoyinbo. The Red Wolves had an opportunity to tie, but couldn’t clear the ball up the field off a check by Crabtree. Wimsatt chased in on the loose ground ball with a sidearm shot to increase Orange’s lead to 7-5.

Cedar Ridge’s Holden Neal put the Red Wolves within one goal at the half on another goal set up on an assist by Oguntoyinbo.

“For them to cut the lead down to one goal at the half was eye-opening for us, but in a fun way,” Zirkle said. “It put our level higher to where we had to get to. They were playing its third game in three days. Cedar Ridge played a great game.”

For a team with three players named “Josh,” the Panthers have had to get creative with nicknames. Josh Crabtree, who scored Orange’s 10th goal in the third quarter, is the “Crustacean Sensation.” Josh Cowan, a mainstay on defense, is the “Cow Man.” Whether he joined the FFA is a question that remains unanswered.

For Churchill, who was a member of the Cedar Ridge Class of 2015, the struggle to get healthy has been a huge obstacle. Senior Kellan Hepditch has been out of action, while another defensive stalwart, Thomas Allen, just returned to action this week. Gavin Scher, a freshman long-stink defenseman, has had shoulder problems.

Nonetheless, the Red Wolves (8-4, 5-4) remain likely to make the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs.

“I think our consistency has been impacted because of injuries,” Churchill said. “Before you had two seniors and a junior that have played three years together. Then when you put others in the lineup, you don’t have the same chemistry. They do a great job coming together and I’m hoping adding Thomas back will give us more chemistry.”

Photo by Hailstate.com

Montana Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team has set the school him run record twice over the past week. On Wednesday the Bulldogs defeated Middle Tennessee 19-14 at Blue Raider Softball Field in Murfreesboro, TN. It was the highest combined run total for any game in Mississippi State softball history. Montana put the Bulldogs ahead with a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning with two outs. On March 23, Mississippi State defeated Memphis 13-3 in five innings at Tiger Softball Complex. The Bulldogs hit a then-school-record six home runs. Montana entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1. She also played first base.

Mia Davidson: Starting at catcher for Mississippi State softball, Davidson hit her 83rd career home run in the seventh inning against Middle Tennessee. She is now tied for tenth in NCAA history on the career home run list. She also has hit more home runs than any player in Southeastern Conference history, baseball or softball. Davidson scored three times and finished 1-for-3 against the Blue Raiders. Last Saturday, Mississippi State swept a doubleheader from Samford at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 1-for-3 in a 2-1 Bulldogs win in the nightcap. The Bulldogs also won the opener 2-1 over Samford. Davidson also went 1-for-3 in the opener. Last Wednesday against Memphis, Davidson hit two home runs. In the fourth, there was a two-run blast. The following inning, Davidson sent a solo shot over the centerfield wall. Davidson went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and reached safely in all four of her appearances at the plate. Mississippi State is 23-10 overall. They travel to Tennessee this weekend for a three-game series.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team opened the Southern Conference portion of its scheduled with a three-game sweep of Mercer at UNCG Softball Stadium. On Friday, the Spartans defeated the Bears 15-4 in five innings. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1. On Sunday, the Spartans mauled Mercer 19-1 in five innings. Dalehite was inserted as a pinch runner and scored a run. The Spartans swept a midweek doubleheader over Radford and is now 22-10.

Jaden Hurdle: It was sophomore day for the Patrick & Henry Community College last weekend. The Patriots swept a doubleheader from Florence-Darlington Technical Community College. Hurdle won the nightcap as pitcher, improving to 5-2 on the season. Hurdle gave up four hits in six innings of work in the circle. She struck out three and gave up just one run and one walk. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-2. In the opener, Patrick & Henry won 3-0. Hurdle went 0-for-2. On Saturday, the Patriots swept a doubleheader over Fayetteville Tech. The Patriots took the opener 14-2 in five innings. Hurdle had a two-run double and finished 1-for-3. She had three RBIs. In the nightcap, Patrick & Henry won 12-4 in five innings. Hurdle won another game as pitcher to go to 6-2. In five innings, Hurdle had three strikeouts. She gave up four runs (only one earned) on five hits and two walks. She went 1-for-1 at the plate with two walks. Patrick Henry is 20-8 overall, 11-3 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team is now 25-1 and has won 20 in a row. On Monday, the Red Hawks swept the Belmont Abbey junior varsity in a doubleheader. In the opener, CVCC won 4-1. Andrews started at third base and went 0-for-2. The Red Hawks took the second game 8-1. Andrews went 1-for-3. On Friday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader over Southwest Virginia at Kiwanis Park in Hickory, both games by run rule. In the opening 11-0 win in five innings, Andrews went 1-for-2 with a run scored. In the second game, the Red Hawks won 8-0 in five innings. Andrews finished 0-for-2. Last Thursday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader over Spartanburg Methodist in Spartanburg, SC. Andrews went 0-for-3 in CVCC’s 6-4 win in the opener. In the nightcap, the Red Hawks won 10-5. Andrews went 0-for-3 with a run scored.

Kara Tackett: The Wake Tech Community College softball team continued its season last week. On Friday, Gaston Community College defeated the Eagles 9-5. Tackett started in centerfield and went 1-for-3. She came in as pitcher in the fifth inning and threw three innings. She gave up four runs on three hits with two strikeouts. In the second game of the doubleheader, Gaston won 14-5. Tackett started in centerfield while leading off. She finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. On Saturday, Cleveland Community College defeated Wake Tech 12-10. Tackett, starting in centerfield, went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Cleveland completed the doubleheader sweep winning the second game 27-6. Tackett went 0-for-3 with a run scored.

Joey Berini: On Sunday, the East Carolina baseball team lost to Virginia Commonwealth 5-2 at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville. Berini entered the game at shortstop in the ninth inning. On Saturday, Berini started at second base as the Pirates defeated the Rams 7-5. Berini went 0-for-3, but scored two runs. On March 23, East Carolina held off Elon 7-6. Berini was inserted into the game as a reserve shortstop and went 0-for-1. On March 22, the Pirates knocked off UNC Wilmington 3-1 at Brooks Field in Wilmington. Berini came in as a reserve 2nd baseman and went 0-for-1.

Phillip Berger: The Division III William Peace baseball team cruised to a 22-0 win over Mary Baldwin in the opening game of a doubleheader last Friday at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger threw a 3-hit shutout over seven innings with 13 strikeouts with no walks. Berger is 5-3 on the season.

Will Walker: The Pitt Community College baseball team continues to have a solid season. On Wednesday, the Bulldogs defeated the North Carolina Wesleyan junior varsity 12-8. Walker, starting at first base, went 2-fo4-5 with an RBI and a double. Pitt Community College had a three-game sweep over Fayetteville Tech in Greenville. On Sunday, the Bulldogs defeated Fayetteville Tech 16-4. Walker went 0-for-3. On Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated the Trojans 5-2. Walker went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Pitt Community College won the opening game of the doubleheader with an 18-1 win. Walker hit a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Bulldogs ahead 4-1. Last Wednesday, Pro 5 Academy knocked off Pitt 12-3. Walker finished 1-for-4. Pitt Community College is 17-3.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State College Pirates baseball team split four games with Northwest Florida State College last week. On Tuesday, Northwest defeated the Pirates 14-9. Porter, starting at shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a run scored. The following day, the Raiders defeated the Pirates 11-5. Porter finished 1-for-4. On Saturday, Pensacola State swept a doubleheader. In the opening 7-1 win in seven innings, Porter went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. The Pirates earned a shutout in the nightcap 4-0, where Porter went 0-for-3. In 29 games, Porter is hitting .286 with one home run and nine RBIs.

At the beginning of this week, Orange sophomore Josiah Gibbs didn’t know he would be starting the first game of his varsity career on Thursday. When the Panthers’ junior varsity game against Southwestern Randolph was canceled on Thursday afternoon, Orange coach Jason Knapp decided to start Gibbs in the varsity game against the Cougars. Gibbs made an instant impression, throwing five shutout innings as the Panthers rolled 9-2. Gibbs threw only 49 pitches against 18 batters and surrendered just five hits with zero walks. Orange junior Connor Nordan had an RBI double during the Panthers’ five-run first inning. Nordan replaced Gibbs on the mound in the sixth inning. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Orange is now 5-4 and will travel to Williams on Friday night for its final game before spring break. Orange will start play in the Hilltop Invitational on Wednesday against traditional power New Hanover in Hillsborough.