After finishing with a winning record for the fourth year in a row, three Cedar Ridge softball players were named first-team All-Big 8 Conference.

Third baseman Takia Nichols, the Big 8 Player of the Year, was named to the first-team. So were junior shortstop Ava Lowry and senior catcher ShiLi Quade.

Nichols led Cedar Ridge in nine offensive categories. She had a .707 batting average, scored 34 runs, had 29 hits, belted 13 home runs, registered 38 RBI, nine doubles, was walked 17 times, had a .793 on-base percentage with a 1.926 slugging percentage. Nichols, a junior, will enter her senior season on a six-game home run streak. Nichols started the string at Northern Durham on April 20 with a three-run blast to centerfield. The next day against the Knights, she hit an inside-the-park home run on a windy day at Cedar Ridge Softball Stadium, the 20th dinger of her career. Two days later, she hit another home run against East Chapel Hill, then followed with two home runs in a 8-3 win at Vance County in Henderson. Nichols concluded the season with two home runs in the opening game of a doubleheader against Southern Durham.

Despite playing home games inside a big park, Nichols is the all-time leading home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history, baseball or softball. She has 26 career dingers.

Lowry has built a bond with Nichols since the time they played together in middle school. They share the same side of the infield. Before the season started, Lowry committed to Division III North Carolina Wesleyan. This year, Lowry hit .550 with 25 runs scored, three home runs and 23 RBIs. She was also second on the team with seven doubles. Against East Chapel Hill on March 29, Lowry hit two runs as the Red Wolves defeated the Wildcats 18-5 in five innings at Wildcat Softball Park. She finished 4-for-5 against the Wildcats with six RBIs. On April 9 against Northwood, Lowry hit a three-run inside-the-park home run that ended the game. Lowry scored Quade and Olivia Aitkin to wrap up a 14-2 Red Wolf win. In the third inning of that game, Lowry had an RBI single to score Quade again.

Ironically, Lowry may have had her best game of the season in a loss. Against Orange on April 15, Lowry went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Cedar Ridge trailed from the time they gave up three runs in the first inning, but Lowry never stopped competing. She hit a double in the second inning and scored Cedar Ridge’s first run off a wild pitch. With two outs in the sixth, Lowry drew a walk following a 10-pitch at-bat (she fouled off five balls) to extend the inning, which led to Quade scoring off a wild pitch. Then came the wild seventh inning, where Cedar Ridge trailed 9-2 but scored seven runs to send it to extra innings. In the 7th, Lowry reached off a dropped fly ball and also scored on a wild pitch. In the eighth, Lowry nearly won the game with a triple to right centerfield that missed clearing the fence by a few feet. She settled for a triple, but was stranded there after a groundout to the shortstop.

Quade played on two Big 8 Conference Softball championship teams at Cedar Ridge during her four-year stint on the varsity. After she played centerfield in her abbreviated junior year, Quade shifted to catcher this season to replace Emma Roby, who graduated in 2020. She opened the season by going 4-for-6 against Northwood on March 17 in a wild 17-16 loss to the Chargers in eight innings. For the year, Quade hit .465. She scored 32 runs, which was second only behind Nichols. Quade hit 4-for-5 against East Chapel Hill on March 29, where she had a double and a triple.

While the pandemic may have kept most students at home for most of the academic year, Quade had no problem keeping herself active. In the winter, she was a member of the Big 8 Champion Cedar Ridge volleyball team, which reached the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. When she didn’t play volleyball, she was a photographer for the Cedar Ridge yearbook staff. Quade was a regular at Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s basketball games, shooting pictures at courtside (some of which appeared on Hillsboroughsports.com) right up until softball practice started in February.

Senior second baseman Reagan Ruhl and junior centerfielder Olivia Aitkin were named honorable mention. Ruhl, who also played on the varsity for four years, hit .340 with one home run. She had an inside-the-park home run against Northern Durham on April 21 that reduced Cedar Ridge’s deficit to 15-14.

Aitkin, who started in centerfield, hit .404. She was third on the team with 20 RBIs. In the past, Aitkin has also competed on Cedar Ridge’s swimming team.

Bryse Wilson: On Tuesday morning, Bryse Wilson was recalled by the Atlanta Braves from Gwinnett of Triple-A East. Wilson made his fourth start of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays at Truist Park. Wilson worked effectively and threw five shutout innings. In the sixth, Wilson conceded a two-run homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Wilson wound up with a no decision. He threw six innings and struck out five. Wilson gave up six hits, two runs and one walk. The Braves bullpen couldn’t hold on to a 3-2 lead and lost 5-3. On Wednesday morning, Wilson was reassigned back to Gwinnett. He could pitch for the Stripers this weekend against the Louisville Bats.

Kayla Hodges: A week after the Elon women’s soccer team’s season came to an end after reaching the NCAA Tournament, Hodges was named the winner of the Robert C. Browne Sportsmanship Award. The award is presented annually to the male and female student athletes who have best displayed exemplary qualities of sportsmanship. “Her strength, leadership and aerial ability has been unwavering this season,” Elon women’s soccer coach Neil Payne said in a statement. “Along with our entire defensive unit, she has shown tremendous resolve, grit and determination all year.” Hodges is a Human Services major who has also worked as a coach for youth soccer. She has also spent numerous hours with community organizations. Hodges participated in the Phoenix Leadership Academy. She helped Elon win its first Colonial Athletic Association Tournament championship last month.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team continued its winning ways in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday. The Bulldogs defeated #23 Ole Miss 3-1 to advance to the quarterfinals in Tuscaloosa, AL. Davidson drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning to score the first run of the afternoon. In the fifth inning, Davidson doubled to left field. She also tagged two runners out at the plate, including one in the fifth inning that was the subject of a lengthy replay review.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at third base and was in the nine spot in the batting order for Mississippi State. She walked twice. Mississippi State has won eight in a row. They will face top-seeded Florida, ranked #4 in the country, in the quarterfinals on Thursday morning at noon.

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick Henry Community College softball team captured a best-of-three series against Southeastern Community College on Wednesday. The Patriots won the third and deciding game 3-1 in Martinsville, VA. Hurdle went 0-for-2 and drew a walk in the third game. Patrick Henry won the opening game 4-2 on Tuesday. Hurdle went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth inning, which proved to be a valuable insurance run. Before Hurdle’s RBI, the Rams had narrowed what was once a 3-0 deficit to 3-2. Southeastern captured game 2 of the series 6-2. Hurdle had an RBI single. She also relieved starting pitcher Brianna Taylor in the circle. Hurdle threw three-and-one-thirds innings and surrendered just two hits and one run. She struck out three. Patrick Henry will start play in the Region X Division II Tournament at Springwood Park in Burlington. The Patriots will face the fifth-seed, Florence-Darlington Tech, Friday morning at 10 o’clock. This will be a two-day, double elimination tournament.

We step back in the time machine for the retro Orange Panther of the Week. We journey back to the week of March 7, where the winner is senior wingback/linebacker Elliott Woods. On March 12, Woods scored Orange’s only touchdown in a 7-6 win over Northern Durham. On that touchdown drive, Woods had a crucial 12-yard catch on a 4th down, which enabled the Panthers to continue the drive. Woods also started on defense and made five tackles. This season, Woods was a co-captain for Van Smith’s Panthers. For the second year in a row, Woods led Orange with 65 tackles. He also had nine tackles for loss, which was second on the team. In 2019, Woods had 87 tackles. Right now, Woods is a part of Orange’s wrestling team, which will face Chapel Hill on Tuesday for the Big 8 Conference championship. After Woods graduates from Orange next month, he will attend N.C. State to focus on majoring in business. Orange will certainly miss Woods’ presence on defense, where he accounted for over 150 tackles, as well as rushing for 731 yards in 18 career varsity games.

In a power pitching display reminiscent of Bryse Wilson’s days at Orange, Panther sophomore Ryan Hench struck out 16 batters as the Panthers defeated Chapel Hill 5-0 at Tiger Field on Tuesday night. It may very well have set a school record for strikeouts in a game. For good measure, Hench drove in Jackson Berini in the seventh inning. Hench, in just his second start for Orange, won despite throwing on only four days rest. He earned the win in Friday’s game against Northwood. Senior center fielder Jaren Sikes scored Orange’s first two runs. Sikes reached on a bunt single in the third inning and scored off a wild pitch. In the fifth, Sikes hit a lead off double and scored off a fielder’s choice from Tyler Lloyd. Sikes slid into home plate safely under the tag of Chapel Hill catcher Trevor Liebe. Orange is 5-0 and has sewed up a spot in the 3A State Playoffs. The Panthers will face West Stokes in a recently scheduled non conference game on Friday in Hillsborough. You can hear that game on Hillsboroughsports.com.

There was no gas shortage at Tiger Field on Tuesday night.

That’s because Ryan Hench was throwing flames.

In only his second varsity start, the sophomore pitcher struck out 14 batters in a two-hit shutout to propel Orange past Chapel Hill 5-0. Hench did it on the same night where former Orange star Bryse Wilson started for the Atlanta Braves against Toronto at Truist Field.

According to MaxPreps, Wilson’s career-high at Orange was 15 strikeouts against East Chapel Hill on March 21, 2016.

Through nine innings over his past two starts, Hench has surrendered two hits, one walk and no runs with 18 strikeouts.

The Panthers, 5-0, ensured a playoff birth for the 19th consecutive season.

Hench started Orange’s victory over Northwood on Friday, where he and three other pitchers combined on a one-hitter. It was his first varsity win in just his second pitching appearance. Against the Chargers, he was pulled after three innings and 51 pitches without conceding a hit. On Tuesday, he needed only 90 pitches to blank Chapel Hill, 71 of which were strikes.

Hench’s brother Cooper, who graduated from Orange last June and recently completed his freshman year at N.C. State, was in attendance Tuesday. In Orange’s last trip to Chapel Hill on April 25, 2019, Cooper Hench threw a three-hit shutout in a 10-1 Panther win.

In a pivotal game for Orange’s playoff chances, Panthers Coach Jason Knapp didn’t hesitate to start Hench on four days rest.

“Absolutely,” Knapp immediately answered when asked if he felt Hench was capable of such a powerful performance. “I thought he could give us a good 4-5 innings after what we saw against Northwood. He was fired up tonight. He commanded the zone and wasn’t scared to pitch to contact.”

Hench’s emotional, confident nature was on full display right down to the final pitch. With an 0-2 count on pinch hitter Liam Carruthers with two out in the 7th inning, Hench slammed the rosin bag down on the back of the mound and forcefully turned to the plate, which got a rise out of an already boisterous Panther dugout. Hench unleashed yet another fastball that glanced off Carruthers bat in front of the plate. Orange catcher Davis Horton picked it up and threw to Jordan Underwood to end the game. Moments earlier, Underwood made the defensive gem of the night. With Tigers catcher Trevor Liebe at second following a double, Underwood made a diving stab on a grounder hit by Chapel Hill’s Becket Yates that hugged the first base line. Hench raced over to cover first as Underwood, still on the ground, chucked the ball across to preserve the shutout.

Chapel Hill only managed five baserunners. Liebe had both of the Tigers’ hits. Of Hench’s 14 strikeouts, Chapel Hill had two batters get on base after dropped third strikes. Four of the base runners were left on base, while the other was tagged out in a rundown.

Orange centerfielder Jaren Sikes scored the Panthers’ first two runs. Sikes led off the third inning with a beautiful bunt down the third base line. With Tyler Lloyd at bat, Sikes went station-to-station, going to second base on a wild pitch, and advanced to third when Lloyd flew out to right. With two out and Conner Funk at bat, Sikes scored off another wild pitch.

Chapel Hill’s biggest threat came in the bottom of the second. Liebe lined a one-out single to right field. Third baseman Tyler Stillson was hit by a pitch. Carruthers, running for Liebe, advanced to third with one out after a wild pitch with Martin Nesbitt at bat. Hench shut down the threat with strikeouts of Nesbitt and Will Blythe.

It appeared Sikes would leadoff the fifth with a routine flyout to left field. But fly balls were as problematic as finding a gas pump on Tuesday night, and the outfielder lost it in the lights. Sikes, despite nearly being thrown out, still wound up at second, then went to third on another wild pitch. Lloyd sent a grounder to Stillson, who tried to nab Sikes at the plate, but Sikes slid in safely. Lloyd advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Jackson Berini. Will Walker got on board after an infield hit with two out, and Lloyd would score off a wild pitch with Horton batting to increase Orange’s lead to 3-0.

In the fifth, Berini added another run following a leadoff walk. Horton singled to left field to extend his hitting streak to four games. Hench, as if his night wasn’t big enough already, lined a single to centerfield to bring in Berini. Right fielder David Waitt grounded a fastball through the hole in left for a RBI single to score courtesy runner Jacob Jones, running for Horton.

After Orange scored 15, 19 and ten runs in its first three contested games (Vance County was a forfeit on April 30), the Panthers picked up a reputation across the league as an offensive powerhouse with questions surrounding a young pitching staff. In one night, that may have changed with Ryan Hench delivering a power pitching performance not seen since Wilson’s high school glory days five years ago.

Now, Orange will prepare for Northern Durham next Tuesday in Hillsborough. It will be Orange’s final game that will count in the Big 8 Conference standings this year and could decide the league title. (Northern was scheduled to play Northwood in Pittsboro on Tuesday, but didn’t travel due to the gas shortage. Northern’s wrestling team did travel to Hillsborough to face Cedar Ridge).

While the conference crown will have to wait, Knapp went to bed on Tuesday night knowing that his postseason fate is secure.

“It feels real good,” Knapp said. “To get that sewed up and to get into nonconference games, we’re just excited. These guys are getting better every single day.”

For his first Mideast Regional tournament, Cedar Ridge sophomore Josh Mayhew set a goal of beating one of Chapel Hill’s top players.

Mission accomplished.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mayhew defeated Chapel Hill senior Eddy Ferreira 6-2, 6-2 to reach the championship match of the Mideast Regional at the Burlington Tennis Club. In the final, Chapel Hill’s Dennis Perumov defeated Mayhew 6-2, 6-2 for the regional title.

Mayhew had the best singles finish in a regional for any singles player from Hillsborough since 2014. It was the third time this year that Mayhew had faced Perumov, a senior who is 13-0 this year.

Mayhew will be the #2 seed from the Mideast for the 3A NCHSAA State Singles Tournament, which begins Friday morning in Burlington. Mayhew, in his first varsity season, is 11-2. His only losses in singles play have come against Perumov.

Also on Tuesday, Orange’s doubles team of Brandon Gwinn & Colin O’Hagerty lost to East Chapel Hill’s Kabir Grewal & Michael Gannon 6-2, 6-1. Gwinn & O’Hagerty will become the first representatives from Orange in the state tennis championships since 2013 on Friday. They will be the #4 seed in the 3A State Doubles Tournament.

Wrestling: Orange 60, Northwood 9

Though wrestling season falls during the spring this year, that doesn’t mean it will be any different than most others within the Big 8 Conference. Once again, the conference title will come down to Chapel Hill vs. Orange.

On Tuesday night, Orange defeated Northwood 60-9 to improve to 7-0. It was senior night at Panther Gymnasium for grapplers like Kessel Summers, who won his 100th match last week. On Tuesday, Summers pinned Northwood’s Asher Rockriver in 40 seconds at 132 pounds for his 103rd career win.

Senior Hayden Horne pinned Northwood’s Jacob Dunning in 5:41. At heavyweight, Tyler Larkin pinned George Gilson in 1:42.

Matthew Smith Breeden, who has wrestled four years at varsity, scored a major decision over Ian Morrison 10-2. Henry Joubert-Stanzel pinned Ryan Brinker in 1:09. At 195 pounds, Elliot Woods earned another major decision against Hunter Klingel 15-1.

At 120 pounds, Colton Jones pinned Coltrane Northington in 1:19. Jared Hutchins put Orange ahead 12-0 after he pinned Aiden Vigus in 1:14.

Avery Clark won via forfeit at 138. Andrew Hill pinned Northwood’s Nathan Davis in 1:31 at 160 pounds.

Orange will prepare for Tuesday’s match against Chapel Hill when they face Riverside and Hillside in a tri-meet in Durham on Thursday.

Cedar Ridge 36, Eastern Alamance 33; Cedar Ridge 54, Northern Durham 12

Fernando Martinez, James Rosati-Brown and Daina Pritchard maintained their undefeated individual records for 2021 as Cedar Ride swept a tri-match inside Red Wolves Gymnasium on Thursday night.

The Red Wolves defeated Eastern Alamance 36-33. Kaden Tatro won the deciding match for the Red Wolves after he pinned Aidan Clark in :45 at 170 pounds. Martinez started the dual match with a pin of Caden Parsons in 48 seconds. Martinez would go on to a forfeit victory over Northern Durham to improve to 8-0 with four pins this season.

At 152 pounds, Rosati-Brown pinned Northern Durham’s Khayree Dixon in 1:24. Rosati-Brown, who picked up a forfeit win over Eastern Alamance, is also 8-0. His victory over Dixon was the 63rd of his Cedar Ridge career.

Pritchard pined Cameron Rivera of Eastern Alamance in 6:30. It was Pritchard’s sixth pin of the year. A forfeit win over Northern Durham improved Pritchard’s record to 8-0 this year. Pritchard now has 59 career wins.

Senior Kady Watkins also earned two wins on the night. Watkins pinned Eastern Alamance’s Mason Tanner in 2:49. She earned a forfeit win against Northern. Watkins pinned Southeast Guilford’s Colton Krall for her first win this season last week at Orange High.

At 132 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Mac McGhee pinned Khamani Dixon in 1:46. Gavin Mintz got a forfeit win at 160 pounds for the Red Wolves, as did Wyatt Robinson at 182 pounds.

Cedar Ridge improved to 4-4 and will travel to East Chapel Hill for a tri-meet on Thursday.

True to the makeup of a team that achieved success despite limited varsity experience, five Orange softball players were named to the All-Big 8 Conference team.

Most notably, three of the honorees had not played a full varsity schedule before this season.

Junior 2nd baseman/3rd baseman Mary Moss Wirt, junior catcher Lauren Jackson, sophomore shortstop Carson Bradsher, sophomore centerfielder Serenity McPherson and freshman right fielder/pitcher Caden Robinson were all named to the first-team following a poll of the Big 8 Conference’s coaches.

In addition, Orange’s Gracie Walker was named Big 8 Pitcher of the Year.

Orange finished the regular season 12-0 and lost to Southwestern Randolph in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs last Monday. It was the first Orange softball team to ever finish the regular season undefeated.

Wirt, who committed to Elon University before the season started, hit .457 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. She hit home runs in Orange’s opening games against East Chapel Hill and Cedar Ridge, which was the beginning of a season’s worth of domination for Orange. While Wirt’s offensive contributions were impressive enough, her biggest value came on defense. During a three-game stretch where 3rd baseman Emma Puckett was out of the lineup, Wirt took over her spot while freshman Delaney Shaffer played second. Wirt had a team-high five assists in Orange’s 11-9 win over Cedar Ridge in nine innings on April 15, a classic game where the Red Wolves scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after trailing 9-2. Wirt made two huge defensive plays during Cedar Ridge’s rally. The first came after Cedar Ridge’s ShiLi Quade laid down a gorgeous bunt towards third with runners at first and second. Wirt, realizing that discretion was the better part of valor, opted to hold the ball and surrender the hit instead of potentially throwing it into right field.

After Cedar Ridge tied the game 9-9, the Red Wolves had the bases loaded with two out when Wirt fielded a grounder hit by Emma-Rae Sharp. Instead of going to first, Wirt threw to Jackson at the plate to retire Marlee Rakouskas, the potential winning run, and send the game into extra innings. Wirt scored the game-winning run and recorded the final out.

Jackson, a junior, hit .526 in her third year as a varsity starter. She led the team with five home runs and was tied for second with 17 RBIs. She hit four home runs in Orange’s last three games, including two against Northern Durham in a 12-0 win, which concluded the regular season. Against the Knights, she went 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Jackson hit safely in eleven of Orange’s 12 games, and it would have been 12, but she was walked and hit by a pitch against Southern Durham in her only two plate appearances. Against Vance County, Jackson had a two-run double in the fourth inning for a victory that officially clinched the conference championship.

In her first full season at the varsity level, Bradsher led Orange in nine offensive categories. She hit .700 with 28 hits, 20 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven doubles, four triples, 16 stolen bases, a 1.075 slugging percentage, and a .739 on-base percentage. McPherson and Bradsher occupied the top two batting slots in Coach Johnny Barefoot’s batting order in almost every game. The combination triggered an offense that outscored opponents 172-23. In her season debut against Cedar Ridge, Bradsher went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Against Northwood on April 23, Bradsher went 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs and three runs scored. Stretching back to her freshman year, limited to four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradsher has hit safely in 15 of 16 career games. The only exception was a 22-0 win over Chapel Hill, where she was walked three times.

McPherson hit .533 with 24 hits and 22 runs scored. She was second on the team in all of those categories. McPherson also was fourth on the team with 16 RBIs. In Orange’s first meeting with Northern Durham, McPherson started the game with a triple and scored off a sacrifice fly by Bradsher. The following inning, McPherson laced a three-run homer to centerfield to put the Lady Panthers ahead 5-2. In the fifth inning, she threw out Northern shortstop Macey Ellis at the plate trying to score, which secured an Orange win that guaranteed a playoff spot.

Robinson, who usually hit third in Orange’s order, finished with a .429 batting average. She was second on the team with 17 RBIs. Robinson was also the backup pitcher to starter Gracie Walker. In the circle, Robinson was 5-0 in ten appearances with four starts. She had a 0.70 ERA with 34 strikeouts and three walks. In her first varsity game, Robinson went 4-for-4 with a double and a triple against East Chapel Hill. The following week against Cedar Ridge, she went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs, including two doubles. She hit safely in all of Orange’s regular season games. Against Northwood on March 25, Robinson had four RBIs during a 12-run second inning. She started with a 2-run double, then drilled a two-run homer to centerfield.

Walker and Kelsey Tackett were named honorable mention. As Orange’s top pitcher, Walker went 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA. She had 37 strikeouts and eleven walks. Walker, who also played right field, hit .407.

Tackett, as a designated player, hit .462. Of her 12 hits, five were doubles.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior wrestler Daina Pritchard. Last week, Pritchard scored three pins as the Red Wolves faced Carrboro, Southeast Guilford and Orange. Pritchard pinned Carrboro’s Berk Kesimer in 57 seconds, pinned Sam Crawford of Orange in 3:50 and defeated Southeast Guilford’s Xavier Jones in 1:36. This season, Pritchard is 6-0 with five pins. Last season, Pritchard finished third in the 132-pound weight class of the Jim King Invitational at Orange High. In the third place match, Pritchard defeated Orange’s Matthew Smith-Breeden 9-1. He also won the 138-pound championship at the Buccaneer Cup at Bartlett-Yanchey High School in January 2020. Pritchard scored three pins to take the championship, ending with a victory over Bartlett Yancey’s Jakob Casselmann in three minutes. Many of the traditional tournament that Daina has competed in over the years, like the Jim King Invitational and the Tiger Holiday Classic at Chapel Hill, were canceled this year because of the pandemic. In addition to wrestling, Prichard was a linebacker for Cedar Ridge football this season. Pritchard will look to continue his strong senior season tonight when Cedar Ridge hosts a tri-meet inside Red Wolves Gymnasium.