Savannah Wynne broke her nose in the first inning of Orange’s playoff game on Monday night. She wanted to stay in anyway.

A passing thunderstorm that cut through Hillsborough hours before the first pitch between the Lady Panthers and Southwestern Randolph had created a bumpy outfield, despite the best efforts of Orange softball’s coaching staff that worked on the field right up past game time. Randolph’s Alley Lowe lined a 3-2 fastball through to the outfield, which took a sudden, violent hop off the grass and into Wynne’s face.

Immediately, blood started coming out of her nose, which was covered with a towel by Orange trainer Emily Gaddy right away. It was only after lobbying from Gaddy that Wynne agreed to be replaced by freshman Delaney Shaffer. But she told Gaddy “I’m going back in.”

And she did. In the fifth inning, Wynne was back in left field. Most players who return from injury in the middle of the game aren’t effective. Wynne, however, lined a double to right field to drive in Emma Puckett to continue building an Orange rally after Southwestern Randolph jumped ahead 6-0. The Cougars would hold on to win 7-5.

Afterwards, Wynne’s mother drove her to UNC Primary Care, where she walked in still wearing her uniform. Doctors had to glue the top of her nasal cavity back together. But she had to go back in the game because, well, as her mother says, “softball is in her heart.”

Chances are several Cedar Ridge players would have done the same thing.

In its final year in the Big 8 Conference, Orange rolled to the league title. They scored at least eleven runs in every game. Only one team came within nine runs of beating the Lady Panthers during the regular season.

Naturally, that team was Cedar Ridge. On April 15, it appeared Orange won on its way to its eighth straight win in dominant fashion. They led 9-2 going into the bottom of the seventh behind three runs scored by Carson Bradsher and two more from Serenity McPherson.

Then Cedar Ridge came up with a rally for the ages. They scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. For context, Orange had not surrendered four runs in a game yet, and they still didn’t until this past Monday night.

Cedar Ridge would have won if it wasn’t for the defensive reliability of Mary Moss Wirt, normally a second baseman who played third against the Red Wolves because Puckett was out of the lineup. Forgotten in the avalanche of runs that Cedar Ridge scored in the seventh was Wirt making the final out on a short grounder hit by Emma-Rae Sharp. Wirt, two steps in front of third base, fired to catcher Lauren Jackson, who retired Marlee Rakouskas.

The talk after the game among Cedar Ridge coaches, among other subjects, was “What if we played in a smaller ballpark?” For a brief moment, Red Wolf shortstop Ava Lowry appeared to win the game for Cedar Ridge with a long fly ball to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. The only problem was she hit it to right center, which extends to 227 feet–the longest part of the stadium. The ball landed two feet shy of the wall and Lowry settled for a triple. Carson Bradsher made the final out of the inning to extend the game into the ninth, which led to another reminder of how bright the future of Hillsborough softball truly is.

Shaffer, a freshman who made just her second start, had the game-winning hit when she drove in Wirt in the ninth inning. Shaffer finished 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs. After her heroics at the plate, Shaffer made the game’s biggest defensive play in the bottom of the ninth when she caught a sinking popup off the bat of Alexandria Matthews at second base, then threw to first for a double play.

Years ago, Cedar Ridge 2nd baseman Tori Dalehite and Orange 1st baseman Jaden Hurdle started a tradition where they would pose together for a picture after every game they played against each other, regardless of who won. In 2017, Orange dominated the Red Wolves en route to the 3A State Title. In 2018, Cedar Ridge swept Orange on its way to the first softball conference championship in school history. Each time, the following morning, Dalehite and Hurdle would be on their mother’s Facebook feed, smiling with softballs in their hands and their arms around each other.

Last month, Cedar Ridge pitcher Hayley King and Orange’s Carson Bradsher continued the tradition.

For King, it’s been a tough 2021. In January, she lost her grandmother to COVID-19. Sherry Carter never missed any of Haley’s games. Not during the sweltering heat of summer travel ball, which usually included a new town every weekend. Not during the early games of a regular, non-pandemic season when the spectators are often bundled up amidst blustery weather like they’re at Lambeau Field, except it’s a softball diamond.

Against Orange, Haley’s grandfather brought along a t-shirt that Sherry wore to many of Haley’s games. Hayley kept that in her back pocket during games for the rest of the season. She rubbed it whenever she needed inspiration.

As the Cedar Ridge seniors gathered together on Friday night after its doubleheader sweep of Southern Durham, ShiLi Quade, Rakouskas, Matthews, Sharp, Reagan Ruhl, and Lajoan Stuart hoped that wouldn’t be the end. The Red Wolves ended the season with four straight wins, but the following day their hopes of a state playoff spot was dashed.

Cedar Ridge Coach Allen Byrd didn’t want to talk like it was the end on Friday night, but started to reflect on a group that help bring two Big 8 Conference championships and a 50-11 record since 2017 to the program.

“Those six kids devoted their lives to this program,” Byrd said. “They helped build this program. We played a little down this year. We’ve lost a lot over the last few years but they never gave up. It’s said it ended for them.”

The future is bright for both programs. Next season, Cedar Ridge third baseman Takia Nichols will be a senior, but her name is firmly embedded in the Red Wolf record books for generations to come. She’s already the all-time home run hitter, softball or baseball, in school history with 26 dingers after 42 career games. Her teammate, shortstop Ava Lowry, has already committed to play at North Carolina Wesleyan and will also return.

Orange only loses two seniors in first baseman Gracie Colley and third baseman Emma Puckett. Of Orange’s ten starters on Monday night, half of them were either freshmen or sophomores.

Combined with the fact that Orange, Cedar Ridge and Northwood will join a new league that includes defending 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance, powerful Western Alamance and longtime contender Person, 2022 may make this spring’s thrill ride look like a merry-go-round.

When you’re used to winning, the end of the season feels sudden.

For Orange softball, losing in the first round of the 3A State Playoffs was one thing. How it happened was another.

For a fleeting moment in the 7th inning, it appeared Panther designated player Kelsey Tackett would bring the tying run to bat with a sharply hit line drive to right field. It would have been her second hit of the game.

Southwestern Randolph second baseman Carleigh Whitson, with the reflexes of a cat, stood in the way.

Well, dove in the way.

With her body parallel to the ground, Whitson lunged on a diving catch for the final out. In an instant, Orange’s 12-game winning streak was over. So was its season.

Whitson’s defensive gem was an appropriate finale. The Lady Panthers romped through the Big 8 Conference by forcing opposing defenses into mistakes and racked up one unearned run after another until they captured the league championship.

The message that Orange sent to opposing teams was “prove you can play defense on us.” It worked until Monday night, when Southwestern Randolph showed it was the best defensive team the Lady Panthers had faced.

The Cougars (9-4) defeated Orange 7-5 at Orange Softball Field in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. Southwestern Randolph, who tied Southern Alamance for the Mid-Piedmont Conference championship, will travel to Clayton for the second round on Wednesday night.

Orange ends the season 12-1 after winning the Big 8 Championship outright. It was the first time all year that the Lady Panthers were held below eleven runs in a game.

Orange pitcher Gracie Walker, who injured her quad while running to first on a single in the 6th inning against Northern Durham last Thursday, was pulled in the second inning after she surrendered four runs on three hits and two walks. Freshman Caden Robinson pitched the rest of the way. In five-and-two-thirds innings, she conceded five hits and three runs, with six strikeouts.

“I don’t know if we were tight to begin the game,” Orange Coach Johnny Barefoot said. “We knew what we had to do. We might have thought it was do or die early. But they settled down and I’m very proud of them.”

Southwestern Randolph struck for two runs in the first inning. Leadoff batter Alex Coleman, who came into the game hitting .733, walked. After Haley Epps moved her over on a sacrifice bunt, Walker struck out Molly Strider. Cougar catcher Gracie Ward stroked a single to centerfield to bring in Coleman.

Right fielder Ally Lowe lined a single to left that took a sharp bounce off the ground and struck left fielder Savannah Wynne in the face. The hit scored courtesy runner Lileigh Payne. Wynne suffered a broken nose and left the game–for two innings. She was taken to the hospital later, but remarkably finished the game.

In its first at-bat, Orange put Southwest Randolph to the test right away. Serenity McPherson lined the first pitch she saw off the leg of freshman Cougar pitcher Lindsey Beck, who remained in the game. Shortstop Carson Bradsher reached on an infield hit. Normally, McPherson and Bradsher each getting on board to start an inning is a recipe for disaster against opposing teams. Instead, the Cougars emerged unscathed when catcher Lauren Jackson grounded out to Strider at third base, then first baseman Lindsi Brown threw to Ward to tag out McPherson at the plate for the final out.

Centerfielder Caressa King walked to lead off the 2nd inning. After Beck delivered another sacrifice bunt, Brown lined a hard single off Emma Puckett’s leg at third base to score King. Robinson replaced Walker as pitcher, but Coleman drilled a double to the right field gap to plate Brown and increase Southwestern Randolph’s lead to 4-0.

Orange freshman Delaney Shaffer led off the third inning with a solid bunt to third. Against most teams in the Big 8 Conference, it would have been a much-needed leadoff hit. Against the Cougars, it was bare-handed by Strider, who fired to first for an out.

As the Lady Panthers’ offense struggled to get on track, the Cougars relied on the longball to pad its lead. King led off the fourth inning with a solo blast to centerfield. In the fifth, Strider stroked a first-pitch fastball over the centerfield wall to push the SWRHS advantage to 6-0.

Jackson put a long-awaited jolt into the Orange offense with a double to the right-centerfield wall to lead off the sixth inning Mary Moss Wirt lined a two-run homer over the left field wall, nearly hitting the scoreboard, for Orange’s first runs. But it wasn’t over.

Puckett sent a squibber off the end of her bat barely five feet from the plate for a single. Wynne, with a yet-to-be diagnosed broken nose, reentered the game and stroked a double to right field which scored Puckett. Walker, who moved to right field after being replaced as pitcher, lined a fastball to right field that was nearly caught by Ally Lowe. Puckett scored to cut the Cougar lead to 6-4.

This was the dream scenario for an Orange comeback. Walker at second with one out and the tying run at the plate. But Beck struck out McPherson, then Bradsher flew out to left field when Coleman made the catch despite the wind nearly blowing it over her head.

Coleman scored Southwestern Randolph’s final run. She reached off a perfect bunt right that inched down the third base line. She stole second and went to third after Epps reached on an error. Strider grounded out to Bradsher, which brought Coleman in.

Trailing 7-4, Orange got hope from Jackson, who lined a solo homer to left field. Jackson ended the year with four home runs in her final four games.

As Orange’s season ended, its stint in the Big 8 Conference is also over. They will move into a whole new world in a yet-to-be-named league that’s so full of softball powerhouses, the NCHSAA should just call it the Southeastern Conference Northern Division and be done with it.

There’s defending 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance. Perennial power Western Alamance. And familiar face Person, who hasn’t been a conference rival to Orange in over 20 years. That will change in August.

Monday’s battle featured teams that were mirror images of each other. Orange loses two seniors, Emma Puckett and Gracie Colley. The Cougars will lose just three. Both teams had freshman pitchers the vast majority of the game.

As Orange ventures into a new conference with stiffer competition, Barefoot isn’t about to forget his memorable first year at Orange that made history, even if the end came too soon.

“They battled,” Barefoot said. “Most teams when they were down 6-0 would have just hung their head. I told them the only difference between winning and losing is those that give up. They come to life and they played hard. I’m proud of them.”

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is pitcher/designated hitter Cristian Macias. Last Tuesday, Macias went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs at the plate as the Red Wolves defeated Northwood 8-3. It was Cedar Ridge’s first win at Northwood since 2014. In addition to knocking in two runs, Macias earned the save on the mound. He threw three-and-one-third innings and surrendered just one run on three hits. He struck out three and walked just one to win the game for starter Will Berger. Macias drove in the first run of the night with a single to score Aiden McAllister. He knocked in Cedar Ridge’s final run with an RBI groundout to bring in Grady Ray. On Friday night, Macias was inserted as a pitcher with runners at second and third with no one out in the fifth inning. After loading the bases with a walk, Macias pitched the Red Wolves out of the inning without giving up a run. At the plate, Macias started as a designated hitter and went 1-for-2. Cristian is a big Los Angeles Dodgers fan and is pleased with how the defending World Champions have started its season. Tonight, Cedar Ridge travels to Orange, then will host Northern Durham on Friday. You can hear both games on Hillsboroughsports.com.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore tennis player Brandon Gwinn. Last week, Gwinn teamed with Colin O’Hagerty to win their opening two matches in the Big 8 Conference Men’s Tennis Championships in Lindsey Linker Tennis Stadium at East Chapel Hill High School. Gwinn and O’Hagerty defeated a team from Chapel Hill 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals to earn a spot in the 3A Mideast Regional Tournament, which will be held on Friday afternoon at Burlington Tennis Center. Gwinn and O’Hagerty won their opening match 6-0, 6-0. In the semifinals, Northwood defeated Gwinn & O’Hagerty 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 to advance to the finals. This season, Gwinn was a vital player on an Orange team that finished with a winning record for the fourth straight season under head coach Justin Webb. Against Northwood on April 19, Gwinn defeated Matteus Butler 6-0, 6-1 at #3 singles. Later in the day with the match on the line, Gwinn teamed with O’Hagerty to win at #1 doubles 8-3 to earn the victory for the Panthers. Last week, Gwinn won his #2 singles match against Southern Durham, then teamed with O’Hagerty again for a win in #1 doubles. Brandon also likes to show off his personality with a pumpkin design on his racket, which was specially made for him. Good luck to Gwinn & O’Hagerty in Friday’s Mideast Regional, as well as Orange singles player Justin Conover, who also qualified.

Jaylin Jones: Jones was named to the Division III USA South Athletic Conference first-team as a short-stick defensive midfielder over the weekend. Jones, who played lacrosse and football at Orange, also was named to the USA South All-East Division first-team. On Saturday, Pfeiffer captured the USA South East Division championship with a 13-11 win over Greensboro College at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. It was Pfeiffer’s tenth consecutive victory, a school record. Jones had two ground balls and created two turnovers. Next weekend, Pfeiffer will face Piedmont College for the USA South Conference championship at Lefko Field. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Montana Davidson: On Friday, the former Orange High shortstop hit two home runs for the Mississippi State softball team in an 8-7 loss to South Carolina at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C. In the second inning, Montana drilled a two-run homer to centerfield. In the fourth, Davidson hit a solo blast to left field. Montana finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Mississippi State bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to take the series. On Saturday, Montana had an RBI off a fielder’s choice to wrap up a 6-run 1st inning as the Bulldogs won 6-2. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI double as Mississippi State won 7-1. For the weekend, Montana hit .400 with a team-high 6 RBIs.

Mia Davidson: Mia tied a Mississippi State record with her 67th career home run in Sunday’s win over the Gamecocks. Davidson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie Rafael Palmeiro for the most home runs in Mississippi State history, baseball or softball. Mia is now in 3rd place in Southeastern Conference softball history for career home runs behind Florida’s Lauren Haeger (71) and Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo (69). Davidson also drew a walk with the bases loaded against the Gamecocks in the sixth inning. On Saturday, Mia drove in the Bulldogs’ opening run with another bases loaded walk. She finished 1-for-3. On Friday, she went 0-for-3. Mississippi State is now 27-22, 3-15 in the SEC.

Tori Dalehite: On Saturday, Mercer defeated UNC Greensboro softball 2-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Sikes Field in Macon, GA. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner. The Spartans rebounded to win the final two games of the series and are now 28-15 overall, 11-4 in the Southern Conference.

Jaden Hurdle: On the weekend she celebrated her 19th birthday, Hurdle had several strong performances for the Patrick Henry Community College softball team. On Sunday, Patrick Henry swept a doubleheader from Surry Community College in Martinsville, VA. In the opening 4-3 win, Hurdle earned the save as she threw the final two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered one hit. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-3. The Patriots won the nightcap 4-0. Hurdle hit her ninth home run of the season. She also had an RBI double and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. On Friday, Florence-Darlington Technical College swept a doubleheader from Patrick Henry by identical 5-2 scores. In the opener, Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. Patrick Henry finished the regular season 19-17 overall, 13-7 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Patriots finished 3rd in the Region X West Division, only one game behind first-place Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. In 34 games, Hurdle hit .356 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. On May 14, Patrick Henry will be in the Region 10 Tournament at Springwood Park in Burlington.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory on Saturday. Catawba Valley took the opener 9-2. Andrews, starting a shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning. Andrews later scored off a double by Lillie Pennington. CCTI took the second game 14-7. Andrews went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the 3rd inning. Catawba Valley finished the regular season 23-11, 12- 8 in Region X. Andrews played in all of the Red Hawks’ games and was second on the team with a .461 batting average (10th in Region X). She led the team with 53 hits (4th in Region X) and 41 RBIs (tied for 4th in Region X). Andrews also scored 35 runs (3rd on the team), hit eleven doubles (2nd on the team), and eight home runs (2nd). She goes into the Region X Tournament on a 7-game hitting streak.

Landon Riley: Riley earned his second win of the season for the Liberty baseball team in a 9-8 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday. In one-third of an inning, Riley surrendered three runs off three hits. It was only the second game this year where Riley surrendered a run. The Flames earned the walkoff win in the bottom of the ninth inning when Logan Mathieu hit a two-run homer. The Flames are now 30-11, 14-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was optioned by the Atlanta Braves to the team’s alternate training site after he started Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. In three innings, Wilson surrendered seven runs off four hits with two walks and one strikeout. The Cubs won 9-3 and Wilson fell to 1-2 on the year.

Natalie Chandler: The #2 UNC women’s soccer team has started play in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Denver 2-0 in Matthews on Friday. Chandler, who was the captain of the Orange women’s soccer team in her junior and senior seasons, is a senior for the Tar Heels. UNC will face Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Wednesday.

Orange sophomore Thomas Loch is a two-sport athlete. This season, he qualified for the 3A Mideast Regionals for the Orange golf team. Loch’s nine-hole average for the season was below 42, which made him one of only two Panthers to reach the regionals. The Mideast Championship will be held at Keith Hills Golf Course in Lillington on Monday. Orange senior Joshua Frank also qualified for regionals. Loch also played center for the Orange men’s basketball team this past winter. In fact, Loch made his varsity debut during the Panthers’ first win of the season against Vance County on February 6. Loch spoke to us on Saturday at Occoneechee Golf Course in Hillsborough, the home of Orange and Cedar Ridge golf. Loch has spent a substantial part of his young life on the links. His father, Chris, was a club pro in New Hampshire who taught his son. Thomas began taking the game seriously about three years ago. Loch and Frank will be on the course in Lillington on Monday with hopes of qualifying for the 3A State Championships, which will be held Longleaf Golf and Family Club in Southern Pines on May 9.