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It was a strong bounce back performance for the Orange baseball team in the second game of its series against Western Alamance on Monday night. After losing to the Warriors last week in Elon, the Panthers defeated the Warriors 10-1 for its first Central Conference victory of the season. Freshman Kayden Bradsher started the game with a triple to right centerfield and would score the opening run off a groundout by Cameron Guentensberger. Freshman Oliver Van Tiem hit the first home run of his Panther career with a solo blast in the second inning. Orange jumped on mistakes by the Warriors, who committed six errors. Bradsher has been the leadoff hitter for all nine of Orange’s games. He finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Van Tiem has also played in all nine games and earned the start on the mound against Northern Guilford on Tuesday. Van Tiem had two RBIs against the Warriors. Bradsher was also a starter at wide receiver for the Orange football team last fall. The Panthers are 1-1 in the Central Conference and will face Cedar Ridge on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Field. The Panthers will host Cedar Ridge at Panther Field next Friday to conclude a crucial two-game series.

Orange baseball’s Kaden Bradsher & Oliver Van Tiem discuss win over Western Alamance

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Since he started playing baseball at Cedar Ridge, senior centerfielder Landon Dalehite has wanted to do the worm move as a runner at first base. Sure enough, Dalehite finally got the opportunity when the Red Wolves played Jordan-Matthews on March 13. With Grant McGuffey at third base, Dalehite fell down face-first to the ground at first in an attempt to draw a throw from pitcher Payton White in order to get McGuffey home. It worked, McGuffey scored as the Red Wolves went on to win 15-5 in six innings. Ian McGuffey went 2-for-3 with three runs scored against the Jets. He also finished the game on the mound, throwing two innings of shutout baseball, striking out four. It was his second hold of the season. Dalehite scored the Red Wolves first run. Cedar Ridge scored eight runs in the sixth inning to secure its first run-rule victory of the year. Cedar Ridge is 6-4 and is tied for first place in the Central Conference after sweeping a two-game series with Person last week. Freshman Joel Davis earned his first win against Jordan-Matthews, striking out five over four innings. Cedar Ridge will return to action against crosstown rival Orange at Red Wolves Stadium on Tuesday night. The series will continue at Orange High Field next Friday. 

Cedar Ridge baseball’s Landon Dalehite & Ian McGuffey discuss win over Jordan-Matthews

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Orange senior Connor Kruse had already etched his name into the Orange High lacrosse record books a long time ago. Now, he has put his name into the national record books. On Monday night, Kruse tied a national record by registering 16 assists in Orange’s 18-5 win over Southern Alamance at Redmond Stadium in Graham. Kruse tied the record set by Ryan Stadiumelmaier of Midland-Dow High School in Michigan set in 2022. Along the way, Kruse became the first player in Orange history to surpass 400 points. Last week, Kruse became the first player to eclipse 200 career assists in Orange’s 14-1 win over Northwood at Auman Stadium. Kruse finished with one goal and three assists against the Chargers. After its win over the Patriots, the Panthers improved to 10-0, 7-0 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. Last winter, Kruse signed to play with Lenoir-Rhyne, which won the Division II National Championship last year in Philadelphia. Against Northwood, senior Bryce Nelson earned a gaol. Earning the win as goalkeeper was freshman Jackson Runkle, who played all 48 minutes. Runkle recently finished his first season with Orange wrestling. Orange lacrosse is off for the rest of this week to enjoy spring break. In the meantime, they will prepare for a difficult 4A opponent, Holly Springs, on April 4. 

Orange lacrosse’s Connor Kruse, Bryce Nelson & Jackson Runkle discuss win over Northwood

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Connor Kruse has been setting records and milestones even before he started playing lacrosse at Orange.

In his last middle school game, he scored a goal right off the faceoff in a blowout win at Roxboro Community School. That was the final game before the pandemic set in, leading to middle school athletics being shut down for nearly 18 months.

No one knew it at the time, but it was also the final game in the long, storied athletic history of Stanford Chargers athletics before the name of the school was changed. It would be rebranded Orange Middle School in February 2021.

Kruse is now a senior and he owns almost every offensive record in the Orange lacrosse record book. On Monday night, he entered his name in a national record book.

Kruse tied the American record for most assists in a game with 16 in Orange’s 18-5 win over Southern Alamance at Redmond Stadium in Graham. The only other high school player in American high school history to have 16 assists in a game is Ryan Stadelmaier of Midland-Dow High in Michigan. In 2021, Stadlemaier had 16 assists against Linden High on May 20, 2022.

Stadelmaier is now playing lacrosse at Air Force, a member of the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference.

Kruse, the son of former North Carolina and Johns Hopkins lacrosse player Travis Kruse, became the first Orange lacrosse player to surpass 400 points in his career.

Last week, Kruse became the first Orange player to reach 200 career assists in a 14-1 win over Northwood at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough. Kruse’s feed to Gray Crabtree with 2:07 remaining in the second quarter put the Panthers ahead 7-0 and earned him another milestone in Orange history. Kruse finished the night with one goal and three assists.

“I’ve played with a lot of guys here who have done some great things,” Kruse said after last Thursday’s win over the Chargers. “There’s a lot of guys who have contributed to that. Ryan Merrill (who graduated in 2022) all the way to today with Brett (Clark) and Brandon Williams, there’s just a lot of guys who have helped me get to that point. I’d just like to thank them for helping me.”

Kruse also owns the Orange record for 170 goals coming into this season.

Kruse is after more than just records in his final games at Orange. The Panthers are 10-0, 7-0 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. Kruse was a member of the first Orange lacrosse team to win a conference championship in 2021. Since then, Orange has added two more league titles to its collection and has hosted the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship game each of the last two years.

Now, Kruse is hunting for a regional championship. It appeared that last year would be Orange’s time when they faced Northwood at Auman Stadium, a team the Panthers had defeated five straight times. But the Chargers came away with a 10-8 victory in Hillsborough.

Under head coach Chandler Zirkle, the Panthers are off to its best start in team history. They have wins over 4A teams Apex, Pinecrest and Jordan.

“Those 4A games at the beginning of the year helped us,” Kruse said. “We’re just focused on trying to get better every day.”

The win over Southern Alamance on Monday night ended a stretch of four games over six days for the Panthers. On Friday night, Orange defeated Western Alamance 17-5 at Primm Stadium in Elon. Kruse finished with six goals and three assists. Clark came away with four goals and one assist.

Last December, Kruse officially signed to play with Lenoir-Rhyne, which won the Division II national championship last year. The Bears defeated Mercyhurst 20-5 in Philadelphia to win the first national championship in team history.

The Cedar Ridge baseball team doesn’t mind bad weather when it travels to Roxboro.

Last year, the Red Wolves ventured into Person County and fell behind 10-6 amid frigid temperatures that Cedar Ridge coach Bryson Massey called “the coldest he has ever been in.”

The Red Wolves fought back to win after Ian McGuffey laid down a suicide squeeze bunt to score B.J. Thornton and escape with an 11-10 win to rush back to the team bus and get the heater turned on for a joyous trip back to Hillsborough.

Last Friday, the Red Wolves didn’t deal with cold as much as it was rain. Scattered showers throughout the day left the conditions damp, but Cedar Ridge didn’t need a dramatic finish to emerge from Person with a series sweep.

Cedar Ridge bolted ahead with three runs in each of the first two innings behind a 3-for-3 day from senior first baseman Mason Cates and rolled 13-5 at Rockets Field. Junior Quinn Finnegan earned his first win on the mound this season, allowing three unearned runs.

It was a badly needed win as the Red Wolves try to chase down Southern Alamance, which has immediately established itself as the team to beat in the Central Conference. The Patriots, in its first year in the league, are 4-0 after sweeping two-games series from Eastern Alamance and Walter Williams.

Cedar Ridge ended last week 5-3 overall, 3-1 in the Central Conference.

The Red Wolves nearly had a run-rule victory over Person. The Rockets trailed 11-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Rockets were able to extend the game after scoring three runs in the fourth inning.

Cates started the game with a single to right field. Ian McGuffey laid down a sacrifice bunt and was able to reach after Person pitcher Ian Downey threw the ball away, leading Cates to score. Freshman John Grove lined a double to left field to bring in McGuffey. After designated hitter Kevin Jones reached on an error, Grove scored on a passed ball with Grant McGuffey at bat.

Finnegan set the Rockets down in order in the first inning.

Sophomore Aidan Ryan, starting in left field, reached after an error by Person second baseman Brady Holmes to start the second inning. Nick Aitkin sent a pop fly to shallow right field that dropped between three Rockets that converged on it. Cates sent a grounder to right field for a single that loaded the bases. Ian McGuffery drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Red Wolves ahead 4-0. With two outs, Jones drew another bases-loaded walk to plate Aitkin. Grant McGuffey got a run battered in when he was hit by a pitch, plating Cates.

Cedar Ridge added three more runs in the fourth inning when Jones doubled down the right field line, scoring Finnegan, who got beaned to start the frame. Caden Thompson, running for Jones, scored off a wild pitch with Landon Dalehite at bat, putting the Red Wolves lead at 8-0. With runners at the corners, Dalehite drew a throw from pitcher Jackson Riggan as he tried to steal second, allowing Grant McGuffey to steal home. Dalehite would wind up scoring after stealing third base, and then stealing home to put the Red Wolves ahead 10-0.

After Cates was hit by a pitch, Ian McGuffey sent a line drive to centerfield to score Cates from first base.

After the Rockets scored three in the fourth inning to cut the Red Wolves lead to 11-3, Finnegan started the fifth inning by getting hit by a pitch, then stole second and third bases. Grant McGuffey would knock in Finnegan with a grounder to the shortstop, which was misplayed by Holmes and increased the Cedar Ridge lead to 12-3.

Finnegan struck out five batters over four innings. Ian McGuffey finished out the game with two innings of relief.

Since winning the final Big 8 Conference championship in the pandemic-shortened year of 2021, the Orange softball team has been lurking in the pack of the Central Conference as Eastern Alamance won two state championships and Western Alamance won the Eastern Regional championship last year.

On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers put on a display so dominant, it may has served as a wake-up call to the rest of the Central Conference that they won’t be content with being merely a formidable team this year.

Junior Allie Carden hit the first grand slam of her career and finished 4-for-4 with seven RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated Western Alamance 16-6 in six innings in Hillsborough. It was the first time that Orange defeated the Warriors since the two teams became conference rivals since 2022.

Orange senior pitcher Caden Robinson smashed a two-run homer run in the bottom of the third inning as the Lady Panthers set a new season-high with 16 runs and 15 hits.

Western Alamance (3-5, 2-1 in the Central Conference) lost 2023 Central Conference Pitcher of the Year Taylor Apple to graduation last summer. Apple is already pitching regularly for East Carolina as a freshman.

The Warriors still struck for three runs in the opening inning with its first four batters all getting aboard. Ryan Justice drew a leadoff walk, while Bayleigh Burris, Addison Beal and Kara Alday all walked to score the opening run. Senior Lela Kate Bakter sent a line drive to right field for a base it to score Burris. Then courtesy runner Andrea Bryant scored off a bases-loaded walk from Kyndal Wilborn. Robinson recovered to strike out the next three batters.

Robinson doubled to centerfield to send Katie Carden to third in the Orange side of the first. That’s when Allie Carden had her first big hit of the night, a double on a liner to center to score Carden and Robinson.

Orange took the lead in the third when leadoff batter Sadie Cecil reached on an error by Burris at shortstop. Katie Carden drew a walk, which led to Robinson’s three-run blast to put the Lady Panthers ahead 5-3.

The Warriors tied the game with a pair of runs in the fourth. Kayde Moore drew a walk. Justice sent a liner to left field, advancing Moore to second. Beal lined to left to score Moore and Justice and even things up at 5-5.

Allie Carden’s grand slam turned the tide of the game for good. Addison Guentensberger reached on an error by Moore at second base. Sophomore Payton Borland replied Guentensberger as a pinch-runner. Cecil walked. Katie Carden backed up left fielder Lela Kate Baker to left field before she hauled in the ball just shy of the fence. Western actually intentionally walked Robinson to get to Carden, which proved to be a mistake.

With the wind blowing towards left field, Carden fouled off a 2-2 pitch before taking a changeup low. Carden turned the payoff pitch to a laser into right field that buzzed over the fence. Carden got pats on her black helmet as she crossed home plate for the first grand slam of her career.

Alday hit a solo homer to left field to start the fifth to cut the Orange lead to 9-6, but the Lady Panthers would turn it into a rout in the bottom of the fifth. Borland singled to centerfield, followed by another hit from Cecil. Katie Carden grounded to second, where Cecil was thrown out at second. Robinson sent a double down the left field line to score Carden and Borland.

Freshman Anna Klein came in as the new Warrior pitcher. Allie Carden lined to centerfield to bring in Robinson. Delanie Shaffer singled, Hayleigh Hammond walked and Mia Leathers scored Carden on a groundout to second base to increase the Orange lead to 13-6.

Orange has  won five in a row after dropping its season opener to Wakefield. They will travel to Southeast Alamance tonight (Thursday) in Graham. The Lady Panthers will face Walter Williams on Friday night in Hillsborough in its final game before spring break.

Cedar Ridge 10, Person 7: It will be a relief to many batters, but not many pitchers, that the fences at Cedar Ridge softball field are no longer the deepest in the Central Conference.

In fact, the old distance of 220 feet down the left and right field lines were longer than most college softball fields. On Tuesday night, Cedar Ridge pitcher Charlotte Lowry didn’t let the shorter fences stand in the way of a career-high 12 strikeouts.

Lowry allowed just five hits as the Red Wolves defeated Person for the second straight time. Last year, the Red Wolves defeated the Rockets 4-2 in Hillsborough.

Junior Kimber Shambley hit her first home run of the season with a solo blast in the third inning, which started a four-run frame. Sophomore Laci Sykes and Rylee Capps each reached on singles. Kaitlyn Nieves entered as a courtesy runner for Capps. Brittani Goodard grounded to pitcher Paisley Rigsbee, which allowed Nieves and Sikes to move up 60 feet each. Senior Cierra Copeland sent a single to right field to score Sykes and Nieves, which Goodard went to third base. Madeline Galindo-Woodring reached on an error by the first baseman, which brought in Goodard and increased the Cedar Ridge lead to 7-1.

Galindo-Woodring, the Red Wolves leadoff batter, legged out an infield single on a grounder hit to Person third baseman Camryn Clarke in the first inning as the Red Wolves grabbed an early advantage. After Shambley earned a four-pitch walk, Lowry reached on a dropped third strike The ball was bounced over the glove of first baseman Makayla Walker, which allowed Galindo-Woodring and Shambley to score the opening two runs. Cameron Copeland reported in for Lowry as a courtesy runner. Capps sent a roller to centerfield, scoring Copeland and giving the Red Wolves a 3-0 lead.

Lowry struck out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for the night.

Cedar Ridge 19, Walter Williams 0 (5 innings): Shambley homered for the second night in a row against the Bulldogs in Burlington as the Red Wolves improved to 6-1 overall, 2-1 in the Central Conference.

Pitcher Mia Best added three doubles. Best, who improved to 3-0, struck out eight over five innings.

The Red Wolves had a season-best 20 hits. They opened with five runs in the first inning. After Galindo-Woodring was hit by Bulldogs pitcher Madison Horner, Shambley sent a screamer to right field that cleared the fence. Best sent a double to centerfield. Capps followed with a RBI single to right field. Lowry stroked another double to left field to score Copeland.

Shambley sent an RBI double to fight field to score Galindo-Woodring to start the second inning. Capps added an infield single to increase the Red Wolf lead to 8-0.

Capps finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Shamlbey went 4-for-5 with six RBIs. Over the course of two nights, Shambley went 6-for-9 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Best finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Goodard registered a lien of 2-for-3. The Red Wolves finished with eight doubles, including one from Victoria Matthews.

Last Friday, the Red Wolves had a tight, 3-2 loss to Western Alamance in Elon. The Warriors are the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions. The Warriors scored all three of its runs in the third inning.

Cedar Ridge fought back with two runs in the fourth inning. With two out, Sykes stroked a single to centerfield. Shambley followed with a double to centerfield that advanced Sykes to third base. Goddard sent a bouncing ball up the middle for a two-run single that reduced the Warriors lead to 3-2.

The Red Wolves will travel to Southern Alamance, the 2021 3A State Champions, for its first conference matchup against the Patriots on Thursday night in Graham. The Patriots are 5-1 and won its Central Conference opener over Williams.