Softball: Cedar Ridge 8, Northwood 4
Through a difficult season where Cedar Ridge has faced some of the most powerful teams in the state, the Red Wolves have fallen just short in close games.
On Tuesday night, the greatest Cedar Ridge power hitter in history provided a spark when they needed it most.
Senior Takia Nichols cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the sixth inning to break at 4-4 tie, paving the way for the Red Wolves to beat Northwood 8-4 in Hillsborough. Nichols knocked in Tori Carden, Caira Peach and Anaya Carter as Cedar Ridge improved to 7-8 overall, 2-6 in the Central Carolina Conference.
Freshman Charlotte Lowry, the younger sister of Cedar Ridge shortstop Ava Lowry, earned the win in relief of starter Hayley King. Lowry allowed only one run in the final four innings. She conceded just three hits and had three strikeouts.
Nichols was walked twice, including in the first inning, when the Red Wolves scored three runs. Carter reached on a leadoff bunt single, and would score the Red Wolves’ opening run off a double steal where Nichols was thrown out at second. Following a walk of Olivia Aitkin, Reagan Simmons reached on an infield single. Ava Lowry hit a grounder up the middle to bring in Aitkin and courtesy runner Mackenzie Rogers, who was in for Simmons.
Northwood fought back to even the game. After Nichols’s triple, Aitkin singled to centerfield to bring in Nichols for the game’s final run.
Cedar Ridge is scheduled to host Orange tonight at Red Wolves Softball Field.
Men’s Lacrosse: Cedar Ridge 9, Eastern Alamance 3
Roman Oguntoyinbo, James Clayton and Mason Lynde each scored two goals to send the Red Wolves on to victory in Mebane on Tuesday night. Oguntoyinbo now has 39 goals on the season. Clayton, after scoring two goals against Orange last Friday, has scored 12 goals.
Senior goalkeeper Josh Taylor earned the win in net for Cedar Ridge after making two saves in the first half. Freshman Leo Oguntoyinbo replaced Taylor in the second half and finished with six saves. Cedar Ridge’s Jackson Kralic won seven face-offs.
The Red Wolves are 9-4 overall, 6-4 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. They will host Western Alamance at Red Wolves Stadium on Thursday night.
Women’s Soccer: Eastern Alamance 4, Orange 3 OT
The Orange women’s soccer team was one minute away from maintaining its share of first place in the Central Carolina Conference, but the Eastern Alamance Eagles scored with under a minute remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime on Tuesday night in Hillsborough.
Orange junior Isabel Jones evened the game in the second overtime off an assist from Bella Brown, sending the game into the second overtime session tied 3-3. The Eagles scored the game-winning goal off a corner kick with 3:01 remaining.
Jones scored two goals for Orange. Caroline Cathey, a freshman, scored the opening goal for the Lady Panthers off an assist from Elliana Sullivan Gaddy. Orange is 5-5-1 overall, 4-2 in the Central Carolina Conference.
Track & Field:
For the third time in her Cedar Ridge career, senior Caroline Fowlkes has qualified for the 3A Mideast Regional championships in the pole vault.
Fowlkes, who qualified for the state championships as a freshman, earned a spot in regionals during the Orange County Track & Field Championships at Culton-Peerman Stadium on the campus of Chapel Hill High School last Saturday. Fowlkes earned first place after clearing 10-feet, six-inches. On Wednesday, Fowlkes achieved a new personal best by clearing 11-feet.
At the Orange County Championships, Orange’s 4×200 men’s relay team of Ethan Horton, Spencer Hampton, Gabriel Schmid and Nick Peel broke the school record with a time of 1:34:00. The quartet qualified for regionals. Hampton, who finished runner-up in the 3A State Championships in the 3,200 meters last year, has also qualified for regionals in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
Cedar Ridge junior Roman Morrell qualified for the 800 meters in regionals. On Wednesday, during a tri-meet against Northwood and Walter Williams in Pittsboro, Morrell finished first at 1:59.54.