Cam Brown saw his third base coach, Jason Knapp, waving him around to score. He just wasn’t sure why.
With J.P. Rodio ahead of him about the score the game-tying run in the seventh inning against Riverside, Brown didn’t have time to wonder. As he made his way around third, what Brown didn’t see was the fly ball struck by Oliver Van Tiem had been dropped in right field.
On a breezy evening, it was the first fly ball that the Panthers had hit all night to right field and just their second fly ball that reached the outfield.
Brown slid head first to beat the cutoff throw from second baseman Patrick Browning to secure a walkout win on opening night as Orange defeated Riverside 6-5 on February 25 in Hillsborough.
Orange only had four hits, but collected 13 walks against Riverside pitching. With Orange trailing 5-4 going into the seventh, Rodio stroked a one-out single to left field for the Panthers first hit since the third inning. Brown reached on a walk against Riverside’s Sam Bowers. With Van Tiem at the plate, Rodeo and Brown each moved up a base after a wild pitch.
Up to that point, it had been a frustrating night for Orange offensively. With junior Kayden Bradsher out of action, the Panthers left 14 men on base. They left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings.
After Riverside’s Lucan Set scored the game’s opening run after a line drive single to centerfield by Ryan Dawes in the first inning, the Panthers immediately tied it when Van Tiem reached on a dribble up the middle. Mason Bullard followed with a single to left field. Van Tiem, on his horse advanced to third base and scored off a wild pitch with Wren Hash at the plate.
The Pirates’ Cameron Harper drew a leadoff walk in the second inning and scored off a RBI groundout by Callum Page on a grounder hit to Rodio at shortstop.
Orange scored three runs in the third. Bullard drew a one-out walk. Gavin Clayton laid down a bunt along the third baseline and narrowly beat out a throw from Bowers. Jackson Nobles loaded the bases with a walk and Allen Flores drew a walk to bring in courtesy runner Cam Stone. Gary Miller drew another bases-loaded walk to give Orange its first lead at 3-2. Nobles scored when Riverside pitcher Jesse May was called for a balk.
The Pirates tied the game in the sixth when Page knocked Micah Harris with a single to right field. Page went to second on the throw from Clayton, then scored when Setji lined a single up the middle.
Cedar Ridge 11, Voyager Academy 2:
A huge night from Ian and Grant McGuffey led the Red Wolves to victory on its opening night. Grant McGuffey went 2-for-4 with a triple at three RBIs. He also earned the win on the mound, allowing just three hits over four inning with three strikeouts.
Sophomore Jesus Velazquez scored Cedar Ridge’s opening run of the season wafter a leadoff single in the third. After Velazquez went to third on a passed ball, Grant McGuffey stroked an infield single to shortstop. Wil Ebron, who reached on a walk, wound up scoring off a RBI fielder’s choice by Ian McGuffey.
Cedar Ridge broke the game open with six runs in the fourth inning, all of which came across after two outs were recorded. John Gove lined a single to left field. After Aidan Ryan was hit by a pitch, Velazquez struck out. Hudson Kelly reached on an error to score Grove and Ryan. Ebron lined a single to left field, which led to Grant McGuffey hitting a triple to left field to score Kelly and Ebron. Ian McGuffey added a double to score Grant.
