Photo by Jacques Morin
The Hilltop Invitational can lead to new stars emerging by luxury.
On Wednesday night for Orange, a new one emerged by necessity.
With three starters out of the lineup due to various injuries, freshman Ben Knowles delivered a line drive single in the sixth inning to plate the game-winning runs, vaulting Orange to its only lead in a 10-8 win over Voyager Academy at Orange High Field.
Junior J.P. Rodio, no stranger to the northern Durham County area that Voyager calls home, slammed the door on the Vikings with a strikeout of Gabe Smith to end the game with the tying run at first.
Orange (8-6) ended the three-day event as the only squad to go undefeated in a span of three games in three days. For a pitching staff that has battled injures from the very start of the season with a walkoff win over Riverside, the Panthers had three different pitchers claim wins over three days.
Trailing 8-6 going into the sixth inning, the Panthers were forced to make a comeback against Voyager reliever Cohen Rappleyea, who set Orange down in order in the fifth inning on just nine pitches.
The sixth was something different entirely.
Pinch-hitter D.J. Woods took the first pitch he saw and belted it just shy of the centerfield fence. Vikings centerfielder Miles Derby was injured going in pursuit of the ball, forcing left fielder Erich Junker to rush over and get the relay throw triggered, holding Woods to a stand-up triple.
After Allen Flores and Kayden Bradsher walked, J.P. Rodio sent a bouncing ball to Cameron Copley. Bradsher was retired at second on a force out, but the relay throw to first wound up against the fence beside the Orange dugout. Woods scored off the fielder’s choice while Flores tied the game following the throwing error.
Rodio wound up at second. Oliver Van Tiem lofted a single to right field, but Rodio slammed on the brakes at third after Voyager’s Gabe Smith quickly got the ball back to the infield. With two out, catcher Mason Bullard walked in a pinch-hit appearance.
Knowles, making just his fourth varsity start, lined a first-pitch fastball over Copley’s head to left field to score Rodio and Van Tiem to put the Panthers ahead for good. It was his third varsity hit.
Bradsher made his biggest impact with his first career home run. With Orange trailing 6-2 going into the fourth inning, Bradsher stroked a 1-0 fastball over the left field Brown Brothers signed that bounced off the hill leading up to adjacent Auman Stadium, his first career dinger as a Panther. The unsung hero of the inning was Flores. With two out and Gavin Clayton at first, Flores were inserted into the game to replace starting 2nd baseman Gary Miller. Flores delivered his first hit of the season on a flair to left field.
Following Bradsher’s home run, Rodio immediately followed with a walk. Van Tiem, who finished 3-for-3, sent a low liner to infamous Scoreboard Alley in right center, the deepest part of the ballpark. Rodio streaked home from first to tie the game at 6-6 following Van Tiem’s triple.
Voyager refused to let Orange take the upper-hand, gaining two more runs in the fifth. Catcher Dylan Haswell led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch Cohen Rappleyea delivered among the stiffest bunts you’ll ever see, traveling roughly 95 feet past a sprawling Wren Hash at first base and reaching the outfield grass. Haswell actually scored from second on the bunt to push the Vikings lead back to 7-6.
Rappleyea stole second and reached third after an error by Knowles on a ball struck by Isaiah Ferrell. Linus Smith delivered a suicide squeeze bunt that Rodio handled himself from the mound, but Voyager took an 8-6 lead after Rappleyea scored.
Voyager has Orange fighting uphill all night. Ferrell delivered a three-run triple to right field with the bases loaded in the first inning, scoring Copley, Haswell and Rappleyea to put the Vikings ahead 3-0. In the third inning, Ferrell pushed the Voyager lead to 4-0 after a single to right field scored Rappleyea, who reached on a bunt single.
