Photo by Jacques Morin
For the fourth time this year, the Cedar Ridge baseball team has won a game in its last at-bat.
This time, it was a freshman who was the hero.
Wil Ebron knocked in John Grove and Ian McGuffey off an error by Apex Friendship’s third baseman with two out in the sixth inning as the Red Wolves defeated the Patriots 2-1 at Red Wolf Baseball Field on Thursday night.
Apex Friendship junior Noah Roberts allowed just two hits in five-plus innings, retiring the first seven Red Wolves he faced until surrendering consecutive walks to Aiden Ryan and Conner Warren in the third inning.
The Red Wolves didn’t have a runner touch third base until the sixth inning when junior catcher John Grove led off with a single. After McGuffey walked, Roberts was pulled for reliever Tyler Komorner. After Brody Tapper was set down on strikes for the second out, Grant McGuffey came up. Grove stole third and Ian McGuffey swiped second, and Grant McGuffey walked to load the bases.
Ebron wound up reaching on an errant throw to first base to plate Grove and Ian McGuffey.
Sophomore Jesus Velazquez earned the save by setting down the Patriots in order in the seventh inning, including strikeouts to Alex Kovacs and Luke Grammich. Ryan caught a fly ball in left field hit by Ryan Nadile to end the game.
The Patriots got its lone run and both of its hits in the first inning. Jackson McNally, who drew a one-out walk, advanced to third off a single by Connor Sousa. McNally scored off a groundout by Caden Oxendine and the Patriots rode that 1-0 lead all the way until the sixth inning.
Ryan earned his fourth win of the season with eight strikeouts in sin innings, allowing just two hits. He had four walks. Velazquez earned his second save.
Cedar Ridge is 11-4 and will host Carrboro on Tuesday night at 6PM.
South Granville 11, Orange 1, 6 innings
Orange’s first trip to South Granville in over a decade unraveled in the third inning with the Vikings scored six runs to take a 7-1 lead.
South Granville bookmarked the evening with home runs. Van Hernandez delivered a solo blast in the first. In the sixth, with the Vikings leading 10-1, Cole Freeland sent a home run to left field to complete the Vikings sixth run-rule win of the season.
South Granville maintained its tie with Cedar Ridge for first place in the Big 7 Conference with a 7-0 league mark. They’re 12-3 overall.
Gary Miller knocked in Wren Hash for Orange’s only run, tying the game in the second inning.
Derek Hamelicnk started the third inning with a single to centerfield. Courtesy runner Mason Wilkins moved to second after a base hit by Jayden Cearnel. Eric Olson-Thornburg sent a hard grounder that was mishandled by the Orange third baseman and bounced into left field, scoring Wilkins and sending Cearnel to third base. The Vikings took the lead for good 2-1 and they were just getting going. Noah Edwards sent a fly ball that hugged the left field line which dropped over the glove of Orange’s left fielder, scoring Cearnel. Olson-Thornburg scored off a sacrifice fly to centerfield hit by Greyson Vacher, which was caught by Oliver Van Tiem and increased the Vikings lead to 4-1.
Cole Freeland lined a single to score Edwards. Cris Ovando had a base hit that brought in Freeland all the way from first base. In his second at-bat of the inning, Hamelinck singled against Orange reliever J.P. Rodio to plate Ovando.
The Vikings added three more runs in the fourth inning. Vacher had a double to centerfield to score Edwards from first base. Jacob Roberts delivered a two-run single to centerfield to push the South Granville lead to 10-1.
South Granville will travel to Orange on Friday night at 7PM.
