Photo by Jacques Morin
In a season where Hayleigh Hammond has hit the most home runs than any Orange softball player in nearly a decade, she delivered her most timely one on Tuesday night.
Hammond delivered a two-run walkoff blast in the bottom of the seventh as Orange defeated J.F. Webb 7-5 at Panther Softball Field in Hillsborough. It was the second time this season that the Lady Panthers scored the game-winning run in its final at-bat against the Warriors.
Hammond now has ten home runs in 2026, which is the most by any Orange player since Mia Davidson’s 2017 campaign, where she hit 12 home runs in leading the Lady Panthers to the 3A State Championship.
Hammond’s ten home runs are more than the entire 2018 Orange team hit the whole season (nine), and matches the season totals from the 2019 and 2023 squads. She also leads Orange with 25 RBIs.
Hammond continued her mastery of the Warriors this season. In a 12-11 win over the Warriors on March 27 in Oxford, she hit a three-run home run and finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
On Tuesday, the Warriors took a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning after Natalya Lewis knocked in Reese Keigley off an infield single against Orange senior pitcher Addison Guentensberger. The Lady Panthers pulled even in the bottom of the sixth after Katie Carden lined a single to right field. Carden eventually scored off a throwing error by the Warriors catcher on a ball hit by Mariah Cook.
Guentensberger, in relief of sophomore starting pitcher Malynne Roemmich, struck out Shyla Magbie and forced a groundout by Keigley, which was fielded by Lily Ward at second base to end the top of the seventh.
Molly Kate Ollis drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh. Hammond took a 1-2 pitch and drove it over the left field fence to secure the win.
Orange wrapped up the regular season on Thursday with a 9-12 overall record, 8-4 in the Big 7 Conference.
In Pittsboro on Thursday, Seaforth completed an undefeated run to the Big 7 Conference championship with a 10-2 win at Hawks Softball Field. It was Orange’s most lopsided loss of the season.
Seaforth pitcher Emma Grace Hill threw a four-hitter, striking out eight.
Orange sophomore Kylee Allen factored in on both Orange runs. With Seaforth leading 8-0 in the fifth, Allen belted a double to left field to score Ariana Washington. Allen took third base off a wild pitch and scored off a throwing error by the catcher. Allen’s double was Orange’s only extra base hit.
On Wednesday, Falls Lake Academy held off Orange 8-6 in the Lady Panthers final regular season home game. The Firebirds jumped out to a 5-1 lead behind a three-run home run from Wynterlee Glenn.
Allen sparked an Orange comeback with a leadoff double to left field in the bottom of the third. After Allen advanced to third, senior Natalie Roberson drove in Allen when she reached on an error.
The Lady Panthers would cut into the Firebirds lead deeper after Allen drove in Cook with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Falls Lake’s Carson Outland delivered a two-run single in the fifth to push the Falls Lake lead to 7-3. With the Lady Panthers trailing 8-3 in the sixth, Carden belted a three-run home run to score Mary Kate Ollis and Allen. It was Carden’s second home run of the season.
Carden, who has committed to Queen’s University, leads the team with a .509 batting average and 33 hits.
The pairings for the 5A State Playoffs will be announced by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association on Monday. It is expected that Orange will play in the first round, unlike Seaforth, which will get a bye into the second round after winning the conference championship.
