Month: April 2025

From the very beginning of the season in March, the Central Conference softball race has been unpredictable.

In the end, Eastern Alamance earned the championship, but the final games of the regular season proved this week’s Central Conference Tournament will bring new meaning to the term “wide open.”

On Thursday night, Orange’s Hayleigh Hammond drilled two doubles and turned a game-ending double play to upset the Eagles 6-3 in Hillsborough. It was the culmination of three games over four days for the Lady Panthers, who finished the regular season 9-8 overall, 7-5 in the Central Conference. Orange will host Southern Alamance in the opening round of the Central Conference Tournament in Hillsborough on Monday.

In her final regular season home game, Orange senior first baseman Rhiley Crabtree went 3-for-4.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, Hammond vaulted Orange ahead after a bases-loaded double that rolled to the fence in centerfield. Crabtree, Addison Guentensberger and Natalie Roberson all scored.

Sophomore Katie Carden added to Orange’s lead after she led dropped in a single to left field to lead off the fifth. Guentensberger sent a pop-up to shallow left field where two Eagle fielders collided with each other, allowing Carden to make it 4-1.

Guentensberger replaced freshman starter Malynne Roemmich as pitcher in the fifth inning. Guentensberger’s constant array of changeups and knuckleballs didn’t set radar guns on fire, but it did riddle Eastern Alamance hitters. Guentensberger allowed four hits and two runs in two-and-two-thirds innings.

The Eagles reduced Orange’s lead to 4-3 with two runs in the sixth inning. Eastern’s Olivia Foster scored off a sacrifice fly hit by Rachel Byrd. Carley Boggs sent an RBI single to left field, scoring fellow freshman Edie Stewart. Guentensberger got a crucial third out when she threw out Kayden Manning.

Orange got two more runs in the sixth. Hammond led off with another double. Carden drove her in with a single to left field. Allie Carden knocked in Sadie Cecil with a liner to centerfield.

On Tuesday night, Eastern Alamance clinched the Central Conference regular season championship by beating Southern Alamance 11-10 in Mebane. The Eagles trailed 8-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to win.

Cedar Ridge 5, Southeast Alamance 3: Cedar Ridge ended its most successful regular season in six years with a nonconference win over Southeast Alamance in Hillsborough on Thursday.

The Red Wolves finished the regular season 14-6 overall, 9-3 in the Central Conference. Cedar Ridge finished one game behind Eastern Alamance, whom they haven’t played since March 21.

Junior third baseman Mia Best drove in the game-tying run and scored the go-ahead run for the Red Wolves. After Qiaura Rogers belted a liner to right field that got past the right fielder for a triple, Best bounced a two hooper over the third base bag to score Rogers and even the game.

Cedar Ridge scored two runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Best reached second off a double to centerfield. Raegan Remaly dropped in a single to centerfield. With two out, Best would score off a passed ball with Charlotte Lowry at the plate. After Remaly moved to third, Lowry knocked her with a single to left field.

In the sixth inning, Remaly hit a RBI single to right field to bring in Madeline Galindo-Woording. Rogers scored off an error after the ball eluded the right fielder to increase the Red Wolves lead to 5-1.

Remaly finished 3-for-4 with a run scored.

Lowry, the senior Cedar Ridge pitcher, threw a complete game. She allowed only five hits with four strikeouts.

Cedar Ridge will host Williams in the opening round of the Central Conference Tournament on Monday in Hillsborough. The Red Wolves will be the #2 seed.

The final days of the Central Conference has brought out the best baseball from Cedar Ridge.

Days after handing Southern Alamance its first league loss of the year, the Red Wolves scored five runs in the seventh inning to stun the Patriots 6-4 in Graham on Thursday night. John Grove tied the game at 4-4 after he stroked a two-run single into right field to score Ian McGuffey and Quinn Finnegan. Grant McGuffey scored the game-winning run when Patriots closer Eli Gilley was called for a balk. For extra measure, with Dominic Sena at the plate, Grove stole third and scored off a wild pitch.

Hudson Kelly worked a scoreless seventh to earn the win. Kelly, a sophomore, threw three-and-one-thirds scoreless innings in relief of starter Jesus Velazquez, striking out four and scattering only two hits.

Southern Alamance took a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning on the strength of starter Kaden Parker, who surrendered just one run off one hit in three innings. Parker added a solo home run in the first inning.

Mark King put the Patriots ahead in the fourth inning with a two-run double on a pop fly that plopped down into left field to score Camden Whittemore and Lance Siegner. Cooper Partin extended the Patriots’ lead to 4-1 with a bases loaded walk to bring in Johnny Rojas.

Velazquez started the seventh inning rally with an infield hit. Kelly walked and Finnegan reached on another infield hit to load the bases. Ian McGuffey sent a grounder to left field to score Velazquez.

Over the past two weeks, Cedar Ridge has taken three out of four games against Southern Alamance and Orange, the two teams that tied for the Central Conference championship last year.

After Southern Alamance stormed out to a 8-0 start in conference play, their lead in the Central Conference has been whittled down to one game going into the final week of the regular season. Remarkably, Western Alamance, who started league play 0-4, could catch the Patriots when the two teams square off next week in a two-game series. The Warriors will also face Cedar Ridge to make up a game that was rained out earlier this month.

Person (7-3) is one game behind Southern Alamance for first place. The Patriots control the tiebreaker over the Rockets after sweeping a two-game series last month.

Williams 3, Orange 2: On its Senior Night, Orange couldn’t get out of its offensive funk against Williams. The Bulldogs ended a 10-game losing streak with its first win since March 7 on Friday night in Hillsborough.

Earlier in the week, Orange played with fire but didn’t get burned in Burlington. The Panthers were limited to two hits against the Bulldogs but won 2-1, scoring both of its unearned runs in the first inning.

On Friday, Orange blew too many opportunities. In the first, fourth and fifth innings, the Panthers put runners at second and third base with one out and didn’t score.

Senior Eli Horton put the Panthers ahead in the second inning after getting hit on the crown of his helmet by a pitch. Cam Brown bunted Horton over to second base. Horton moved to third after a groundout by Gary Miller. Kayden Bradsher sent a cue shot up the third base line that was bobbled by Mason Fleener, allowing Horton to score.

Bradsher triggered a 6-4-3 double play in the third inning. Immediately aftewards, Williams’ Aidan Pulliam lined a single to left field. Following a walk to Angel Mora, Charlie Smith grooved a single to right field to bring in Pulliam and tie the game.

Pulliam finished 2-for-3 with a double.

William’s Hunter Daniels walked to leadoff the fourth inning with a walk. Jazion Bieglow was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count. Daniels took third base off a wild pitch. Will Allen skied a fly ball to centerfield. The throw by Mason Grooms to the plate was a beat late as Daniels slid in safely on a sacrifice fly to take the lead.

The Bulldogs added another run in the sixth when Logan Thompson was hit by a pitch. Vince Coker, who earned the win on the mound, sent a tricky pop-up that dropped in between three fielders along the right field line to push the Bulldogs lead to 3-1.

Orange drew closer in the sixth. Cam Brown scored off another infield hit by Bradsher to the left side of the infield. Bradsher, the fastest player on the team, got to third base for the potential tying run. But the Panthers left the bases loaded after a two-out groundout to Mora at shortstop.

Liam Kerr Finger earned his first save of the year working a perfect seventh, the only time in the game Orange went down in order.

For the third year in a row, Williams split a two-game series against Orange. It was their first win in Hillsborough since 2012.

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For the first time since 2019, the Cedar Ridge softball team will host a game in the state playoffs. On Thursday night, the Red Wolves defeated Southeast Alamance 5-3 to finish the regular season 14-6. It’s the most regular season wins for Cedar Ridge since they finished 21-3 in 2019, when they last won a conference championship. The Red Wolves finished the regular season 9-3 in the Central Conference, good enough for 2nd place. Senior pitcher Charlotte Lowry threw a complete game to earn the win. She struck out four and improved to 10-2 with a 3.11 ERA. With the game against the Stallions tied in the bottom of the fifth inning, Mia Best stroked a double with one out. Best would go on to score the game-winning run off a passed ball. After she reached on a single earlier in the inning, Raegan Remaly put the Red Wolves ahead 3-1 off a single from Lowry. In the sixth inning, Remaly drove in Madeline Galindo-Woodring with an RBI single. On the same play, Qiaura Rogers would score off an error. Remaly went 3-for-4 against the Stallions. Best finished 2-for-3 with two doubles. Rogers added a triple. Cedar Ridge will start play in the Central Conference Tournament against Walter Williams on Monday.

Cedar Ridge softball’s Rylee Capps discusses win over Southeast Alamance with Curran Campbelll

For the first time since 2019, the Cedar Ridge softball team will host a game in the state playoffs. On Thursday night, the Red Wolves defeated Southeast Alamance 5-3 to finish the regular season 14-6. It’s the most regular season wins for Cedar Ridge since they finished 21-3 in 2019, when they last won a conference championship.

The unpredictable softball race in the Central Conference had one wild, final turn before the regular season ended on Thursday night. Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 6-4 at Panther Softball Field. Eastern Alamance, who had already clinched the Central Conference championship, suffered just its second league loss of the year. Hayleigh Hammond cleared the bases with a three-run double in the fourth inning to pout Orange ahead 3-1. Addison Guentensberger came on in relief of Malynne Roemmich in the fifth inning and delivered the save for Orange. Guentensberger, who started in left field, also drove in a run in the fifth inning with a fly ball that dropped between the second baseman and right fielder, allowing Katie Carden to score. Hammond led off the sixth inning with a double and scored off a single by Katie Carden that dropped fair along the left field line by 18 inches. Allie Carden roped an RBI single to score Sadie Cecil. It was the third game in fourth days for an Orange team that has played in one of the best conference in the state. Senior Rhiley Crabtree went 3-for-3. Hammond finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Orange will start play in the Central Conference Tournament with a home game against Southern Alamance on Monday.

Orange softball’s Crabtree, George, Cecil, Carden and Neighbours discuss win over Eastern Alamance

The unpredictable softball race in the Central Conference had one wild, final turn before the regular season ended on Thursday night. Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 6-4 at Panther Softball Field. Eastern Alamance, who had already clinched the Central Conference championship, suffered just its second league loss of the year.

Just in time for the end of the regular season, Cedar Ridge turned the baseball championship race completely on its head. The Red Wolves swept a two-game series from Southern Alamance, who came into the week with a 8-0 conference record. On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves defeated the Patriots 7-1. In his final home conference game, Quinn Finnegan threw a complete game and didn’t allow a run until the seventh inning. Finnegan, the only senior on the team, also triggered a five-run third inning with a leadoff single. Grant McGuffey stroked a double to left field to score Finnegan, pushing the Red Wolves lead to 2-0. McGuffey finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs. McGuffey put Cedar Ridge ahead 7-0 in the fourth inning with a RBI single to score Hudson Kelly. Ian McGuffey went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Ian lifted a double down the left field line in the third to score Aidan Ryan. Finnegan took part in the annual Cedar Ridge ceremony in postgame where he rounded the bases one final time. Finnegan, who has been a co-Captain of the team three times, put dirt from home plate inside a small bottle where he will keep it as he journeys to Staten Island, New York next year to pitch for Division I Wagner College. Cedar Ridge will face D.H. Conley on Tuesday in Hillsborough.

Cedar Ridge baseball’s Quinn Finnegan, Grant McGuffey and Ian McGuffey discuss win over S. Alamance

Just in time for the end of the regular season, Cedar Ridge turned the baseball championship race completely on its head. The Red Wolves swept a two-game series from Southern Alamance, who came into the week with a 8-0 conference record. On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves defeated the Patriots 7-1.

Orange junior pitcher Ryan Sawyer earned his fifth win of the season with a victory over Walter Williams in Burlington on Tuesday. Sawyer allowed just four hits in a complete game as the Panthers won 2-1. It was Orange’s first victory in Burlington since 2022. Sawyer threw five shutout innings against Southern Alamance on April 8. Last Tuesday, he threw six shutout innings against Cedar Ridge. Since February 26, when Orange defeated Chapel Hill, Sawyer has been Orange’s Tuesday starter and made rapid improvement. He leads the Panthers with five wins and 67 strikeouts this season. He has a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also has a 173 earned run average. Sawyer has also played left field the past two weeks as the Panthers continue to battle injuries and illness up and down its starting lineup. The win over Williams was Orange’s third straight Central Conference victory. Though Orange is out of the hunt for a fifth straight conference championship, they are battling to earn a home game in the state playoffs. On Friday, the Panthers will close out the two-game series with Williams for Senior Night in Hillsborough. Orange’ seniors Dominic O’Keefe, Garrett Sawyer and Eli Horton will be honored during a pregame ceremony that will take place at 5:45. First pitch will be at 6PM.

Orange pitcher Garrett Sawyer discusses win over Walter Williams

Orange junior pitcher Ryan Sawyer earned his fifth win of the season with a victory over Walter Williams in Burlington on Tuesday. Sawyer allowed just four hits in a complete game as the Panthers won 2-1. It was Orange’s first victory in Burlington since 2022.

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Since having its 47-game conference winning streak end against Seaforth last month, the Orange lacrosse team had its rematch against the Hawks circled in on its calendar.

Yet it was an older, more familiar Chatham County rival who nearly ruined the Panthers’ hopes of winning a fifth consecutive conference championship.

The Northwood Chargers led Orange 4-2 at halftime at Chargers Stadium on Thursday night. Holden Ray delivered a hat trick as the Panthers finished the game on a 6-1 run and defeated the Chargers 9-5. After being limited to three goals in the first three periods, the Panthers scored six in the fourth quarter to maintain its tie with Seaforth for first place in the Mid-Carolina Conference.

Owen Wimsatt also had a hat trick and scored the opening tally of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 4-4. It started a string of four goals in a span of 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Junior Matthew Macneir scored the go-ahead goal with 9:45 remaining. Wimsatt would complete his hat trick with an overhand shot 33 seconds later. Luke Nevius added his first goal of the night.

Brett Clark and Ray finished out the scoring as the Panthers improved to 13-3 overall, 11-1 in the Mid-Carolina Conference.

The showdown with Seaforth lived up to the Panthers brand of lacrosse that head coach Chandler Zirkle has installed since he arrived as head coach in 2017. Orange went on a 5-2 run in the second quarter and didn’t trail in the second half in a 10-8 victory at Hawks Stadium.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Runkle finished with ten saves in a huge game.

Brett Clark scored three goals and four points. MacNeil finished with two goals and two assists against the Hawks. After the Panthers were stymied by the Hawks in their first game in March, scoring just one goal in the second half, Orange found consistency on offense scoring five goals in the second quarter.

Jay Parker, Aidan Monteith and Wimsatt all scored in the second quarter. MacNeil and Wimsatt added goals in the third quarter.

Sophomore Jackson Eackes had six ground balls while Grant Cardone added three ground balls

Orange will return home to face Eastern Alamance on Friday night at Auman Stadium.