FAYETTEVILLE–Terry Sanford defeated Orange in the 2024 3A State Playoffs.
Between that game and Friday night, not much had changed in the Bulldog lineup. Seven players who started last year’s game were back in the lineup against the Panthers in the 2nd round of the 2025 3A State Playoffs.
Orange had two starters back from last year’s Terry Sanford game, neither of whom played the same position they did in 2024. And that was the difference on Friday night.
Terry Sanford’s Ethan Nobles drove in four runs as the Bulldogs cruised past the Panthers 10-0 in five innings. After closing out last year’s win over Orange, Jack Reaves started and threw a complete game, two-hit shutout as the Bulldogs (23-5) advanced to the third round to face West Brunswick in Fayetteville.
Orange ends the year 14-12.
Reaves retired the first eleven Panthers he faced before sophomore Oliver Van Tiem reached on a single to centerfield in the fourth inning. Even that moment of Orange success was fleeting as Reaves promptly picked Van Tiem off first base.
Just like last year, Orange got off to a bad start when the Bulldogs put a pair across in the first inning. Leadoff batter Josh Mozingo scored from first base off a throwing error at shortstop off an infield hit by Gibson Bray to immediately put the Bulldogs ahead. Hunter Hedgerow drove in Bray with a groundout to Kayden Bradsher.
Orange’s only other hit in the game came from catcher D.J. Woods, who threw two Bulldogs runners out trying to steal.
It was the final game for seniors Dominic O’Keefe, Eli Horton and Garrett Sawyer, who went through a roller coaster season where the Panthers couldn’t stay healthy after mid-March. Van Tiem, Orange’s top power pitcher, injured his ankle in the conference opener against Western Alamance and missed a month of action.
Sawyer, Orange’s top power hitter, injured his hamstring against Southern Alamance on April 10 and missed the last nine games.
Hunt 2, Cedar Ridge 0:
Hunt’s Stone Massey and Seth Evans combined to throw a two-hitter to defeat Cedar Ridge in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs on Tuesday. Evans drove in Angel Saldona with a double that one-hopped the left field wall in the first inning.
The Warriors, who finished in a tie with South Johnston and West Johnston in the Quad Counties Conference, added its other run in the third inning. After Saldona drove a single to right field, Will Doll lined a double to the power alley.
Cedar Ridge’s Ian McGuffey was the only Red Wolf of touch third base all night. In the first inning, McGuffey doubled to right field. With Aidan Ryan at the plate, McGuffey went to third on a walk pitch. Massey got a strikeout to end the inning.
John Grove was the only Cedar Ridge batter to get on board to leadoff an inning. It happened in the seventh inning with a single to left field. Evans ended the game with a strikeout.
Cedar Ridge, seeded #16, hosted its first state playoff game since 2018.
It was the final home game for Cedar Ridge senior pitcher Quinn Finnegan, who threw five-plus innings. Earlier this month after senior night against Southern Alamance, Finnegan rounded the bases after a Cedar Ridge victory and put a small sample of dirt inside a tiny bottle he carried for the occasion.
As he ventures to play baseball at Wagner College in New York, Finnegan said he wanted to take a small piece of Cedar Ridge with him everywhere. The only senior on this year’s team, Finnegan was a co-Captain of three Cedar Ridge teams. This year, he helped the Red Wolves win at Orange for the first time since 2012.