Photo by Jacques Morin
Going into 2025, Cedar Ridge baseball had waited 13 years to win at Orange.
Last year, the Red Wolves ended the lengthy dry spell with a dramatic finish reminiscent of the 1984 film “The Natural.”
On Tuesday night, they won at Orange in a game with all the drama of last month’s Super Bowl.
From the moment senior Grant McGuffey lined a leadoff double down the left field line on the second pitch of the game, the Red Wolves battered its crosstown rival from pillar to post, winning 18-3 at Panther Field.
It’s just the third win by Cedar Ridge at Orange in the last 18 years, with the others occurring in 2012 and 2025. While records from 2002-2007 are unavailable, it’s probably the first run-rule win for the Red Wolves at Orange ever.
Amidst a lineup of juniors and seniors with years of varsity experience, Cedar Ridge freshman Wil Ebron fell into his first Orange game like a plumb from heaven. Ebron finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including doubling home McGuffey in the second at-bat of the game.
“We wanted to come in here and show everybody that Cedar Ridge baseball is something that’s serious,” said Cedar Ridge head coach Bryson Massey. “We work in silence. I think our guys have been through the fights and this is what it shows”
The Red Wolves were so dominant, eight of their nine starters scored runs. Carter Warren, who came on a pinch-hitter in the fifth, scored twice in the last two innings.
Cedar Ridge (3-1) junior Hudson Kelly threw three innings in his first start of the season as the Red Wolves won its Big 7 Conference opener.
After the Red Wolves stormed out to a 6-0 lead, the Panthers appeared set to make it a game in the third inning. Cam Brown scored off a groundout by designated hitter Oliver Van Tiem. Catcher Mason Bullard lined a double into scoreboard alley in right centerfield. Gary Miller sent an RBI single up the middle to bring in Gavin Clayton, a courtesy runner for Bullard. Wren Hash tagged a 2-2 fastball just shy of the fence in centerfield to score Miller and cut the Red Wolves lead in half.
Cedar Ridge sophomore Jesus Velazquez, who started at second base, relieved Kelly in the fourth and tamed the Orange bats. Velazquez threw two innings of hitless relief with two strikeouts.
Leading 6-3 going into the fifth, the Red Wolves restored its dominance by scoring five runs. Warren drove in Kelly with a liner that popped off the third baseman’s glove into foul territory. Grant McGuffey, who finished 3-for-4, singled to centerfield. Ebron sent a double that bounced off second base into the outfield to score McGuffey and Warren. Ian McGuffey delivered the biggest blow, a triple that curved down the right field line, plating Enron. McGuffey would eventually score off a balk, which wasn’t even the strangest run of the night.
The Red Wolves scored four runs in the first inning. After Ebron doubled in Grant McGuffey, John Grove drew a walk. Dominic Sena sent a hard fly ball over the left fielder’s head that turned into an off-the-fence single to load the bases.
With two out, Kelly grounded to second base. Orange’s Gary Miller dove and fielded the ball from the seat of his pants, but Kelly slid into first safely to beat the throw. Ebron scored and Grove raced around second to add another run. Meanwhile, Sena ran for third, and the Orange throw got away from the third baseman, the first of six Orange errors. Kelly’s infield single led to three runs scoring and Orange was left playing catchup the whole way.
Cedar Ridge added seven runs in the sixth, including Ebron delivering another RBI single. Ian McGuffey scored a rare run off the infield fly rule on a bizarre sequence that led to a double play to end the inning.
Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge on Friday night.
