Photo by Jacques Morin
In just their third season, the Southeast Alamance Stallions has had a meteoric rise to the top of the crowded Alamance County softball landscape.
The Stallions are the #1 seed in the 5A East Region for the state playoffs and opened strong on Friday night. Southeast Alamance dominated Orange 10-0 in five innings in Haw River to advance to the round of 16.
It was the Stallions second win over the Lady Panthers this season. On March 19, Southeast defeated Orange 5-0 in Hillsborough.
Orange was without its leading home run hitter, Hayleigh Hammond. In the opening round against J.F. Webb, Hammond injured her foot while crossing home plate. It turned out to be a sudden end for the strongest power hitting season by an Orange player since Mia Davidson graduated. Hammond finished the year with ten home runs, the highest total since Davidson hit 12 during Orange’s 2017 3A State Championship season. Hammond also led the team with 25 RBIs and 31 runs scored.
Stallions pitcher Maiya Woody struck out nine in throwing a complete game shutout. Addison Reich went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple.
In addition to Hammond, it was the final game for seniors Katie Carden, Natalie Roberson, Addison Guentensberger and Mariah Cook.
Carden, who has committed to play at Division I Queen’s University, led the team with a .486 batting average. He also paced the squad with 35 hits. She finished with 23 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Guentensberger hit .352 with 21 hits and 19 RBIs. She also served as a pitcher during relief stints and also played volleyball for an Orange team that won the 2025 Central Conference championship.
Roberson hit .280 with 12 RBIs. A first baseman, Roberson was a starter on the Orange women’s basketball team that reached the 2nd round of the 5A State Playoffs.
Cook hit .243 with nine hits.
Orange concludes the season 10-13, finishing 3rd in the Big 7 Conference.
Seaforth, which had an undefeated run to the Big 7 Conference championship, was eliminated in the round of 16 in the 5A State Playoffs on Tuesday night. Rockingham County defeated the Hawks 7-2.
