Cedar Ridge Softball

The same way that Ted Williams hit a home run in his final game at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox, the greatest power hitter in Cedar Ridge softball history went out in style on Wednesday night. In her final game at Cedar Ridge Softball Field, Take Nichols hit a home run that sailed well beyond the fence into left field. Nichols added a double and went 3-for-3 as the Red Wolves defeated Williams 21-2. It was the final game at Cedar Ridge for Nichols, centerfielder Olivia Aitkin and shortstop Ava Lowry. Aitkin, who has signed to play at Amherst University, finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Lowry, who committed to North Carolina Wesleyan, went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple. This group of Ceda Ridge seniors won the 2019 Big 8 Conference Championship and won two games in the 3A State Playoffs. Nichols will graduate in June as the all-time leading home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history with 32 home runs. She has 109 carer RBIs, also a school record. Nichols and Lowry has played on the left side of the infield for the past four years. Lowry is hitting .444 this season. She is a career .450 hitter over 55 games. Aitkin is one of the most versatile athletes in Cedar Ridge history. She was also a member of Cedar Ridge’s 3A State Championship Volleyball team. Aitkin is one of the most versatile athletes in school history. She has qualified for the 3A Central Regional Golf Championships. She also is a member of the 4×200 swimming relay team that set the school record last winter, and also qualified for the 3A Central Regionals. 

With an array of Division I softball prospects spread across the various Alamance County schools within the Central Carolina Conference, it’s been easy to overlook the Hillsborough teams this season.

Orange did win the 2021 Big 8 Conference Championship after an undefeated regular season. Cedar Ridge won back-to-back conference titles in 2018 & 2019, reaching the Round of 16 in the 3A State Playoffs both times.

It speaks volumes about Cedar Ridge’s strength of schedule that, even with a current 9-11 overall record, the Red Wolves are still seeded #22 in the 3A East Rankings, according to MaxPreps. Four of the teams ahead of Cedar Ridge are from the Central Carolina Conference.

Nonetheless, Cedar Ridge coach Allen Byrd, who became a grandfather over the weekend, doesn’t want a repeat of last season.

The 2021 3A Softball state playoffs was narrowed down to 32 teams instead of the standard 64 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At season’s end, the Red Wolves were ranked #59 by MaxPreps, which likely would have put them in the postseason in a standard year. Of course, 2021 was anything but standard. Seven Cedar Ridge seniors, many of whom were members of the 2018 team that won the first softball conference championship in school history, ended their careers without one final trip to the playoffs.

While Cedar Ridge’s chances of returning to the postseason are strong this year, there was no denying a sense of finality last Wednesday. It was the final home game for Red Wolves seniors Takia Nichols, Olivia Aitkin and Ava Lowry. They have all signed to play college softball across the East Coast.

In her farewell game at Cedar Ridge against Walter Williams, Nichols hit one last home run in easily the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in the Central Carolina Conference, possibly the state (it is 220 feet down the left and right field lines to the wall at Cedar Ridge Softball Field. For comparison’s sake, at Duke Softball Stadium, it is 195 feet each way). Leading off the bottom of the second inning, Nichols drilled an 0-1 pitch well beyond the left field wall for her school record 32nd career home run. She finished the night 3-for-3 with two RBIs as the Red Wolves cruised 21-2 in five innings. Nichols, who has committed to play at North Carolina Central, now has 109 career RBIs, also a school record.

While Nichols is prepared to move on to play with the Eagles, she will have at least two more games alongside Lowry. The two have shared the left side of the infield for the past two seasons, but it should have been longer.

Perhaps the perfect play that sums up the pairing came against Orange on April 15, 2021. In the seventh inning, Orange’s Serenity McPherson lined a ball to Nichols at third base. With a runner at second, the ball ricocheted off Nichols knee, bounced directly across to Lowry, who recovered in time to throw out McPherson and end the inning.

“I know that Ava always has my back,” Nichols said the following week. “I never have to question if she’s going to be there for me. I bobbled that ball, she had my back and we made the out.”

Lowry, who has signed with North Carolina Wesleyan, went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against the Bulldogs. She had a double and a triple. For her career, Lowry has a .450 career batting average. She has 28 hits this season, which leads the team.

“Takia and I have this bond,” Lowry said last summer. “She’s amazing. We’ve been playing since middle school. We know what’s going to happen. We’ll know what each other is thinking without saying anything. I know that if she’s covering the line, then I need to move closer to the hole in the infield. Our communication is the best.”

Aitkin, who committed to Amherst College in Massachusetts last year, is a three-sport athlete. Last fall, she made regionals in golf. In February, she teamed with Sophia Stinnett, Quinn McCrimmon and Abbygale Pearce to set a new school record in the 4×400 relay in swimming at the Orange County Sportsplex. They group qualified for the 3A Central Regionals.

Tonight, the three Cedar Ridge seniors will play its final game against crosstown rival Orange at Panther Softball Field in the Central Carolina Tournament quarterfinals. The Red Wolves are the #5 seed. The winner of the game will face top-seeded Eastern Alamance on Tuesday night in Mebane.

Nichols, Lowry and Aitkin are the last players who won a conference championship in softball. In 2019, Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 8-3 at Panther Softball Field to claim the #1 seed from the Big 8 Conference for the state playoffs. In the postseason, Cedar Ridge defeated West Johnston 4-3 in eleven innings, then journeyed all the way to Morehead City and defeated West Carteret 6-3. Nichols homered in the fourth inning against the Patriots.

Also tonight in the Central Carolina Tournament: Williams travels to Person while Western Alamance hosts Northwood. The semifinals are set for Tuesday with the championship game on Thursday.

Softball: Cedar Ridge 8, Northwood 4

Through a difficult season where Cedar Ridge has faced some of the most powerful teams in the state, the Red Wolves have fallen just short in close games.

On Tuesday night, the greatest Cedar Ridge power hitter in history provided a spark when they needed it most.

Senior Takia Nichols cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the sixth inning to break at 4-4 tie, paving the way for the Red Wolves to beat Northwood 8-4 in Hillsborough. Nichols knocked in Tori Carden, Caira Peach and Anaya Carter as Cedar Ridge improved to 7-8 overall, 2-6 in the Central Carolina Conference.

Freshman Charlotte Lowry, the younger sister of Cedar Ridge shortstop Ava Lowry, earned the win in relief of starter Hayley King. Lowry allowed only one run in the final four innings. She conceded just three hits and had three strikeouts.

Nichols was walked twice, including in the first inning, when the Red Wolves scored three runs. Carter reached on a leadoff bunt single, and would score the Red Wolves’ opening run off a double steal where Nichols was thrown out at second. Following a walk of Olivia Aitkin, Reagan Simmons reached on an infield single. Ava Lowry hit a grounder up the middle to bring in Aitkin and courtesy runner Mackenzie Rogers, who was in for Simmons.

Northwood fought back to even the game. After Nichols’s triple, Aitkin singled to centerfield to bring in Nichols for the game’s final run.

Cedar Ridge is scheduled to host Orange tonight at Red Wolves Softball Field.

Men’s Lacrosse: Cedar Ridge 9, Eastern Alamance 3

Roman Oguntoyinbo, James Clayton and Mason Lynde each scored two goals to send the Red Wolves on to victory in Mebane on Tuesday night. Oguntoyinbo now has 39 goals on the season. Clayton, after scoring two goals against Orange last Friday, has scored 12 goals.

Senior goalkeeper Josh Taylor earned the win in net for Cedar Ridge after making two saves in the first half. Freshman Leo Oguntoyinbo replaced Taylor in the second half and finished with six saves. Cedar Ridge’s Jackson Kralic won seven face-offs.

The Red Wolves are 9-4 overall, 6-4 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. They will host Western Alamance at Red Wolves Stadium on Thursday night.

Women’s Soccer: Eastern Alamance 4, Orange 3 OT

The Orange women’s soccer team was one minute away from maintaining its share of first place in the Central Carolina Conference, but the Eastern Alamance Eagles scored with under a minute remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime on Tuesday night in Hillsborough.

Orange junior Isabel Jones evened the game in the second overtime off an assist from Bella Brown, sending the game into the second overtime session tied 3-3. The Eagles scored the game-winning goal off a corner kick with 3:01 remaining.

Jones scored two goals for Orange. Caroline Cathey, a freshman, scored the opening goal for the Lady Panthers off an assist from Elliana Sullivan Gaddy. Orange is 5-5-1 overall, 4-2 in the Central Carolina Conference.

Track & Field:

For the third time in her Cedar Ridge career, senior Caroline Fowlkes has qualified for the 3A Mideast Regional championships in the pole vault.

Fowlkes, who qualified for the state championships as a freshman, earned a spot in regionals during the Orange County Track & Field Championships at Culton-Peerman Stadium on the campus of Chapel Hill High School last Saturday. Fowlkes earned first place after clearing 10-feet, six-inches. On Wednesday, Fowlkes achieved a new personal best by clearing 11-feet.

At the Orange County Championships, Orange’s 4×200 men’s relay team of Ethan Horton, Spencer Hampton, Gabriel Schmid and Nick Peel broke the school record with a time of 1:34:00. The quartet qualified for regionals. Hampton, who finished runner-up in the 3A State Championships in the 3,200 meters last year, has also qualified for regionals in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

Cedar Ridge junior Roman Morrell qualified for the 800 meters in regionals. On Wednesday, during a tri-meet against Northwood and Walter Williams in Pittsboro, Morrell finished first at 1:59.54.

Person 4, Cedar Ridge 3: Whether its volleyball, basketball or softball, women’s sports have proven to be deep in the Central Carolina Conference since its inception in August.

The Cedar Ridge softball team is 1-6 in the CCC after losing to Person on Friday night, yet are still ranked #19 in the 3A East Softball Standings, according to MaxPreps. That’s mainly because Cedar Ridge has Eastern Alamance (#1 in 3A East), Person (#2), Western Alamance (#6) and Orange (#9) as conference rivals.

On Friday night, the Red Wolves nearly pulled off an upset against Person. Cedar Ridge and the Rockets were tied 3-3 at the end of five innings before the Rockets’ Kylie Gould knocked in Taryn Massey with an RBI groundout in the sixth inning for the game-winning run.

In the seventh inning, Person pitcher Lillie Davis set down the Red Wolves in order to ensure the Rockets’ 4-3 win. Person (11-1, 6-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) is in 2nd place in the CCC, one game behind Eastern Alamance.

Cedar Ridge senior Takia Nichols, who recently became the first player in school history to surpass 100 career RBIs, slammed a solo homer to centerfield in the first inning to put the Red Wolves into the early lead. Nichol’s classmate, Olivia Aitkin, followed with a double to right field, but she was stranded at second after Davis racked up consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.

Person tied the game in the bottom of the field inning after a leadoff double by Mariah McCowan, who moved to third base after a wild pitch. Delaney Glover singled on a hard grounder to third base to bring in McCowan.

The Rockets added two more runs in the second inning. Gould laced a one-out single to centerfield. After a wild pitch, Lindsey Melton plated Gould with a single to left field. Melton would steal second base, leading to McCowan sending a liner to centerfield to score Melton to put Person ahead 3-1.

Cedar Ridge chipped away to tie the game. Senior shortstop Ava Lowry launched a solo homer to left field in the top of the fourth inning. The Red Wolves went on to load the bases with two out in the inning when freshman Charlotte Lowry and junior Tori Carden both singled, then Caira Peach was hit by a pitch. Massey, Person’s shortstop, caught a pop-up to end the inning.

Nichols tied the game in the fifth after a leadoff single. Kimber Shambley grounded a two-out single up the middle into centerfield. With a 3-2 count, freshman Reagan Simmons hit a fly ball to right field that dropped for a hit, scoring Nichols.

The Red Wolves will travel to Harnett Central on Monday, then host Northwood on Tuesday and crosstown rival Orange on Friday.

Western Alamance 4, Orange 1: Western Alamance pitcher Taylor Apple, who has committed to play at East Carolina, struck out 15 batters as the Warriors improved to 9-4 overall, 6-2 in the CCC. The Warriors, just 48 hours removed from a win over defending 3A State Champion Southern Alamance, got a two-run homer from Julia Brunton, who finished 2-for-3.

Orange 10, Northwood 0 5 innings: On Wednesday night, Orange played its first game since the end of spring break with a 10-0 win over Northwood. The Lady Panthers got a home run from senior catcher Lauren Jackson, who has announced her commitment to Lenoir-Rhyne College. Jackson also had a double.

Sophomore Caden Robinson, who earned the win as pitcher, also had a home run and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. It was the first varsity start for freshman Sadie Cecil, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI single.

Senior Courtney Watkins, starting in left field, finished 2-for-3 with an RBI single.

Orange (6-4, 4-3) will continue a four-game road trip on Tuesday when they go to Burlington to face Williams. On Wednesday, the Panthers head up Highway 57 to face Person in Roxboro, then face Cedar Ridge at Red Wolves Softball Field on Friday night.

This Sunday in Augusta, the winner of the Master’s Golf Tournament will be awarded the Green Jacket. On Saturday Night Live, a host that is invited back five times (like Tom Hanks, Paul Rudd, the Rock, and Steve Martin) is awarded the Five-Timers Club robe. At Hillsboroughsports.com, we decided to induct our first member into the Four-Timers Club. And the first member is Cedar Ridge softball third baseman Takia Nichols, who becomes the first athlete to win Athlete of the Week four times in her career. In the opening week of the season, Nichols set the school record with seven RBIs, including two home runs as the Red Wolves defeated East Chapel Hill 20-2 at Wildcats Softball Stadium. Three days later, Nichols went 3-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs in the Red Wolves’ 10-5 win over Falls Lake. Nichols has committed to play at North Carolina Central University. She is the all-time home run leader in Cedar Ridge softball history 30. Se is also the first Cedar Ridge player in history with over 100 RBIs. After practice on Monday, Takia was presented with the Burgundy Robe, which will be the prize for all future inductees of the Four-Timers Club from Cedar Ridge. All Orange inductees will be presented with an Orange robe. On Monday night, the presenters were Takia’s classmates, shortstop Ava Lowry and centerfielder Olivia Aitkin. Takia is a fitting first inductee into the most exclusive club in Hilllsborough, the Four-Timers Club. Cedar Ridge returns to action on Wednesday with a road trip to Northern Durham.

When asked for a prediction for his rematch with Rocky Balboa in Rocky III, Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, gave the classic response: “Pain.”

Judging from opening day of softball season, if Takia Nichols had asked for a prediction for her senior year, it would have been “Power.”

And she would have been right.

Nichols opened her senior year with two home runs and a school-record seven RBIs as Cedar Ridge piled up 13 hits in a 20-2 victory over East Chapel Hill on Tuesday afternoon at Wildcats Softball Stadium. Nichols, the all-time leading home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history, now has 28 career dingers.

She hit a grand slam in the first inning, then added a three-run blast in the third and final inning.

Nichols has made it a habit to have huge games against East Chapel Hill throughout her career. In her freshman season, she had six RBIs in a 15-0 win over the Wildcats in chapel Hill. Last March, she had another six RBI game against the Wildcats as the Red Wolves rolled 18-5, a game where Red Wolves shortstop Ava Lowry had two home runs.

Anaya Carter, who was a regular rotation player for the 3A State Champion volleyball team last fall, went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases in her return to the softball diamond. Junior Tori Carden finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs.

Following the graduation of six seniors at the end of the abbreviated 2021 season, Cedar Ridge coach Allen Byrd also showed glimpses of a youth movement against the Wildcats. Freshmen Kimber Shambley (first base), Charlotte Lowry (pitcher), and Reagan Simmons (catcher) all started for the Red Wolves.

Shambley, the daughter of former Orange High right fielder Kevin Shambley, scored three times. She was walked three times and had an RBI single in the first.

Lowry, who faced nine batters, struck out three. After some hiccups in the first inning, Lowry set East down in order in the second before junior Hayley King closed out things in the third.

Cedar Ridge will host Cardinal Gibbons on Thursday night in Hillsborough.

ORANGE 8, ROXBORO COMMUNITY SCHOOL 0

After going undefeated in the Big 8 Conference last season, the Orange softball team opened a tough nonconfernce slate with more of what distinguished themselves from the pack in 2021.

Defense.

Gracie Walker, the 2021 Big 8 Conference Pitcher of the Year, threw a three-hit shutout to push the Lady Panthers past Roxboro Community School 8-0 on Tuesday night. Walker struck out five with only two walks. Of her 72 pitches, 55 went for strikes.

Carson Bradsher, who committed to USC-Upstate last month, opened her junior season by going 3-for-4 as Orange scored two runs in the opening inning. Bradsher, who hit .700 during an All-Conference season in 2021, had two triples.

Catcher Lauren Jackson had a two-run homer. Last season, Jackson led the Lady Panthers with five home runs.

In right field, sophomore Caden Robinson had several big catches to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard. She finished 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.

In addition to getting her 14th career win in the circle, Walker had an RBI single.

Orange will face a full slate before starting Central Carolina Conference play next week at Northwood in Pittsboro. On Friday, the Lady Panthers will face Southern Alamance, the defending 3A State Champions, in Graham.

On Monday, Orange will journey to Chatham Central. Last season, the Bears finished 2nd in the 1A Yadkin Valley Conference and defeated Union Academy in the opening round of the state playoffs.

Orange has now won 13 consecutive regular season games after a perfect, though pandemic-shortened, regular season in 2021.

Photo by Jalien Leach

Marvin Jones: Adding to what has already been a stellar indoor season, former Cedar Ridge high jumper Marvin Jones won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title on Tuesday. Jones earned the gold medal at the MEAC Indoor Track & Field championships in Virginia Beach, VA with a 2.10 meter leap. It is his second MEAC high jump championship and his third MEAC deal. In the 2020 MEAC Indoor championships, Jones claimed the bronze. In the 2021 MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Jones won the gold medal. Jones has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held in Birmingham, AL on March 11 and 12.

Joey Berini: Berini saw action in each of the first three games for the #12 East Carolina baseball team in its opening series of the season against Bryant University at LeClair Stadium in Greenville last weekend. In the opening game, the Bulldogs defeated the Pirates 10-2. Berini entered the game as a second baseman in the 7th inning. He reached on a one-out single in the eighth inning. On Saturday, the Bulldogs scored a somewhat controversial 5-4 win in ten innings over the Pirates. Berini started at 2nd base and went 0-for-2. On Sunday, Bryant completed the sweep of the Pirates with a 4-3 win, scoring the game-winning run in the ninth inning. Berini entered the game in the fifth inning to play second base. He went 0-for-3.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State Junior College baseball team has started its season. Porter, a sophomore who was once committed to N.C. State, closed out the Pirates’ 12-3 win over the College of Central Florida on January 28 in Auburndale, FL. Porter threw two perfect innings in the seven-inning matchup. On February 6, Meridian Community College edged Pensacola State 3-2. Porter threw the last two-and-one-thirds innings and surrendered only two hits with one strikeout. On February 11, East Georgia College knocked off the Pirates 11-4. Porter relieved starter Jake Cohen in the fourth inning. Over two innings, Porter surrendered two runs over two hits with one walk. On February 14, John Logan College rallied to defeat Pensacola State 6-5. Porter suffered his first loss. He threw two-and-two-thirds innings and struck out six. He surrendered three runs off three hits. Porter returned as a position player in an 8-1 win over Bryant Stratton on February 19 in New Orleans. Playing third base, Porter went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and a walk. Later that day, Delgado Community College upended the Pirates 10-2. Porter went 1-for-3. The following day, Porter went 0-for-2 as Delgado defeated Pensacola State 3-0.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team continued its season in the Spiro Classic at UNCG Softball Stadium last weekend. In the opening game, the Spartans defeated Rider 10-1 in five innings on February 18. Dalehite started at 2nd base and did not have an official at-bat in the game. She walked twice and had a sacrifice fly in the 4th inning to score Grace Loftin. Dalehite scored off a home run by Makenna Matthijs in the fifth inning. On Saturday, the Spartans rolled past George Washington 7-3. Dalehite went 3-for-3 with a run scored and two doubles. With the Colonials leading 3-1 in the fifth inning, Dalehite doubled down the right field line to bring in Grace Loftin. Dalehite scored the game-tying run off a sacrifice fly by Matthijs. Later on Saturday, UNCG rolled past Rider 8-1. Dalehite, starting at 2nd base, went 1-for-3. The Spartans finished a perfect weekend by beating George Washington 10-1 in six innings. Dalehite went 0-for-3. UNC Greensboro will continue its season with the UNCG Invitational, which starts on Friday. The Spartans will face Loyola Chicago at 2:30PM.

With the start of her final softball season a week away, Cedar Ridge senior Ava Lowry formally signed with North Carolina Wesleyan during a ceremony at the Red Wolves Auxiliary Gymnasium on Monday night. Lowry has a career batting average of .453. Last season, she had an average of .550 during 14 games. Lowry started 17 games in her freshman year in 2019, when the Red Wolves won a share of the Big 8 Championship. Last year, Lowry was All-Big 8 Conference and All-State. Ava started playing softball when she was seven years old. Formally a member of the Lady Blues travel team, she now plays for the Stars Gold. Lowry shares the same side of the infield with third baseman Takia Nichols, who has signed to play with North Carolina Central. In addition, Lowry is a member of the American Red Cross. On Monday, Cedar Ridge will start its season against Cardinal Gibbons at Red Wolves Softball Stadium.