Cedar Ridge Softball

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.

It would be true to say that this is a busy time for Cedar Ridge senior Olivia Aitkin, but the fact of the matter is that its always a busy time for Olivia Aitkin. On Monday night, Aitkin signed with Amherst College to play softball. Aitkin is a rare three-sport athlete for has qualified for regionals in two different sports and has been a member of a conference championship team. This winter, Aitkin teamed with Quinn McCrimmon, Abbbygale Pearce and Sophia Stinnett to set two school records in swimming. The group recorded new marks in the 200 yard freestyle and 400 yard freestyle relay. As a freshman, Aitkin was a member of a Cedar Ridge softball team that shared the Big 8 Conference Championship and won two 3A State Playoff games. Through the first three years on the varsity softball team, Aitkin has a career batting average of .452 with 36 stolen bases. She started playing softball at the age of 12. At Cedar Ridge, Aitkin is also the Founder and President of My School Votes, which is a national organization that helps increase voter turnout among high school students. She is also the co-President of the Unified Red Wolves, a group that aims to help students with disabilities unite with students without disabilities. Aitkin is also a two-time Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week winner.

The all-time home run leader in Cedar Ridge softball history is officially headed to North Carolina Central. Senior Takia Nichols formally signed with the Eagles during a ceremony inside the J-Wing at Cedar Ridge High School on Wednesday night. Takia has been a four-year starter for the Red Wolves. In her freshman year, she was part of a Big 8 Conference championship team that journeyed to the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Takia had eight home runs in her freshman year, including a blast against West Carteret in the 2nd round of the state playoffs that went deep into a forest in Morehead City. Last season, despite being walked 17 times, she still hit 13 home runs to bring her career total to 26. She was the 2021 Big 8 Conference Player of the year. Takia has a .618 career batting average. In addition to being a Cedar Ridge student, she is a faithful devotee to all of Red Wolf athletics. Nichols was present for each and every home game this season for the 3A State Championship Cedar Ridge volleyball squad. She also frequently attends football games and played women’s basketball in her freshman and sophomore year. At North Carolina Central, Nichols plans to major in Criminal Justice. Though she could have played with virtually any team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and largely any HBCU, she decided to remain close to home with her mother and family. Takia will start her senior season this March. 

There’s not much of an offseason in softball nowadays.

Last week, Cedar Ridge third baseman Takia Nichols and shortstop Ava Lowry suited up for the Region 3 team for the North Carolina State Games in Durham. Playing five games over three days, Region 3 finished with the bronze medal after beating the Region 4 squad 2-1 at Duke Softball Stadium on Thursday.

The Region 3 squad, which was coached by Western Harnett’s Stephen Hales, finished 3-3 in the event. The team included players from Western Harnett, Jordan, Cleveland, Harnett Central, Apex, Wake Forest and Cape Fear Christian.

It was just another instance where Nichols and Lowry were teammates. It has been that way since they were together at Stanback Middle School, and carried through to Cedar Ridge High, where they won the 2019 Big 8 Conference Championship.

After the State Games, Nichols and Lowry found themselves paired together again on Friday. The North Carolina Softball Coaches Association named Nichols and Lowry to the 2021 3A All-State team.

Nichols was the 2021 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year. She led the league with 13 home runs, adding to her career total of 26, a school record in softball and baseball. Earlier this month, Nichols announced her commitment to play at North Carolina Central.

Nichols, who has started at third base since she was a freshman on Cedar Ridge’s 2019 team, concluded her junior season with home runs in each of her last six games. In a 8-3 win at Vance County on April 27, Nichols hit two dingers. The following outing against Southern Durham, the opener of a doubleheader, she also hit two home runs. Nichols led the Big 8 with 38 RBIs in 2021, pushing her career total to 86. That broke the school record held by Tori Dalehite, now playing at UNC Greensboro, who had 73 in her career that was cut short because of various injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the 2021 season, Lowry announced her commitment to play at Division III North Carolina Wesleyan. Shortly after making her college intentions clear, Lowry started a season for the Red Wolves that left their coaches exasperated, thrilled, frustrated, joyous and confused.

But never, ever bored.

It started on March 17 with a 17-16 loss in eight innings to Northwood in Pittsboro, a game where Cedar Ridge trailed 11-4 at the end of four innings, only to take a 16-14 lead into the bottom of the seventh before the Chargers scored two runs in the final frame of regulation to send the game to extra innings.

In the opener, Lowry went 3-for-4 with a double and 4 RBIs.

Two weeks later, Lowry hit two home runs against East Chapel Hill in a 18-5 win at Wildcat Softball Stadium. Lowry finished 4-for-5 with six RBIs, which also included a double.

In a classic game against Orange on April 15, Lowry went 2-for-4, but that only tells a portion of a long, memorable story. Lowry had Cedar Ridge’s first hit, a double down the left field line. She eventually scored on a wild pitch with Marlee Rakouskas at the plate.

With Orange leading 8-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lowry came up to bat with ShiLi Quade on base with two out. In an epic at-bat, Lowry fouled off five pitches to eventually draw a walk. It led to Quade scoring off a wild pitch, which triggered an incredible Cedar Ridge comeback.

Trailing 9-2 against an Orange team that had not surrendered more than three runs all season, the Red Wolves scored seven runs in the seventh inning to tie the game. Lowry reached on an error and scored off a wild pitch to narrow the Orange lead to 9-8, leading to Reagan Ruhl scoring the game-tying run off an RBI groundout by Alexandria Matthews.

In the eighth inning, Lowry hit a two-out triple to dead center that would have likely gone over the fence at any other park in the league.

Lowry concluded the season with an 11-game hitting streak. She went 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 8-3 win over Vance County on April 27 in Henderson.

Just between me and you, I’m happy Bryson Massey, Allen Byrd and Andy Simmons allow me to have the VIP parking spot for Cedar Ridge baseball and softball games. That’s located down the hill near the tennis courts.

There’s a lot of equipment to haul nowadays to get those sound signals through your Internet speaker. There are miles to travel, but they’ve been worth it.

The four-year class that will graduate for Cedar Ridge this week were all freshmen when I started this website. Since then, I’ve traveled to Morehead City to watch the Cedar Ridge softball team beat West Carteret in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs. Tori Dalehite and Takia Nichols both homered that night.

This past January, the drive to Greenville to watch the Cedar Ridge volleyball team battle D.H. Conley wasn’t as far, but it was intense. For the second year in a row, the Red Wolves played a team that won the 3A State Championship. Unlike in 2019 when they stunned Chapel Hill, the Red Wolves would fall a little short, but they did capture the first set. I’m sure that match hasn’t left the minds of Cameron Lloyd, Julie Altieri and Cameron Lanier this spring as they’ve been practicing with Coach Fiona Cunningham.

To the seniors who have been so kind and patient with this website, I truly want to thank them for giving me the honor of covering their games and listening to my dumb questions. I hope they keep up with the website as they move on in life because some of them have left impressions on me.

I’ll remember ShiLi Quade, who doesn’t seem to believe in days off. In the winter, she played volleyball for the Cedar Ridge team that won the Big 8 Championship. When she wasn’t practicing or playing, she had to handle editor duties for the Cedar Ridge Yearbook. She would be on the sidelines shooting photos at men’s and women’s basketball games and was kind enough to share some of her galleries for this website. Keeping my usual overnight hours, I’d be typing away with some album from King’s X blaring in my headphones, and then an email from ShiLi would pop in my inbox at 2AM. In 2025, an employer somewhere will hire someone with a great work ethic.

Alexandria Matthews, Lajoan Stuart, and Emma-Rae Sharp and Quade were part of one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever seen. For anyone who reads this website, it’s become cliche to bring up Cedar Ridge softball scoring seven runs in the seventh inning to tie Orange 9-9 to send the game into extra innings. Alex, who played 1st base and pitched, jump started the rally with a single up the middle and later scored off a single by Olivia Aitkin. Stuart started in right field that night for Cedar Ridge and Sharp started at 1st base. It was something to remember for everyone in attendance.

I’ll remember Elijah Whitaker, and his dedication to the Cedar Ridge football program. The emotion of the Cedar Ridge players as they walked off the field in their final game against Vance County was unmistakeable. All of those players want to win every game, of course, but there were tears in the eyes of the seniors who had just played their last football game. They want to establish a program. Elijah didn’t plan to be the quarterback this season, but the top starter was injured in the first half of the first game, never to return. Elijah played quarterback for the final five games against a tough Big 8 Conference. Afterwards, he talked about coming back to Cedar Ridge to coach wide receivers because he loved the brotherhood that Coach Cory Lea is developing.

I’ll remember Kyle Long, who rarely got a play off along the interior line for Cedar Ridge. Kyle is going into the Navy now. He’ll be keeping up with Cedar Ridge football on Friday nights, no matter where he is. He may be leaving Cedar Ridge, but Cedar Ridge won’t leave him.

I’ll remember Luke Pagnanelli and Ian Johnson. And their perseverance. It would have been easy to throw in the towel when Orange led Cedar Ridge in men’s basketball 49-31 with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter on January 11. But Luke and Ian wouldn’t let that happen. Instead, they erased that deficit in just five minutes and 53 seconds. Pagnanelli scored the opening four points of overtime and Cedar Ridge won 67-66. A month later, Pagnanelli and Johnson each hit pressure free throws in the final minute to beat Orange again, this time in Panther Gymnasium. Pagnanelli and Johnson labored through a 1-23 season as sophomores, but they each won their last four games against Orange.

I’ll remember A.J. Richmond for his dedication to athletics. He played basketball, football and ran track. I’ll also remember him for a memorable interview last week where he said that his father played basketball against Jerry West. Jerry West?! The logo of the NBA? The man who traded Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant?! Why didn’t Andre ever tell me about this? Turned out it was David West, who played at Garner when Andre Richmond was at Orange. David went on to play 16 years in the NBA and won two World Championships with Golden State. I’m sure Andre was more impressed with his son’s two victories at Northwood High in the 100 and 200 meters last week.

I’ll remember the versatility of Marlee Rakouskas. She was a starting libero for Cedar Ridge volleyball. She played on two Cedar Ridge softball teams that won the Big 8 Conference Championship. Marlee didn’t always get the headlines, but those teams wouldn’t have been as successful without her. Between playing two sports, she put together an art show for the Orange County Arts Commission. And, like Krzyzewski, I’ve learned how to spell Rakouskas by typing it so often I don’t even need to look it up. (Well, just once for old time sake tonight).

I’ll remember James Rosati-Brown and Daina Pritchard. Like all other senior wrestlers in Hillsborough, they had some of the most cherished annual events in the area taken from them because of the pandemic. James and Daina both love competing in the Jim King/Orange Invitational, the Tiger Holiday Classic and the Red Wolf Invitational. This year, they had to start the season at a time when it would normally be long in the rear view mirror. That hasn’t stood in the way of making progress. Daina is 20-1 this year. James is 19-2, and both of those losses were last week to wrestlers who placed in the state championships last year. Fortunately, they’ll be able to compete for spots in the state championships next week.

I’ll remember the excellence of Emerson Talley, the all-time leading goal scorer in Cedar Ridge women’s soccer history. A reluctant star who prefers to let her playing do the talking, Emerson will be a prime performer for the Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team for years to come and provide plenty of fodder for Alumni Update.

And there are more. There’s Bryce Clark hitting a home run against Orange two weeks ago. There’s Grady Ray, who competes in three different sports and never takes a play off, regardless of what the sport is. There’s Matt Hughes, who will play baseball at Brunswick Community College after his final high school game this week.

To all of them, as they go forward in life, I’ll share with you what Coach Charles Watters told me when I walked away from Auman Stadium on my graduation night around this time 30 years ago.

There are only three things in life that truly matter: what you think about yourself when you wake up and see yourself in the mirror. What you think about yourself when you go to bed at night. And what your loved ones, in their hearts, truly think of you.

Have fun. Be free.

As Takia Nichols prepared to announce her destination to play college softball, she wanted three things.

The first was a program with teammates that she could bond with, just as she’s grown close to so many of her teammates at Cedar Ridge. The second was dugout energy, like what she saw when North Carolina Central faced North Carolina A&T at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary last month. The Eagle-Aggie rivalry is, by no means, limited to only the gridiron and the hardwood. When Joirea Dumas hit a walkoff single for Central in the bottom of the 10th inning to win 6-5, her Eagle teammates swarmed the field and mobbed her in celebration.

The third was a focus on her professional future for a career in crime forensics. It’s an area that her coach, Allen Byrd, is very familiar with. Byrd, who helped Nichols throughout the process of making her college decision, is an Assistant Chief with the Mebane Police Department.

On Friday night, Nichols made her decision final.

She was going to North Carolina Central.

Before she tweeted the official word, Nichols called Byrd to inform him. By that point, Byrd and his wife Brenda were cruising down Highway 17 near Brunswick County for their Memorial Day vacation.

As Brenda constantly reminds her husband, trips to Shallotte bring back unpleasant memories of Cedar Ridge’s crushing 4-3 loss in nine innings to West Brunswick in the third round of the 2018 3A State Playoffs. It ended the greatest season in Red Wolf softball history. Cedar Ridge was 17-1 and won the Big 8 Conference championship with a 14-0 record. The night ended with Byrd’s best player, Tori Dalehite, going to the hospital to treat a broken hand. After a four-hour bus ride back to Hillsborough, Byrd reported to work the following morning with no sleep. Four years later, he’s still not sure the right team won that night.

“I always throw my finger out where I ride past Brunswick County,” Byrd jokes. “But it’s only my index finger.”

The following year, Nichols was a freshman when the Red Wolves faced West Carteret in the 2nd round of the state playoffs. Before the game, Byrd treated his team to a walk along the beach near Morehead City. Hours later in the fourth inning, Nichols crushed a fastball over the left field fence that disappeared into the trees. It was the eighth home run of her career. Cedar Ridge would advance 6-3.

Nichols, the 2021 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year, is the all-time home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history with 26 in 42 games. This year, Nichols hit 13 home runs and 38 RBIs, both tops in the Big 8.

Marshall, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State showed interest in Nichols. Ultimately, Nichols said NCCU was the best fit for several reasons.

“I absolutely wanted to attend an HBCU,” Nichols said. “That was important to me. I love the energy that the Central players have. There’s nothing like that at any other place in softball. I saw that when they played A&T. That was the first thing that attracted me to Central.”

Central had reached out to Nichols during her junior year. Byrd knew several members of Central’s coaching staff.

“They were already looking at her,” Byrd said. “Knowing what type of kid she is and what type of student she is, it really worked out. It was truly great to see because when you see kids that work hard like she does, it’s great. Takia did it all herself.”

Nichols grew acclimated to the environment of HBCU softball several years ago when she traveled to Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina during an individual camp.

“That opened my eyes,” Nichols said. “It was a whole new world. It reminded me of Cedar Ridge. I wanted to be at a place where the team is close. I want to have teammates with a friendship like me and Ava (Lowry, a Red Wolf shortstop who has committed to North Carolina Wesleyan) have. You can’t beat that.”

Nichols has also played summer travel ball with the N.C. Rockers, the Carolina Cardinals and the N.C. Firecrackers.

As for life after softball, Nichols wants to follow in her coach’s footsteps. She’s looking into criminal forensics.

“Allen has been very involved in this whole process,” Nichols said. “He’s met with coaches and talked with my mom. And he’s told me about what I life in law enforcement is like. The good and the bad.”

“At the end of the day, you want kids to pursue what they desire,” Byrd said. “As a head coach, to see a player follow in your footsteps, that’s kind of amazing.”

On May 15, North Carolina Central reached the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game, where they could have secured its first trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Morgan State ended the Eagles’ hopes with a 10-5 win in Norfolk, Virginia. Central is currently without a permanent head coach. Last September, Cat Tarvin became the interim coach after the resignation of Vashion Johnson, who left to pursue another opportunity. Central is expected to name a permanent head coach in July.

Durham college softball, still in its infancy, is red hot right now. Before his departure, Johnson took Central to a 23-win season in 2019, including an upset over North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Duke, in its fourth season as a program, won its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship earlier this month.

All of that is in the distant future for Nichols. There’s still the matter of her final season at Cedar Ridge. She isn’t treating it as a stepping stone before leaving for Division I college softball. It’s the last time she gets to play with classmates Ava Lowry and Olivia Aitkin, as well as rising juniors Hayley King and Tori Carden.

2021 left a sour taste in her mouth. In a standard year, the Red Wolves #33 ranking in the MaxPreps standings would have put them comfortably in a 64-team field for the 3A State Playoffs. But because of the pandemic, it was reduced to a 32-team tournament and the Red Wolves were on the outside looking in for the first time since 2017.

Nichols knows firsthand that she’s about to enter the new 3A Central Conference, which will bring higher-caliber competition. It includes 2019 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance, Western Alamance, as well as familiar rivals Orange and Northwood.

It also isn’t changing her goals for her Cedar Ridge swan song.

“I want to make states next year,” Nichols said. “I know we’re in a new league. But this team and this school mean a lot to me. I don’t want to leave without winning another playoff game. I think we can do better next year and I can do better. That’s my goal.”

Robert Jones: After capturing the gold medal at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in the high jump, former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf Robert Jones earned his third victory of the season. Last weekend, Jones finished first in the men’s high jump at the Aggie Classic Twilight at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. Jones’ winning jump was 2.05 meters. This season, Jones has not finished outside the top-five in any of the events he’s competed in. He now heads to the NCAA Eastern Regional Championships, which will start Thursday inside Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team’s season came to an end over the weekend in the Stillwater Regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament. The Bulldogs opened play with a 3-1 win over Boston University on Friday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater, OK. On Saturday afternoon, #5 Oklahoma State defeated Mississippi State 9-3. In the elimination game on Saturday night, Mississippi State easily defeated Campbell 12-0 in five innings. Oklahoma State eliminated the Bulldogs 10-2 in five innings on Sunday afternoon. Mia Davidson opened the tournament going 1-for-3 against the Terriers. She had an RBI fielder’s choice to score Aquana Brownlee in the fifth inning. In the first game against the Cowgirls, Mia went 1-for-3. Against Campbell, Davidson hit the 69th home run of her career. That moved her into sole possession of 2nd place all-time in Southeastern Conference history. It was also her third home run in the NCAA Tournament for Mississippi State, another school record. Mississippi State broke a school record with four home runs in an NCAA Tournament game. In the third inning, Mia tagged out Campbell’s Katelyn Chisholm at the plate. Davidson went 1-for-2 in her final game of the season. Mississippi State took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning after Davidson drove in a run with a single up the middle. It was her seventh career RBI in the NCAA Tournament, which is third in school history. She also reached base for the 20th straight game, a new career-high. Mia ended the year with a .311 batting average after starting all 60 of the Bulldogs’ games. She was second on the team with 17 home runs. She also registered 42 RBIs. Davidson, who was accepted into graduate’s school last month, will enter her senior season only two home runs shy of the SEC record, held by Florida’s Lauren Haeger.

Montana Davidson: Montana started all four of Mississippi State’s games at third base in the NCAA Tournament. Against Boston University, she singled up the middle in the sixth to knock in Christian Quinn for the game’s final run. Montana finished 1-for-3 against the Terriers. She went 0-for-3 against Oklahoma State. Later in the day against Campbell, Montana finished 1-for-3. She scored in the 3rd inning off a Carter Spexarth. On Sunday, Davidson drove in the final Mississippi State run of the year with a single in the 2nd inning. For the season, Montana finished with a .252 batting average in 58 games. She had three home runs and 21 RBIs. Mississippi State finished the year 34-23, which included an 8-game winning streak down the stretch. Montana is a senior, but can opt for another year of eligibility after the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2020 season before the NCAA Tournament started.

Tori Dalehite: After winning the Southern Conference Championship for the first time, the UNC Greensboro softball team participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time this weekend. Duke defeated the Spartans 2-0 in the opening game of the Athens, Georgia regional at the University of Georgia. Western Kentucky ended the Spartans season 8-4 in the elimination game at Jack Turner Stadium. Dalehite, a freshman, didn’t play in either game. This year, Dalehite appeared in 12 games, almost exclusively as a pinch runner. She had one at-bat, walked once and scored six runs. UNCG finished 34-17, 14-4 in the Southern Conference.

Photo by Lindsay Chamberlain

Jaden Hurdle: Hurdle was named to the Region 10 All-Tournament team for the Patrick Henry Community College softball team. The Region 10 Tournament was held at Springwood Park in Burlington on Friday and Saturday. Patrick Henry was eliminated on Friday. The Patriots captured the opening game as they edged Florence-Darlington Technical College. Hurdle completed a 5-run third inning for the Patriots with a three-run homer to right field, which put Patrick Henry in the lead for good. She finished 1-for-3. Later in the day, top-seeded Louisburg shut out Patrick Henry 5-0. Hurdle threw five innings agains the Hurricanes and struck out seven. Louisburg would go on to win the tournament championship. Florence-Darlington would eliminate Patrick Henry 2-1 to end the day on Friday. Hurdle completed her freshman season with a .328 batting average. She was tied for the team lead with ten home runs and ten doubles. Hurdle also had 31 RBIs, which was third on the squad. In 17 pitching appearances, Hurdle was 4-3 with a 4.51 ERA. Patrick Henry finished 22-20, 13-7 in Region 10.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team captured the Southern Conference Championship with a 9-4 victory over Western Carolina at UNCG Softball Stadium on Sunday. On Thursday, the Spartans advanced to the semifinals as they subdued Mercer 3-2. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner in the 1st inning after designated player Kayleigh Wilis walked. On Sunday night, UNCG learned they would face #13 national seed Duke in the opening round of the Athens Regional on Friday at noon. The irony is that Tori, her father Danny and her younger brother Landon are all Duke fans. As for her mother Beth, rooting against Duke is second nature.

Mia Davidson: On the strength of winning eight consecutive Southeastern Conference games down the stretch of the season, Mississippi State earned a trip to the NCAA Softball Tournament on Sunday night. The Bulldogs will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma regional to face Boston University on Friday afternoon. Mississippi State is the #2 seed. Oklahoma State, the host and #5 national seed, will face Campbell in the opening round. On Thursday, #4 Florida eliminated Mississippi State 6-2 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Tuscaloosa, AL. Davidson went 0-for-1 with two walks. She scored off a home run from Jackie McKenna in the 2nd inning.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at third base against Florida. She finished 0-for-2. Mississippi State goes into the NCAA Tournament 33-23.

Bryse Wilson: Upon his return to the Gwinnett Stripers of Triple-A East, Wilson had a no-decision in Sunday’s game against the Louisville Bats at Coolray Field. Wilson threw six innings and surrendered four runs off ten hits. He struck out three and walked none. Wilson had won seven consecutive starts for the Stripers, a franchise record.

Landon Riley: The Liberty Flames baseball team took two-out-of-three games against Kennesaw State over the weekend. On Saturday, the Flames won 12-11. Riley threw two-thirds-of-an-inning and surrendered five runs off three hits. He struck out one and walked two. It was Liberty’s eighth straight win, but the Owls snapped the streak after a 7-4 win on Sunday. Liberty finished as the Atlantic Sun Regular Season champion. Starting Friday, Liberty will host Bellarmine in a best-of-three series at Worthington Field. The winner of the series will face either Kennesaw State or Lipscomb in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in another three-game series in Jacksonville, FL starting May 27.

Jaylin Jones: The most successful season in Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse history came to an end on Saturday. In the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament, #4 Lynchburg defeated the Falcons 26-11 at Shellenberger Field. Jones, who was named to the All-USA South Conference first-team as a short-stick defensive midfielder, had two ground balls. Pfeiffer finished 12-2 after they reached the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in program history.

Kate Burgess: During the ACC Rowing Championships at Lake Hartwell in Clemson, SC on Saturday, former Orange women’s basketball center Kate Burgess helped UNC’s varsity four win the Petite Final. Burgess joined coxswain Isabelle McGimsey and rowers Gigi Maroney, Jackie Wilhelm and Jessica Judge to finish the 2,000 kilometer course at 7:58.10. They edged Miami and Boston College. UNC finished ninth in the team standings with 19 points.

After finishing with a winning record for the fourth year in a row, three Cedar Ridge softball players were named first-team All-Big 8 Conference.

Third baseman Takia Nichols, the Big 8 Player of the Year, was named to the first-team. So were junior shortstop Ava Lowry and senior catcher ShiLi Quade.

Nichols led Cedar Ridge in nine offensive categories. She had a .707 batting average, scored 34 runs, had 29 hits, belted 13 home runs, registered 38 RBI, nine doubles, was walked 17 times, had a .793 on-base percentage with a 1.926 slugging percentage. Nichols, a junior, will enter her senior season on a six-game home run streak. Nichols started the string at Northern Durham on April 20 with a three-run blast to centerfield. The next day against the Knights, she hit an inside-the-park home run on a windy day at Cedar Ridge Softball Stadium, the 20th dinger of her career. Two days later, she hit another home run against East Chapel Hill, then followed with two home runs in a 8-3 win at Vance County in Henderson. Nichols concluded the season with two home runs in the opening game of a doubleheader against Southern Durham.

Despite playing home games inside a big park, Nichols is the all-time leading home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history, baseball or softball. She has 26 career dingers.

Lowry has built a bond with Nichols since the time they played together in middle school. They share the same side of the infield. Before the season started, Lowry committed to Division III North Carolina Wesleyan. This year, Lowry hit .550 with 25 runs scored, three home runs and 23 RBIs. She was also second on the team with seven doubles. Against East Chapel Hill on March 29, Lowry hit two runs as the Red Wolves defeated the Wildcats 18-5 in five innings at Wildcat Softball Park. She finished 4-for-5 against the Wildcats with six RBIs. On April 9 against Northwood, Lowry hit a three-run inside-the-park home run that ended the game. Lowry scored Quade and Olivia Aitkin to wrap up a 14-2 Red Wolf win. In the third inning of that game, Lowry had an RBI single to score Quade again.

Ironically, Lowry may have had her best game of the season in a loss. Against Orange on April 15, Lowry went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Cedar Ridge trailed from the time they gave up three runs in the first inning, but Lowry never stopped competing. She hit a double in the second inning and scored Cedar Ridge’s first run off a wild pitch. With two outs in the sixth, Lowry drew a walk following a 10-pitch at-bat (she fouled off five balls) to extend the inning, which led to Quade scoring off a wild pitch. Then came the wild seventh inning, where Cedar Ridge trailed 9-2 but scored seven runs to send it to extra innings. In the 7th, Lowry reached off a dropped fly ball and also scored on a wild pitch. In the eighth, Lowry nearly won the game with a triple to right centerfield that missed clearing the fence by a few feet. She settled for a triple, but was stranded there after a groundout to the shortstop.

Quade played on two Big 8 Conference Softball championship teams at Cedar Ridge during her four-year stint on the varsity. After she played centerfield in her abbreviated junior year, Quade shifted to catcher this season to replace Emma Roby, who graduated in 2020. She opened the season by going 4-for-6 against Northwood on March 17 in a wild 17-16 loss to the Chargers in eight innings. For the year, Quade hit .465. She scored 32 runs, which was second only behind Nichols. Quade hit 4-for-5 against East Chapel Hill on March 29, where she had a double and a triple.

While the pandemic may have kept most students at home for most of the academic year, Quade had no problem keeping herself active. In the winter, she was a member of the Big 8 Champion Cedar Ridge volleyball team, which reached the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. When she didn’t play volleyball, she was a photographer for the Cedar Ridge yearbook staff. Quade was a regular at Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s basketball games, shooting pictures at courtside (some of which appeared on Hillsboroughsports.com) right up until softball practice started in February.

Senior second baseman Reagan Ruhl and junior centerfielder Olivia Aitkin were named honorable mention. Ruhl, who also played on the varsity for four years, hit .340 with one home run. She had an inside-the-park home run against Northern Durham on April 21 that reduced Cedar Ridge’s deficit to 15-14.

Aitkin, who started in centerfield, hit .404. She was third on the team with 20 RBIs. In the past, Aitkin has also competed on Cedar Ridge’s swimming team.