Cedar Ridge Softball

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.

Mia Davidson: The inevitable finally happened this weekend as Mia Davidson became the all-time home run hitter in Mississippi State history. On Saturday, Davidson blasted a solo homer against Georgia for her 68th career home run. She surpassed Rafael Palmeiro for the most home runs in Mississippi State history, softball or baseball. The accolade included a congratulatory video from Palmeiro:

Davidson is now tied in Southeastern Conference softball history with Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo for second place on the all-time home run list. The career leader is Florida’s Lauren Haeger with 71. Davidson went 1-for-3 on Saturday. On Friday, Mia finished 0-for-2, but scored a run after she walked in the fourth inning. She was driven home off a single from Jackie McKenna. On Sunday, Davidson went 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs. She hit a sacrifice fly in the 3rd inning to score Brylie St. Clair. In the first, Davidson had an RBI single.

Montana Davidson: Mississippi State concluded the regular season by sweeping the weekend series from Georgia. On Friday, Montana went 1-for-3 when she reached on a bunt single and stole a base in the third inning. It was her fourth stolen base of the season as Mississippi State won 4-2. On Saturday, Montana drew a bases-loaded walk in the 2nd inning. In the fourth inning, she scored off a fielder’s choice. In Sunday’s 4-3 win, Montana went 1-for-3. Mississippi State finished the regular season on a seven-game winning streak, which matches the 1999 team for the second-longest SEC winning streak in school history. The Bulldogs are 32-22, 8-15 in the SEC. They will open the SEC Tournament against Ole Miss on Wednesday morning at 11:00 AM in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team has claimed the Southern Conference regular season championship. On Sunday, the Spartans completed a three-game sweep of Western Carolina at UNCG Softball Stadium and will host the Southern Conference Tournament this week. UNCG will start play against Mercer on Thursday.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team completed its first full season in the opening round of the Region X Tournament on Saturday. Top-seeded Louisburg swept a best-of-three series from the Red Hawks at Sheila Cotton Field in Louisburg. The Hurricanes won game one 24-5 in five innings and the final game 8-7. Andrews went a combined 0-for-5. It was the first time all year that Andrews went hitless in consecutive games and ended a seven-game hitting streak. In her freshman year at Catawba Valley, Andrews led the team with 41 RBIs and 53 hits. She finished with a .442 batting average (2nd on the team), with eight home runs (also 2nd on the team). Catawba Valley ends the season 23-13 overall, 12-8 in the Region X West Division.

Marvin Jones: Jones earned the gold medal in the high jump during the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro on Saturday. Jones, a senior who lettered at Cedar Ridge, leaped 2.09 meters for his first collegiate gold medal. It was his second career MEAC medal. He claimed a bronze in the 2020 MEAC Indoor Track c& Field Championships.

Jaylin Jones: For the first time in school history, the Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team is going to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Falcons defeated Piedmont 17-13 to win the USA South Conference Tournament at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Sunday. Jones, who was named All-Conference as a defensive midfielder last week, had one ground ball for the Falcons. Pfeiffer will face Lynchburg College in Shellenberger Field for the opening round of the Division III Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Bryse Wilson: After being optioned by the Atlanta Braves last week, Wilson made his first start for the Gwinnett Stripers of Triple-A East on Thursday night. Wilson threw five scoreless innings to earn the victory as Gwinnett defeated the Charlotte Knights 4-0 at Truist Field. He became the first pitcher in Gwinnett history to win seven consecutive starts. Dating back to July 21, 2019, Wilson is 7-0 with a 0.80 ERA for Gwinnett. Against the Knights, Wilson scattered four hits with five strikeouts and one walk in his first Triple-A start of the season.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State baseball team had its season come to an end in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 8 Tournament. The Pirates lost to Santa Fe College 10-0 on Friday night in Lakeland, FL. In the opening game last Wednesday, Pensacola State edged Seminole State College of Florida 4-3 in ten innings. Porter entered the game as a pinch hitter. In 18 games this season, Porter hit .256 with one home run and six RBIs. He also pitched in three games. In one-and-two-thirds innings, Porter gave up two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Alongside her designation as the all-time home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history, Takia Nichols has a new accolade.

The 2021 Big 8 Conference Softball Player of the Year.

On Thursday, Nichols was named the league’s top player following a season where she led the Big 8 Conference with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs. Nichols amassed that total despite being walked 17 times.

Overall, Nichols led Cedar Ridge in six offensive categories. She hit .707 with 34 runs scored, 29 hits, and nine doubles. She even had three stolen bases.

“Firstly, I want to thank God for everything because none of it would be possible without Him. I want to thank my mom, my trainers, and my coaches for making me into the player that I am,” Nichols said on Thursday night. “would also like to thank the fans and my teammates for rooting me on in every situation- good or bad. I am super appreciative for all the love and support from everyone!”

In a nutshell, here’s how some teams protected themselves from Nichols’ power. In the Red Wolves season-opener against Northwood on March 17, Nichols led off the third inning with a solo homer to centerfield. In her subsequent four at-bats, she was intentionally walked.

In the rematch on April 9, Nichols was intentionally walked in all three of her plate appearances–despite hitting leadoff. In an instance of poetic justice, Nichols scored all three times in a 14-2 Red Wolves win.

Then there was Cedar Ridge’s unforgettable comeback on April 15 against Orange. The Red Wolves trailed 9-2, only to score seven runs in the seventh inning. With Nichols coming up to bat with Marlee Rakouskas standing at third as the game-winning run, Lady Panthers Coach Johnny Barefoot didn’t dare risk Nichols hitting a potential walkoff homer. She was intentionally walked in her second plate appearance in the 7th inning (Nichols walked earlier in the frame, when Cedar Ridge sent 13 batters to the plate). She was intentionally walked again in the ninth inning.

“Takia exemplifies what hard work is,” said Cedar Ridge softball coach Allen Byrd. “She is never satisfied, always striving to be better. She pushes her teammates to be better. It’s such an honor to be a small piece of her continued growth and progression.”

Nichols was an immediate sensation in her freshman season. Paired alongside power hitters Tori Dalehite, Kymberlie Thacker, and Kara Wagoner, Nichols still led the team with eight home runs. She was third on the team with 36 RBIs, tied with Taylor Ruhl.

Her sophomore season will forever linger in the unknown. In just four games, she hit five home runs. She knocked the ball off Cedar Ridge’s scoreboard against West Johnston in a 21-16 win in the third game of the year. Could she have inched closer to former Orange catcher Mia Davidson’s state record of 53 home runs? The COVID-19 pandemic ensured that question would go unanswered as the season was canceled after four games. She will enter her senior year with 26 career home runs in 42 career games. Davidson hit her 53 home runs in 90 career games.

“She’s amazing,” said junior Ava Lowry, who shares the same side of the infield with Nichols. “We have this bond because we’ve played together since middle school. We know what the other is thinking defensively. We’ll just look at each other and we’ll know where to line up. We know what’s going on with each other without saying anything. I’ve never had a better teammate.”

Normally, Nichols would have roughly 17-20 games to show her talents. Because of the pandemic, that number was paired down to 14 games this year. Still, Nichols saved her best for the final weeks of her junior season, where she hit home runs in each of her final six games.

That included two-home run games against Vance County on April 27, then another two-home run game against Southern Durham in the opening game of a doubleheader last Friday.

Nichols plans to announce her college commitment this summer.

“I am very happy about the way that things turned out for me this year but I can’t ponder on it anymore,” Nichols said. “It’s time to put in more work and it’s time to get better. 2022 is my last year as a Red Wolf and I only want to make the best of it.”

Savannah Wynne broke her nose in the first inning of Orange’s playoff game on Monday night. She wanted to stay in anyway.

A passing thunderstorm that cut through Hillsborough hours before the first pitch between the Lady Panthers and Southwestern Randolph had created a bumpy outfield, despite the best efforts of Orange softball’s coaching staff that worked on the field right up past game time. Randolph’s Alley Lowe lined a 3-2 fastball through to the outfield, which took a sudden, violent hop off the grass and into Wynne’s face.

Immediately, blood started coming out of her nose, which was covered with a towel by Orange trainer Emily Gaddy right away. It was only after lobbying from Gaddy that Wynne agreed to be replaced by freshman Delaney Shaffer. But she told Gaddy “I’m going back in.”

And she did. In the fifth inning, Wynne was back in left field. Most players who return from injury in the middle of the game aren’t effective. Wynne, however, lined a double to right field to drive in Emma Puckett to continue building an Orange rally after Southwestern Randolph jumped ahead 6-0. The Cougars would hold on to win 7-5.

Afterwards, Wynne’s mother drove her to UNC Primary Care, where she walked in still wearing her uniform. Doctors had to glue the top of her nasal cavity back together. But she had to go back in the game because, well, as her mother says, “softball is in her heart.”

Chances are several Cedar Ridge players would have done the same thing.

In its final year in the Big 8 Conference, Orange rolled to the league title. They scored at least eleven runs in every game. Only one team came within nine runs of beating the Lady Panthers during the regular season.

Naturally, that team was Cedar Ridge. On April 15, it appeared Orange won on its way to its eighth straight win in dominant fashion. They led 9-2 going into the bottom of the seventh behind three runs scored by Carson Bradsher and two more from Serenity McPherson.

Then Cedar Ridge came up with a rally for the ages. They scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. For context, Orange had not surrendered four runs in a game yet, and they still didn’t until this past Monday night.

Cedar Ridge would have won if it wasn’t for the defensive reliability of Mary Moss Wirt, normally a second baseman who played third against the Red Wolves because Puckett was out of the lineup. Forgotten in the avalanche of runs that Cedar Ridge scored in the seventh was Wirt making the final out on a short grounder hit by Emma-Rae Sharp. Wirt, two steps in front of third base, fired to catcher Lauren Jackson, who retired Marlee Rakouskas.

The talk after the game among Cedar Ridge coaches, among other subjects, was “What if we played in a smaller ballpark?” For a brief moment, Red Wolf shortstop Ava Lowry appeared to win the game for Cedar Ridge with a long fly ball to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. The only problem was she hit it to right center, which extends to 227 feet–the longest part of the stadium. The ball landed two feet shy of the wall and Lowry settled for a triple. Carson Bradsher made the final out of the inning to extend the game into the ninth, which led to another reminder of how bright the future of Hillsborough softball truly is.

Shaffer, a freshman who made just her second start, had the game-winning hit when she drove in Wirt in the ninth inning. Shaffer finished 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs. After her heroics at the plate, Shaffer made the game’s biggest defensive play in the bottom of the ninth when she caught a sinking popup off the bat of Alexandria Matthews at second base, then threw to first for a double play.

Years ago, Cedar Ridge 2nd baseman Tori Dalehite and Orange 1st baseman Jaden Hurdle started a tradition where they would pose together for a picture after every game they played against each other, regardless of who won. In 2017, Orange dominated the Red Wolves en route to the 3A State Title. In 2018, Cedar Ridge swept Orange on its way to the first softball conference championship in school history. Each time, the following morning, Dalehite and Hurdle would be on their mother’s Facebook feed, smiling with softballs in their hands and their arms around each other.

Last month, Cedar Ridge pitcher Hayley King and Orange’s Carson Bradsher continued the tradition.

For King, it’s been a tough 2021. In January, she lost her grandmother to COVID-19. Sherry Carter never missed any of Haley’s games. Not during the sweltering heat of summer travel ball, which usually included a new town every weekend. Not during the early games of a regular, non-pandemic season when the spectators are often bundled up amidst blustery weather like they’re at Lambeau Field, except it’s a softball diamond.

Against Orange, Haley’s grandfather brought along a t-shirt that Sherry wore to many of Haley’s games. Hayley kept that in her back pocket during games for the rest of the season. She rubbed it whenever she needed inspiration.

As the Cedar Ridge seniors gathered together on Friday night after its doubleheader sweep of Southern Durham, ShiLi Quade, Rakouskas, Matthews, Sharp, Reagan Ruhl, and Lajoan Stuart hoped that wouldn’t be the end. The Red Wolves ended the season with four straight wins, but the following day their hopes of a state playoff spot was dashed.

Cedar Ridge Coach Allen Byrd didn’t want to talk like it was the end on Friday night, but started to reflect on a group that help bring two Big 8 Conference championships and a 50-11 record since 2017 to the program.

“Those six kids devoted their lives to this program,” Byrd said. “They helped build this program. We played a little down this year. We’ve lost a lot over the last few years but they never gave up. It’s said it ended for them.”

The future is bright for both programs. Next season, Cedar Ridge third baseman Takia Nichols will be a senior, but her name is firmly embedded in the Red Wolf record books for generations to come. She’s already the all-time home run hitter, softball or baseball, in school history with 26 dingers after 42 career games. Her teammate, shortstop Ava Lowry, has already committed to play at North Carolina Wesleyan and will also return.

Orange only loses two seniors in first baseman Gracie Colley and third baseman Emma Puckett. Of Orange’s ten starters on Monday night, half of them were either freshmen or sophomores.

Combined with the fact that Orange, Cedar Ridge and Northwood will join a new league that includes defending 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance, powerful Western Alamance and longtime contender Person, 2022 may make this spring’s thrill ride look like a merry-go-round.

Jaylin Jones: Jones was named to the Division III USA South Athletic Conference first-team as a short-stick defensive midfielder over the weekend. Jones, who played lacrosse and football at Orange, also was named to the USA South All-East Division first-team. On Saturday, Pfeiffer captured the USA South East Division championship with a 13-11 win over Greensboro College at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. It was Pfeiffer’s tenth consecutive victory, a school record. Jones had two ground balls and created two turnovers. Next weekend, Pfeiffer will face Piedmont College for the USA South Conference championship at Lefko Field. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Montana Davidson: On Friday, the former Orange High shortstop hit two home runs for the Mississippi State softball team in an 8-7 loss to South Carolina at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C. In the second inning, Montana drilled a two-run homer to centerfield. In the fourth, Davidson hit a solo blast to left field. Montana finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Mississippi State bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to take the series. On Saturday, Montana had an RBI off a fielder’s choice to wrap up a 6-run 1st inning as the Bulldogs won 6-2. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI double as Mississippi State won 7-1. For the weekend, Montana hit .400 with a team-high 6 RBIs.

Mia Davidson: Mia tied a Mississippi State record with her 67th career home run in Sunday’s win over the Gamecocks. Davidson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie Rafael Palmeiro for the most home runs in Mississippi State history, baseball or softball. Mia is now in 3rd place in Southeastern Conference softball history for career home runs behind Florida’s Lauren Haeger (71) and Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo (69). Davidson also drew a walk with the bases loaded against the Gamecocks in the sixth inning. On Saturday, Mia drove in the Bulldogs’ opening run with another bases loaded walk. She finished 1-for-3. On Friday, she went 0-for-3. Mississippi State is now 27-22, 3-15 in the SEC.

Tori Dalehite: On Saturday, Mercer defeated UNC Greensboro softball 2-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Sikes Field in Macon, GA. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner. The Spartans rebounded to win the final two games of the series and are now 28-15 overall, 11-4 in the Southern Conference.

Jaden Hurdle: On the weekend she celebrated her 19th birthday, Hurdle had several strong performances for the Patrick Henry Community College softball team. On Sunday, Patrick Henry swept a doubleheader from Surry Community College in Martinsville, VA. In the opening 4-3 win, Hurdle earned the save as she threw the final two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered one hit. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-3. The Patriots won the nightcap 4-0. Hurdle hit her ninth home run of the season. She also had an RBI double and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. On Friday, Florence-Darlington Technical College swept a doubleheader from Patrick Henry by identical 5-2 scores. In the opener, Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. Patrick Henry finished the regular season 19-17 overall, 13-7 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Patriots finished 3rd in the Region X West Division, only one game behind first-place Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. In 34 games, Hurdle hit .356 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. On May 14, Patrick Henry will be in the Region 10 Tournament at Springwood Park in Burlington.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory on Saturday. Catawba Valley took the opener 9-2. Andrews, starting a shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning. Andrews later scored off a double by Lillie Pennington. CCTI took the second game 14-7. Andrews went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the 3rd inning. Catawba Valley finished the regular season 23-11, 12- 8 in Region X. Andrews played in all of the Red Hawks’ games and was second on the team with a .461 batting average (10th in Region X). She led the team with 53 hits (4th in Region X) and 41 RBIs (tied for 4th in Region X). Andrews also scored 35 runs (3rd on the team), hit eleven doubles (2nd on the team), and eight home runs (2nd). She goes into the Region X Tournament on a 7-game hitting streak.

Landon Riley: Riley earned his second win of the season for the Liberty baseball team in a 9-8 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday. In one-third of an inning, Riley surrendered three runs off three hits. It was only the second game this year where Riley surrendered a run. The Flames earned the walkoff win in the bottom of the ninth inning when Logan Mathieu hit a two-run homer. The Flames are now 30-11, 14-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was optioned by the Atlanta Braves to the team’s alternate training site after he started Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. In three innings, Wilson surrendered seven runs off four hits with two walks and one strikeout. The Cubs won 9-3 and Wilson fell to 1-2 on the year.

Natalie Chandler: The #2 UNC women’s soccer team has started play in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Denver 2-0 in Matthews on Friday. Chandler, who was the captain of the Orange women’s soccer team in her junior and senior seasons, is a senior for the Tar Heels. UNC will face Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Wednesday.

It was the final game for six very special Cedar Ridge softball seniors on Friday night. Marlee Rakouskas, ShiLi Quade, Alexandria Matthews, Reagan Ruhl, Emma-Rae Sharp and Lajoan Stuart finished out the year with a doubleheader sweep of Southern Durham at Cedar Ridge Softball Park. Rakouskas and Quade have played on the varsity for four years. In that time, Cedar Ridge went 50-11 and won the 2018 and 2019 Big 8 Conference Championships. They were the first team to win conference titles in softball in Cedar Ridge history. They also won four state playoff games, including consecutive trips to the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs in 2018 and 2019. This season, Quade played catcher and hit .462 and led the team with 32 runs scored. Rakouskas, who left field and hit .371, also won a Big 8 Championship as a starter for the volleyball team. Quade also was a member of the volleyball squad. Ruhl, whose older sister Taylor also was a member of the 2018 and 2019 teams, hit .340 with 17 RBIs. Matthews played first base and pitched. Sharp was a first baseman. This was the fourth straight season where Cedar Ridge had a winning season. Congratulations to all of these ladies on a run filled with championships and fun.

It sounds simple, but it’s true.

When Cedar Ridge softball plays well defensively, they win. When they don’t, well…

From one game to the next, Cedar Ridge Coach Allen Byrd has no idea what to expect. Last Tuesday, the Red Wolves played flawless in a 12-2 win at Northern Durham. The next day in Hillsborough, in the midst of wind gusts of nearly 30 miles per hour, Cedar Ridge gave up eleven unearned runs off five errors in a 15-14 loss to the same Northern team.

Fortunately, in Cedar Ridge’s final trip to Henderson, their gloves and bats worked in perfect unison.

Takia Nichols hit two home runs as Cedar Ridge defeated Vance County 8-3 at Viper Softball Field. Nichols, who now has 25 career home runs at the end of her junior year, finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a double.

Sophomore Hayley King threw a complete game for her seventh win of the year. King struck out three and held the Vipers to seven hits.

Naturally, Cedar Ridge didn’t commit an error in the game. On April 8, the Red Wolves made two errors, leading to three unearned runs, in a 7-4 Vance County win in Hillsborough.

Nichols blasted a solo homer over the centerfield wall to open the scoring in the third inning. Ava Lowry walked, then advanced to third on a single by Olivia Aitkin. Senior Reagan Ruhl grounded a two-run single up the middle. Caira Peach lined a single to score Ruhl and push Cedar Ridge’s lead to 4-0.

In the fourth, seniors Emma-Rae Sharp and ShiLi Quade each reached on errors. Then Nichols drilled a laser over the left field wall for a three-run homer to vault Cedar Ridge ahead 7-0.

Nichols hit a leadoff double to start the sixth. Lowry lined a single to centerfield to bring her in.

Lowry, in her final road game, finished 2-for-3. Aitkin went 2-for-4. Peach also had a 2-for-4 day with an RBI.

The win guarantees that Cedar Ridge will finish with a winning record for the fourth straight season.

Cedar Ridge is scheduled to host Southern Durham for a doubleheader on Friday. It will be the final home game for Quade, Lowry, Sharp, Lajoan Stuart, Alexandria Matthews and Marlee Rakouskas.

ORANGE 15, SOUTHERN DURHAM 0

The Orange softball team officially finished its Big 8 Conference season with a 15-0 victory over Southern Durham on Tuesday night. Southern was the final opponent that the Lady Panthers hadn’t played. With the victory, Orange ends the conference season 7-0, its first perfect conference season since Orange started fielding fast-pitch teams in 1998.

It was senior night for first baseman Gracie Colley and third baseman Emma Puckett. Together, Puckett and Colley have each played on Orange’s varsity team since they were freshmen. Together, they have played on squads with a combined record of 38-17 and have won two Big 8 Conference Championships.

Freshman Caden Robinson returned to the lineup and hit a three-run homer, her third dinger of the year. Sophomore centerfielder Serenity McPherson went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. McPherson has hit safely in all 12 of Orange’s games this year.

Carson Bradsher went 1-for-2. She also stole two bases.

Orange (12-0) will try to complete a perfect regular season with two games later this week. They travel to Northern Durham on Thursday. A nonconfernece game against Southern Alamance, originally set for Wednesday, has been rescheduled for Friday in Graham.

Southern Alamance will face Southwestern Randolph on Thursday night. The winner will be champion of the Mid-Piedmont Conference.

Orange has already clinched the Big 8 Championship and will host a game in the opening round of the 32-team 3A State Playoffs next week.

The Lady Panthers are one of five undefeated teams in 3A softball. The others are D.H. Conley, Piedmont, North Buncombe, and Crest.

Softball: Everything thrilling and frustrating about the Cedar Ridge softball team was on full display during its two-game series against Northern Durham.

On Tuesday, the Red Wolves rolled past the Knights 12-2 at Knights Field. The Red Wolves played an errorless game as they handed the Knights just its second loss of the season.

On Wednesday, Cedar Ridge committed five errors in a 15-14 loss to the Knights in Hillsborough. Northern scored eight unearned runs as they held on for dear life as the Red Wolves mounted another patented seventh inning comeback that fell just short.

In the series-opening win, Red Wolves third baseman Takia Nichols went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. In the fourth inning, Nichols drilled a three-run homer to dead centerfield to push the Red Wolves ahead 6-1. It was Nichols’ 19th career home run.

Nichols started the game with a line drive to centerfield. Ava Lowry reached on an error by the pitcher, which allowed Nichols to score the game’s opening run. In the second, first baseman Alex Matthews looped a two-run single to centerfield to score Tori Carden and Lajoan Stuart, a courtesy runner for Hayley King.

After Nichols’ home run, Olivia Aitkin singled home Ava Lowry. Marlee Rakouskas got an RBI groundout to send in Aitkin and increase the Red Wolves’ lead to 8-1. In the fifth, Nichols doubled home ShiLi Quade.

On Wednesday, both teams battled the elements on a blustery day where wind gusts reached nearly 30 miles per hour and the temperatures plummeted after first pitch. Cedar Ridge scored four runs in the first inning, including an RBI double by Nichols to score Quade. After Lowry was hit by a pitch, Aitkin laced a two-run triple to centerfield.

Northern chipped away until an 8-run fourth inning where all the runs came in with two out. Third baseman Jessica Wolter reached on an infield error to score Aubrey Clayton and Abi Walker and the Knights were off to the races. Alana Holland, who finished 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs, laced an RBI single to left field. Pitcher Taylor Penne earned the win despite piling up 167 pitches.

Nichols had her 20th career home run with an inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning. With Cedar Ridge trailing 15-11 going into the seventh inning, Quade got on board via an error to lead off the frame. Quade eventually scored off an RBI single by Aitkin. Second baseman Reagan Rhul laced a line drive down the left field line for another inside-the-park home run to pull within 15-14. Northern first baseman Savannah Burton threw to Clayton for a 3-4 out for the final out.

Cedar Ridge will host East Chapel Hill on Friday.

Men’s Tennis: The Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team defeated Carrboro 9-0 on Tuesday at Jaguars Tennis Courts. Josh Mayhew, Eli Rachlin, Lev Bearman, and Walker Richards-Baker each earned straight sets singles wins for the Red Wolves. The most exciting matches for the Red Wolves came at #2 singles, where Will Ballenger defeated Joseph Lee 2-6, 7-5, 7-6, winning the third set tiebreaker 12-10. At #5 singles, Holden Rachlin defeated Tristan Reid 6-2, 5-7, 7-6, taking the 10-point tiebreaker 10-4.

Mayhew & Ballenger won at #1 doubles for Cedar Ridge. Carter Tholes and Bearman teamed together for a win at #2 doubles, while Colby Alford and Derrick Stephens captured the #3 doubles.

On Wednesday, East Chapel Hill defeated Cedar Ridge 7-1 at Lindsey Linker Tennis Courts. Mayhew won the Cedar Ridge match at #1 singles over East’s Max Winzelberg.

As for Orange, the Panthers defeated Northwood 5-4 in Pittsboro. Justin Conover and Joseph Clark captured the double match that earned the Panthers the team victory by an 8-3 tally. Orange’s Colin O’Hagerty & Brandon Gwinn won its #1 doubles match. Conover, Gwynn and O’Hagerty also won their singles matches.

On Wednesday, Chapel Hill defeated Orange 9-0. The Panthers, 5-6 overall, will host Southern Durham next Tuesday to end the regular season. The Big 8 Conference Tournament is slated for next week.

Golf: Orange had two men’s players qualify for the 3A Mideast Regionals during the final Big 8 Conference match of the season at Umstead Golf Course in Durham on Tuesday. Senior Joshua Frank and sophomore Thomas Loch each shot an 88. However, their year-long nine hole average was enough for them to qualify for regionals. Both players averaged below a 42 for their nine-hole average.

In addition, Cedar Ridge senior Bradley Monschien also qualified for the Mideast Regionals.

The Mideast Regionals will be held at Keith Hills Golf Club in Lillingston on May 3.