Sawyer, O’Keefe push Orange to win over Chatham Central, Panthers split games in Hilltop Invitational
Traditionally, the Hilltop Invitational has served as a midterm exam for Orange baseball.
The event rings in April and falls just after the Panthers have started its conference slate. For one majestic Wednesday night, it served as a reminder of how wonderful baseball can be.
Facing Heritage, the Panthers awakened from a dormant offensive showing to score three runs in the seventh inning to end the game into extra innings.
Just when Orange needed a miracle to extend the game beyond the 9th inning, Cam Brown provided one.
The wind had blows to right field all night. Brown, who stepped up to the plate 0-for-4, sent a fly ball to right field with two out and the Huskies leading 6-4. Heritage’s Ellie Droke ran toward the line and flashed his hands up in the air unable to find the ball. Then Droke looked over his left shoulder in time to find the ball disappear over the fence.
It was just the second home run hit over the right field fence at Orange in the last two years. The other was by Ryan Honeycutt, a walkoff blast against Cedar Ridge in the opening round of the state playoffs last year. Brown, after the first home run of his varsity career, was mobbed by his teammates with a water shower.
Unfortunately, the Panthers couldn’t complete the comeback. Heritage, which jumped out to a 1-0 lead and led almost the entire game, scored three runs in the tenth inning off four walks and two hit batters. Andrew Briganati was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Tyler Henderson to score the game-winning run. The Huskies would add two more runs and win 9-6 in ten innings.
Heritage starting pitcher Blake Tillery took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before Orange’s Wren Hash sent a single on a grounder to left field. Dominic O’Keefe stroked a double to the left field fence to score Hash and cut the Heritage lead to 2-1.
With Orange trailing 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers remarkably tied the game. Garrett Sawyer drew a walk to load the bases. Henry Hoffman, who leads the team in RBIs, lined a single to left field. Kayden Bradsher and O’Keefe scored. Sawyer reached third base as the relay throw from Heritage centerfielder Andrew Kilgore bounced through the infield and past the third base line. Sawyer raced for home plate and beat the throw from reliever Holden Kafes to the plate to even the game.
On Friday, Orange made quick work of Chatham Central 11-1 in five innings, the Panthers second run-rule win of the season.
Gary Miller scored the go-ahead run in the second after he reached on an error. O’Keefe sent a drooping liner to right field that got under the glove of right fielder Carter King to score Miller.
Orange pulled away with six runs in the third. After O’Keefe drew a bases-loaded walk, Eli Horton drilled a bases-loaded double that loaded between two outfielders for a bases-clearing double. Hash, Miller and O’Keefe all scored. Hoffman added an two-run single later in an inning where the Panthers sent eleven batters to the plate.
Orange would tack on four more runs in the fourth inning. D.J. Woods scored off a single by O’Keefe. Miller touched the plate after an RBI groundout by Horton. Kayden Bradsher lined a single to centerfield that scored O’Keefe.
Sawyer earned the win, throwing three-and-two-thirds innings. The game marked the return of Oliver Van Tiem after he was injured against Western Alamance on March 18. Van Tiem threw one-and-two-thirds innings before he was replaced. Sawyer allowed only one hit and struck out five.
Orange Panther of the Week: Ryan Sawyer
This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior pitcher Ryan Sawyer. After 2024, the Panthers lost five of its top seven pitchers, including starter Cross Clayton and Josiah Gibbs. This year, Sawyer has stepped up to become the regular Tuesday starter. Moving into the second month of the season, Sawyer has a 4-0 mark with a 2.31 ERA. He leads the team with 48 strikeouts. On March 18, Sawyer struck out ten batters in a 8-1 win over Western Alamance, the Panthers Central Conference opener. On March 11, Sawyer delivered another ten strikeout performance and took the victory as Orange defeated East Chapel Hill 7-1. Sawyer picked up the win on March 3 as the Panthers defeated Northern Durham 6-0 at Knights Field. Sawyer struck out eight over three shutout innings. In Orange’s first win of the year against Chapel Hill on February 26, Sawyer earned the victory as he threw four innings and struck out four and allowed only four hits. Ryan attributes a new diet, partially created by new pitching coach Landon Riley, for his new mindset which includes a emphasis on BBQ chicken. Amidst heavy turnover from a four-time defending conference championship team, Sawyer has provided reliability in 2025 as the Panthers aim for the top of the Central Conference once again. Starting on Tuesday, the Panthers will start a two-game series against Southern Alamance, which sits atop the Central Conference with a 6-0 record.
Orange Panther of the Week: Ryan Sawyer
This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior pitcher Ryan Sawyer. After 2024, the Panthers lost five of its top seven pitchers, including starter Cross Clayton and Josiah Gibbs. This year, Sawyer has stepped up to become the regular Tuesday starter.
Baseball Notebook: Sawyer hits grand slam in Orange’s win in Wilson; McGuffey powers Cedar Ridge past Chatham Central
It was ironic after a difficult week, Orange would find a way to win in Wilson.
For years, Historic Fleming Stadium was a place where Orange had a terrible time winning. For a good portion of the day on Saturday afternoon, it appeared Orange’s trip to Wilson would be another trip to nowhere.
Until Garrett Sawyer came up with the swing of his life.
With Orange trailing Pine Forest 4-1 in the fourth inning, Sawyer hit the first grand slam of his career over the left field fence inside a park that has hosted minor league games. It propelled Orange into a 8-4 lead.
The Panthers would use timely hitting and another save from freshman Mason Bullard to hold off the Trojans 9-8.
Sawyer grand slam was his second home run of the season. He was also Orange’s starting pitcher, throwing two innings.
Orange junior Henry Hoffman, who is tied for the team lead with 13 RBIs, slashed a double that landed at the wall in right field to score Cam Brown and Wren Hash. Mason Bullard, who walked earlier in the inning, scored the tying run off a wild pitch with Hunter Albert at the plate.
Sawyer expanded Orange’s lead in the sixth inning with an infield hit that turned into a two-base error after an errant throw to first base. D.J. Woods, a sophomore starting his first varsity game, knocked in Sawyer with a groundout to Pine Forest shortstop Kaydyn Thomas to put Orange ahead 9-5.
The Trojans nearly got it all back in the seventh inning. Three runs crossed the plate starting with a leadoff double from Chase Mims. Ryan Geske knocked in Mims with an RBI single. Jayhlen Brown, who reached on a walk, scored off a wild pitch to cut the Orange lead to 9-7.
Bullard came in as pitcher as Geske scored off a groundout by Pine Forest’s Wade McLamb to third baseman Dominic O’Keefe. With Landon Thompson representing the tying run at third and one out, Bullard induced Rylan Ditmore into a groundout back to the mound. Thomas grounded out to shortstop Kayden Bradsher to end the game.
Person swept Orange in a two-game Central Conference series last week. It was the first time the Rockets won a regular season game against Orange since they became conference rivals again in 2022.
Cedar Ridge 11, Chatham Central 3:
Ian McGuffey drove in four runs as Cedar Ridge scored eight unanswered runs to defeat Chatham Central in Bear Creek in a nonconference game on Tuesday night.
Aidan Ryan struck out six over four innings in middle relief to earn the win for the Red Wolves. Ryan allowed only two hits and two runs, just one of which was earned.
With the game tied 2-2 going into the fourth inning, Ryan led off the inning with a single to left field. With Walker Holmes at the plate, Ryan stole second, then swiped third. After Holmes walked, Ryan would score on a passed ball with Jesus Velazques at the plate. Holmes advanced to third on the same passed ball and would score when Velazquez grounded out to first base.
McGuffey drove a double to right field. Quinn Finnegan drew a walk. John Grove sent a grounder to first that was misplayed, allowing McGuffey to score and expanded Cedar Ridge’s lead to 6-3 just before Finnegan was tagged out at third base.
In the fifth inning, Heckman line a single to left field. Heckman stole second and would score off a double by Ryan to left field. Following another single by Dominic Sena, Velasquez drilled a RBI single to left field to score Ryan
John Grove finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Ian McGuffey finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. He went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a triple.
Cedar Ridge will face New Hanover on Wednesday afternoon in Hillsborough at 5PM.
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Orange baseball’s Oliver Van Tiem and Henry Hoffman discuss win over Jordan
The Orange baseball team will go into the second game of its series against Person tied for second place in the Central Conference with the Rockets. Just before Central Conference play got underway, the Panthers defeated Jordan 6-2 at Panther Field on March 14. Oliver Van Tiem struck out a career-high 12 batters and didn’t allow a it through five innings. Van Tiem, Garrett Sawyer and Mason Grooms combined for a no-hitter of the Falcons. Grooms earned the save by throwing a scoreless seventh inning. Junior Henry Hoffman has been thrust into an important offensive role for Orange this season. After making 43 plate appearances last year, Hoffman already has 33 this year because of the loss of six position players from 2024. Hoffman leads the team with eleven RBIs through eleven games. He is third on the squad with a .296 batting average. Van Tiem is hitting .276. Against Jordan, Van Tiem went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. In the third inning against the Falcons, Van Tiem had an RBI single. Hoffman drove in the first run of the game on a fly ball to centerfield. Later, Van Tiem would drive in Sawyer with a single up the middle. The Panthers will return home to face Person on Friday. On Saturday, the Panthers will face Pine Forest at Historic Fleming Stadium in Wilson.
Orange baseball’s Oliver Van Tiem and Henry Hoffman discuss win over Jordan
The Orange baseball team will go into the second game of its series against Person tied for second place in the Central Conference with the Rockets. Just before Central Conference play got underway, the Panthers defeated Jordan 6-2 at Panther Field on March 14.