Orange Baseball

Offense has been slow to come by for Orange baseball so far in the young season.

Thankfully, Tommy could hear their pleas for offense.

Well, it was really Ryan Horton, whose nickname is “Tommy” because that’s his middle name. Horton had never homered in a varsity game as he stepped up to plate in the sixth inning against Topsail on Monday night.

Then hit delivered the biggest swing of his career.

Horton delivered a grand slam, Orange’s third hit of the game, to provide a 4-1 win over Topsail in Hillsborough.

Junior Garrett Sawyer earned his second career win in relief of senior starter Cross Clayton. Sawyer allowed just three hits with four strikeouts in four innings work.

To say that Horton’s grand slam came out of nowhere would be putting it mildly. Orange had just two singles up to that point, and one of those rolled roughly 50 feet up the third base line off the stick of Henry Hoffman. Hoffman led off the fourth inning with a single to centerfield, the first ball to land in the outfield off an Orange batter. But the Panthers failed to lay down a bunt on the next at-bat and Hoffman wound up getting doubled up off a smooth play by Topsail catcher Gavin Schoenwiesner.

Orange (2-1) trailed the whole game. Topsail’s Rhett Britt doubled into right centerfield, the deepest part of the ballpark. With two down, Gibson Todd lined a 1-2 fastball to right field for the Pirates’ only run.

Senior Cross Clayton, with 13 career victories, started for Orange and threw three innings. After giving up the opening run, Clayton allowed just one more hit before yielding to Sawyer in the fourth.

Topsail starter Drew Shelar, making his varsity debut, kept Orange at bay. He threw five shutout innings and allowed just two hits and one walk. Caleb Kelley replaced Shelar in the sixth.

Orange freshman Kayden Bradsher opened the sixth with a leadoff walk. The Panthers nearly botched another bunt situation when Kelley caught a pop-up, then attempted to throw out Bradsher at first base. But the throw got away from first baseman Tyler Wilson and Bradsher moved over to second base. It was ruled that Cameron Guentensberger got hit with a pitch on the elbow, though Guentensberger didn’t seem to know it until the umpire motioned for him to move to first base. Clayton drew a walk to load the bases, leading to Horton’s first career home run.

Sawyer struck out Wes Atkinson and pinch-hitter Andrew Schmidt to open the seventh. Then Luke Keenan grounded out to Sawyer to end the game.

Wake Forest 3, Cedar Ridge 0: Facing the defending 4A Eastern Regional champions who were one win away from the state championship in 2023, Cedar Ridge didn’t back down in its home opener on Monday night.

The Red Wolves trailed 1-0 going into the sixth inning before James Bradbury scored off a double steal in the sixth inning. Bradbury drew a walk to lead off the frame.

Cedar Ridge’s Quinn Finnegan struck out five in four-plus innings, allowing just one run. The Red Wolves loaded the bases in the second inning against Cougars starter Jackson Hardy. Nick Aitkin reached on an infield single, Grant McGuffey lined a single to centerfield. Finnegan reached on a bunt. But the Cougars turned a double play when Kyle Brazeau caught a bunt and threw out Aitkin at the plate. Hardy got a strikeout to end the threat.

Then Brazeau drove in the first run of the game with a double that one-hopped the wall in right field. Ian Williams, who finished 2-for-4, scored after he started the inning with a single to centerfield.

McGuffey went 2-for-3 for Cedar Ridge. The Red Wolves are scheduled to travel to Carrboro on Wednesday. They will start its Central Conference slate against Walter Williams in Burlington on Tuesday night.

For the fifth time in six seasons, the Orange baseball team won its season-opener under head coach Jason Knapp. On Monday night, the Panthers defeated Northern Durham 7-3 at Panther Field. Senior Josiah Gibbs earned his 11th career win, allowing only four hits in four innings as the opening day starter. Gibbs, who led the team with seven wins in 2023, struck out four. Cameron Guentensberger, a senior centerfielder, drove in the Panthers opening run with a soft liner to right field, scoring Kayden Bradsher. Orange busted the game open with five runs in the fourth inning. Henry Hoffman reached on an error and scored off a single by Bradsher. Guentensberger added another RBI single with a liner to left field. Cross Clayton, Wyatt Hedrick, Hoffman, Guentensberger and Bradsher all scored in the fourth inning. Clayton finished out the game by striking out the side in the seventh inning. It was a good start for an Orange team that lost six starters from a squad that won the Central Conference championship last year and reached the 3A State Quarterfinals. Orange will face Eden Morehead, who won the 2A Eastern Regional championship last year, on Thursday night at 6PM in Hillsborough. It will be the second of six scheduled non conference games for Orange before the start of the Central Conference campaign against Western Alamance on March 19. 

Cooper Hench: Last week, Hench was chosen the National Club Pitcher of the Week after he threw two scoreless innings for the N.C. State club team against Campbell. In that stint, Hench struck out all six batters he faced. The Wolfpack won both games over the Camels. While his younger brother has started his career at North Carolina, Hench has played for the N.C. State club team since graduated from Orange in 2020.

Joey Berini: On Friday, Berini opened his senior season with East Carolina. The Pirates had a weekend sweep of Rider at Clarke-LeClair Stadium in Greenville. Berini started all three games at shortstop. On Sunday, he went 1-for-4 in ECU’s 7-0 win. On Saturday, ECU won 7-0 and Berini went 1-for-4 once again. The Pirates won the season-opener 16-2 on Friday. Berini went 1-for-3. ECU has opened the year ranked #11 in the country by D1Baseball.com.

Dante DeFranco:After reaching the NCAA Tournament last year, the Charlotte 49ers started its season against Virginia Tech at Hayes Stadium this weekend. DeFrano served as a pinch-hitter for the 49ers in its 10-0 loss to the Hokies on Friday. DeFranco had a single in his only at-bat with a stolen base. DeFranco started in right field in Virginia Tech’s 10-5 win on Saturday. He went 0-for-2. On Sunday, the 49ers salvaged a game in the series with a 10-5 win. DeFranco drove in a run with a pinch-hit single in the 7th inning.

Jackson Berini: Gaston College swept a weekend series Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute over the weekend. Caldwell is the #5 ranked Division III team in the country in the National Junior College Athletic Association. Berini played in Sunday’s win as a pinch-runner.

Davis Horton: The Rockingham Community College Eagles are 1-9 to start the season. This weekend, USC Lancaster swept two doubleheaders against Rockingham. Horton started the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, a 11-3 win for the Lancers. Horton went 0-for-3, starting at catcher. Horton also started on Sunday, a 10-6 win by the Lancers. Horton went 0-for-3. Last week, Montgomery College swept a doubleheader from the Eagles. Horton went 1-for-4 in a 10-8 loss to the Mustangs. Horton also played as a pinch-hitter in the opening game, which Montgomery won 9-5.

Ryan Hench: The former Orange High pitcher started his career with the #15 North Carolina baseball team on Friday. The Tar Heels swept Wagner at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. Hench helped the Panthers win three straight conference championships in his Orange career. His freshman year was interrupted due to the pandemic after four games.

Aidan McCallister: After a year at Hofstra University, the former Cedar Ridge 1st baseman transferred to Brunswick Community College. He is now a redshirt freshman and teammates with former Northern Durham pitcher Matthew Lombard.

Chase Finley: The Division II Shorter University lacrosse team has started the season in strong fashion. The Hawks defeated Oglethorpe 12-10 on February 1 in Atlanta. Finley, a former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper, earned the win making 13 saves. Shorter edged Tennessee Wesleyan 13-12 at Ben Brady Field in Rome, GA. Finley made 15 saves to take the win. On Wednesday, Shorter defeated Montreat 11-3 at Pulliam Stadium in Montreat. Finley made 12 saves for the win. Finley finished with 14 saves as the Hawks defeated Centenary College 9-6 on February 12. The only loss for Shorter so far was a 21-17 loss to Malone University on February 10. Finley started in net and made 17 saves.

Cy Horner: The Division III Methodist men’s lacrosse team started its season with a 12-8 loss to Goucher at Monarch Stadium in Fayetteville. Horner, a sophomore, scored the first goal of the season for the Monarchs. Horner had seven shots, four of them on goal, with one ground ball. Methodist with travel to Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, VA on Tuesday.

Josiah Tisdale: Tisdale, who was a member of the Orange men’s lacrosse team the past four years, started his college career at Methodist.

Tigh Metheney: The former Orange lacrosse midfielder is already playing in his freshman season for Division II Catawba College. In the Indians 16-11 win over North Greenville, Methane saw playing time in the season-opener. Methane also played in Catawba’s 9-7 win over Belmont-Abbey at Alumni Field in Belmont on Saturday. Catawba will travel to Tusculum on Saturday.

Nick Cardone: Cardone, a key defensive presence for Orange lacrosse the past four years, is also a freshman for Catawba College.

Jackson Berini: The Gaston College Rhinos baseball team opened its season 6-1. On Saturday in the opening game of a doubleheader against Walters State, Berini hit a three-run homer to lead a comeback after the Senators jumped out to a 6-0 lead at Sims Legion Park. The following inning, Berini tied the game with a sacrifice fly to score Seth Christmas to make the score 6-6.  Walters State would go on to win 7-6 in eight innings. It was the first start for Berini, who played second base. Berini went 1-for-3 with an RBI single as the Rhinos took the second game 9-3 in six innings. Berini made his first college appearance against Guilford Technical Community College on January 27. The Rhinos won 13-1 in five innings. Berini appeared as a pinch hitter. Berini scored his first college run in a 16-0 win for the Rhinos. He drew a walk and touched home plate after a double by Brandon Crabtree.

Davis Horton: Former Orange catcher Davis Horton started his sophomore season at Rockingham County Community College by splitting a doubleheader with Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA. Patrick Henry won the opener 10-0. Horton, who started at catcher, went 0-for-3.

Lauren Jackson: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne softball season started its season by splitting a doubleheader against Lander at Bears Field in Hickory. The Bears won the nightcap 9-1 in five innings. The Bearcats won the opener 10-7. The Bears will host UNC Pembroke in Hickory for a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.

Abby Dease: Former Orange High softball player Abby Dease is now swimming at Smith College, a Division III school in Northampton, Massachusetts. On January 27, Wellesly College won a dual meet over Smith 198-94. Dease finished eighth in the 1000 yard freestyle at 12:01.75. She came in seventh in the 100 yard butterfly. In the 50 yard freestyle, Dease came in ninth in the 100 yard freestyle. Dease, the daughter of longtime Orange baseball coach Dean Dease, is in her junior season.

Mia Davidson: Last week, Davidson officially re-signed with Athletes Unlimited for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Last year, Davidson earned a third-place medal with AUX. Over 12 games, Davidson had five home runs, tied for the league lead. Her slugging percentage of .615 was the best in Athletes Unlimited. Davidson frequently visits her old stomping grounds for hitting clinics with her sister, Montana Davidson. The two played together at Mississippi State.

This Thursday, softball season will officially get underway for Division I schools. Here are the five former Cedar Ridge and Orange players who will start their respective seasons this weekend.

Takia Nichols: After the North Carolina Central Eagles won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship last year, Nichols returns for her sophomore season. The all-time home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history, Nichols was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week twice last season. She hit .338 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. The Eagles will open in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. The Eagles will open against South Alabama on Friday morning and will face Central Arkansas later that morning. They will also face Iowa, Utah and Indiana during the event.

Tori Dalehite: a senior at UNC Greensboro. The Spartans are picked to finish first in the Southern Conference. Dalehite has played in 72 career games and has scored 24 runs. UNCG starts its season against Virginia in the Carolina Classic at Beckham Field in Columbia, South Carolina on Friday morning. The Spartans will also face Jacksonville State and South Carolina this weekend.

Mary Moss Wirt: A sophomore for Elon University, Wirt played in 28 games last season, starting six. Elon will open with a doubleheader against Kent State in the Elon Classic at Hunt Softball Park on Thursday. The Phoenix will also welcome Appalachian State, Kent State, Evansville and Miami (Ohio) for the multi-team event.

Carson Bradsher: Bradsher will start her freshman year at South Carolina Upstate on Friday morning. Bradsher was a four-year starter for Orange at shortstop, where she won the Big 8 Conference championship in 2021. South Carolina Upstate will start its season in its own tournament, the Spartan Classic, against Loyola University of Chicago on Friday morning. Later that day, the Spartans will face Toledo. South Carolina State will face the Spartans this weekend.

Last month, Orange senior Ryan Honeycutt formally signed to play baseball at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University. Over the past two years, Honeycutt has been a steady presence for Orange’s baseball and basketball teams. Last year, Honeycutt alternated between catcher and designated hitter for an Orange team that won its third straight Central Conference championship. They reached the state quarterfinals and won 25 games, the most by any Orange team since 2013, when they won 27 games. Last season, Honeycutt hit .304 with one home run and 14 RBIs. Honeycutt hit his home run in a 12-2 win over Cedar Ridge. Honeycutt also went 3-for-4 in the Central Conference Tournament championship game against Walter Williams, which Orange won 9-4. Honeycutt also had an RBI single in the third round of the State Playoffs against Cape Fear, where the Panthers scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to the state quarterfinals. Honeycutt has also been the starting center for the past two years for the Orange basketball team. He has had five double-doubles this season. In the opener against Hillside, Honeycutt had ten points and 13 rebounds as the Panthers defeated Hillside. Last week against Cedar Ridge, Honeycutt had ten points and ten rebounds in an 82-54 Orange win. In two years with the varsity baseball team, Honeycutt has won two conference championships. Now, he’s gunning for one on the hardwood. Orange men’s basketball will resume its season against Eastern Alamance on Tuesday in Hillsborough. 

Bryse Wilson: For the second time in his career, Bryse Wilson has reached the Major League Baseball playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers won the National League Central Division championship on Tuesday night, even though St. Louis defeated the Brewers 4-1. It is Milwaukee’s 3rd division title in six years. Wilson threw one-and-two-thirds innings on Tuesday night, allowing only one walk with two strikeouts. The Brewers will face either the Chicago Cubs or the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Cincinnati Reds in a best-of-three series starting on Tuesday.

Trenton Gill: The Kansas City Chiefs hammered the Chicago Bears 41-10 on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. Needless to say, Gill, a punter, found himself very busy. Gill averaged 45.8 yards on five punts. The longest was a 58-yarder. He had one downed inside the 20-yard line and another for a touchback. Chicago is 0-2 and will look for its first win in a showcase matchup against the Denver Broncos at Solider Field on Sunday.

Ivy Garner: The Liberty Flames women’s soccer team remains undefeated after beating Sam Houston State 6-0 at Osborne Stadium in Lynchburg, VA in a Conference USA matchup. Ivy Garner, who played for Cedar Ridge in tennis and soccer her freshman year before she transferred to Eno River Academy, assisted on the third goal, scored by Rachel DeRuby in the 46th minute. Garner played 48 minutes and had a shot on goal Liberty. The Flames are 11-0, 2-0 in Conference USA and will host New Mexico State in another Conference USA matchup on Saturday. Garner, a sophomore, has scored four goals and dished out three assists this season. She has started in all eleven games.

Emerson Talley: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team defeated #19 North Georgia 3-1 at Moretz Campus on Wednesday night. Talley assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Neve Dustin in the 59th minute. Talley played all 90 minutes and had a shot on goal. On Saturday, the Bears defeated Mars Hill 4-0 in Hickory. Talley played 45 minute and had a shot. Lenoir-Rhyne is atop the South Atlantic Conference with a 4-0 record. They are 5-0-3 overall with a trip to Wingate on tape for Saturday night.

Will Berger: A former Cedar Ridge pitcher and quarterback, Berger is now running cross country at Wofford University. Wofford started the season with the Eye Opener at the Roger Milliken Research Center Park in Spartanburg, SC. Berger finished 123rd out of 170 runners with a time of 30:05.3. The Terriers finished 13th out of 18 teams. Liberty finished first. On September 15, Berger competed in the Covered Bridge Open at Appalachian State in Boone. Once again, the Terriers finished 13th as a team. Berger finished 120th with a time of 30:29.41. Florida State finished first with 22 points. Berger also was on the outdoor track & field squad for Wofford last spring.

We’ll have a full volleyball update on Thursday.

As we look back to the 2023 spring sports season, our Orange Panther of the Week is recently graduated Orange shortstop Jackson Berini. For the second straight year, Berini was named All-Central Carolina Conference. A mainstay as Orange’s leadoff batter, Berini ended his career with an 11-game hitting streak. Orange won its third consecutive conference championship this year, ending the season with a trip to the state quarterfinals of the 3A State Playoffs. Berini was Orange’s leading hitter with a .398 batting average. He also had the top on-base percentage at .522. He scored a whopping 40 runs for the Panthers. Jackson started his career sharing the middle infield with his older brother, Joey, in 2020. The season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Jackson was just starting his excellence in a Panther uniform. The final three years he played, Orange won a conference championship. Berini was tied for the team lead with 35 hits in 2023. Along the way, he was an instrumental player for an Orange team that went 25-3, its best overall win total since the 2013 team. Berini will move on to play at Gaston College next spring, but his impact across Orange High can be found on the championship banners aligned outside the press box for years to come.

This time, a five-run inning was too much for Orange to overcome.

Last week, the Panthers pulled off a miracle against Triton, who led 8-3 going into the bottom of the tenth inning. A combination of five walks, a hit batter and three hits, including a walkoff by Wyatt Hedrick, led to six runs and the most improbable comeback in school history as Orange won 9-8.

While Orange never quit battling, Southern Lee’s pitching staff was better equipped to handle a big lead in the 3A State Quarterfinals.

Behind back-to-back homers from Cooper Harrington and Ashton Donathon, the Cavaliers defeated Orange 7-2 on Friday night at Orange High Field. It was Orange’s first home loss of the season, as well as its first loss to a non conference team. The Panthers end the year 25-3, its most wins in a season since 2013.

Southern Lee advanced to the Eastern Regional championship series for the first time in school history. They will face J.H. Rose in a best-of-three series this week.

Orange played without 2022 Central Carolina Pitcher of the Year Cross Clayton, who was limited to six pitching starts this season because of shoulder injuries. While the Panthers’ pitching depth was enough to overcome most opponents this year, the Cavaliers used speed and power to end Orange’s 18-game winning streak.

“They just kept the pressure on,” said Orange coach Jason Knapp after an emotional meeting with his players, most of whom emerged with tears in their eyes. “We had a couple of chances to push a couple of more across, and we just weren’t able to find the timely hit. They ran the bases extremely well. They hit the ball to all fields extremely well. They’re just a well coached, talented ball club.”

The result continued a pattern of one team raining on the other’s parade.While Southern Lee and Orange are separated by just over an hour, they’ve played six times since 2016. Each time, the road team has won. Last April, the Cavaliers edged Orange 6-5 in Hillsborough.

On that day, Southern Lee’s Jalen Jones proved to be a lethal force. He finished 3-for-4 with five putouts. On Friday night, he drove in the opening run off a single to left field to score Donathan.

Immediately, Orange came back in the bottom of the first when senior Jackson Berini, who concluded his career on an 11-game hitting streak, ripped a fastball to right centerfield, the deepest part of Orange’s ballpark where the fence is 402 feet from home plate. After Ryan Hench walked, Connor Nordan sent a flyball in shallow centerfield that Jones caught, but Berini scored on a sacrifice fly for the only tie of the game.

Southern Lee’s Michael Tate-Banks drew a leadoff walk in the second against Orange starter Coltin Hedrick. Caleb Waters lined a single to left field. With one out, Harrington loaded the bases when he reached on a dropped ball in right field. Donathon plated Tate-Banks on a sacrifice fly to left field, which was caught by senior Ryan Hench.

Southern Lee starter Pierce Bouwman, who earned the win to improve to 4-2, used power pitching to squelch any chance for Orange to even the game. In the fourth, the Panthers’ Cameron Guentensberger reached third base while Ryan Honeycutt got to second after each reached on base hits. With one out, Bouwman struck out Neo Best and Wyatt Hedrick to end the inning.

That was the last time Orange was within striking distance. Harrington drilled a leadoff homer over the left field fence in the fifth inning. Donation followed with another dinger that sailed in the vicinity of Harrington’s blast to make it 3-1 Cavaliers. With one out, Jones walked. Kale Scruggs sent a ground ball to second base, which Wyatt Hedrick tried to run down after he held the runner at second. Hedrick’s throw went over the head of Nordan at first base and nearly went into the Orange dugout, allowing Jones to score. After Cooper Moss singled to left field, Tate-Banks was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Josiah Gibbs replaced Coltin Hedrick as pitcher. Waters sent a liner back to the mound that Gibbs caught. Gibbs nearly doubled up Tate-Banks at first base, which would have ended the inning. The throw was errant and Tate-Banks got his hand on the bag just before Nordan could get his glove down. It proved to be a costly sequence for Orange after Spencer Stephens lined a double into right centerfield, scoring Scruggs and Julian McNeil, who was running for Moss. Berini threw out Tate-Banks at the plate, with Horton providing the tag, but the Cavaliers led 7-2.

“We had our five spot against Cape Fear,” Knapp said, referring to Tuesday’s playoff win in the round of 16 where Orange scored five in the first innings, the game’s only runs. “We faced quality arms tonight. Those two guys (Bouwman and Scruggs) were good. We knew that coming in. They were able to get outs when they needed them.”

In the sixth, senior Joey Pounds entered the game for Gibbs and got Orange out of a bases loaded jam with no outs. Pounds, in his final appearance, struck out Scruggs and got Moss to fly out to David Waitt in right.

There were echoes of the Triton miracle in the seventh inning. After Jones made an incredible catch at the centerfield wall with his back to the infield to retire Berini, Waitt reached on an error by Stephens. Hench lined a double that one-hopped the left field fence. After Nordan walked, Guentensberger lined a single to centerfield to score Waitt. Horton grounded into a season-ending double play when Bouwman, who was replaced as pitcher by Scruggs, fielded a grounder, stepped on second and rifled a throw to first.

This entire season, Orange’s nine seniors remembered the feeling of nearly beating perennial power J.H. Rose last year in Greenville. The Panthers led the Rampants 4-0 going into the sixth inning on May 17, 2022 before Rose rallied for four in the sixth and a walkoff homer in the seventh.

They wanted to face Rose again, this time in a best-of-three series. It feels weird for a squad that won 25 games and two conference championships to think about what might have been, but the looks on the seniors faces as they walked back to their dugout on Friday night were of a great team that were a few bad breaks away from being legendary locally.

“Hedrick, Gibbs and Pounds left it all out there,” Knapp said. “My hat is off to those guys. Who would have thought that Colin Hedrick would had the year that he had? Who would have thought that Josiah Gibbs would have had the year that he had? Joey Pounds, you talk about turning it on late. He had a great last month-and-a-half.”

Not only was this team the most successful one that Knapp ever had, it was his first senior class to last four years since he replaced Dean Dease as head coach in 2018. They survived a pandemic together, won three conference championships and made Knapp feel like Orange was his permanent home.

“You get a connection with teams and seniors,” Knapp said. “I think COVID brought us all together because we were left trying to figure out whether we were going to play in 2020. Then we don’t even see each other for months. The guys put together a spring league and I watched from the sidelines. I thought that brought us all together. It’s a great group of young men. Our offseason dedication makes it hurt a little more because all the work these guys put in as a team, even guys who play different sports, bring us closer together. They never gave up.”