Orange Men’s Lacrosse

Jaylin Jones: Former Orange lacrosse, football and track & field star Jaylin Jones had a special moment on a rainy day for the Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team on Saturday. Jones scored a goal for the Falcons, who defeated William Peace University 24-11 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. Jones, on his senior day, scored an unassisted goal during a 12-0 Falcon run in the second quarter. It was Jones’ first goal of the season. He also scooped up two ground balls. Pfeiffer set a school record with its ninth consecutive win. The Falcons finished the regular season 10-1, 8-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Next Saturday, Pfeiffer will host Greensboro College for the USA South Athletic Conference Eastern Division Championship.

Wyatt Jones: Jones, the first Orange player to suit up for a Division I lacrosse team, returned to action for Mercer on Saturday. #14 Richmond defeated the Bears 21-8 at Five Star Stadium in Macon, GA. Jones entered the game and fired one shot on net. Mercer is 5-7 overall, 2-3 in the Southern Conference.

Bryse Wilson: In his second start with the Atlanta Braves this season, Wilson suffered a loss on Sunday. The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated Atlanta 5-0 in seven innings in the opening game of a doubleheader at Truist Park in Cumberland, GA. Wilson surrendered three runs and four hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked two. Wilson is 1-1. The Braves didn’t score a run in the doubleheader. They were no-hit in the second game by Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner in a 7-0 loss.

Landon Riley: The Liberty Flames defeated Coastal Carolina 6-4 on Sunday to clinch the series at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA. Riley worked the ninth inning for his fifth save of the season. Against five batters, Riley allowed two hits, but also struck out the side. The Flames are now 27-10 after taking two-out-of-three against the Chanticleers. They are 16-2 at home.

Joey Berini: In a weekend series against UCF, Berini entered two games for #9 East Carolina as a pinch hitter. In a 10-5 loss to the Knights on Friday, Berini picked up his second hit as a Pirate with a leadoff single the sixth inning. On Sunday, UCF defeated the Pirates 6-1. Berini struck out to end the game. East Carolina is 28-7, 10-2 in the American Athletic Conference.

Phillip Berger: The Division III William Peace baseball team had its season come to an end after losing to Greensboro College on Sunday. Berger started for the Pacers and suffered the loss. The Pride defeated the Pacers 5-4 at Ted Leonard Park in Greensboro. Berger started and threw four innings. He surrendered seven runs off eleven hits. Berger struck out three with zero walks. On Friday, Greensboro edged Peace 5-4 in the opening game of a doubleheader. Berger threw one inning of relief and surrendered two runs off two hits and two walks. He ends the year 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA. Berger recorded 39 strikeouts and 25 walks in his sophomore season.

Cooper Porter: Porter threw one-thirds of an inning for Pensacola State in its 12-3 win over Gulf Coast State College on Sunday in the opening game of a doubleheader. He struck out the only batter he faced. Pensacola State is 24-16. Porter has played 15 games for the Pirates this season. He is hitting .265 with one home run and six RBIs. He has two pitching appearances this year.

Mia Davidson: On Friday night, Davidson tweeted that she had been accepted to Graduate School. On Saturday, Davidson’s Mississippi State softball team won its first game against an Southeastern Conference opponent this year when they defeated Texas A&M 8-1 at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. Davidson hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, her 14th of the year. Davidson is now one home run shy of the all-time baseball and softball home run record in Mississippi State history, set by Rafael Palmeiro. Davidson has 66 career homers. On Saturday, she went 1-for-2 with 4 RBIs and a run scored. She also threw a runner out at third to end the fifth inning. Texas A&M defeated Mississippi State 7-5 on Friday. Davidson went 0-for-3. On Sunday, the Aggies clinched the series over the Bulldogs with an 8-1 win. Davidson finished 1-for-3 with the first single of the game.

Montana Davidson: On Sunday, Montana started at third base for Mississippi State and finished 1-for-2 with a walk. In Friday loss, Montana went 0-for-2. On Saturday, she finished 0-for-3. Mississippi State is 25-21 overall, 1-14 in the SEC. The Bulldogs travel to South Carolina next weekend.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team swept Samford in a three-game series this weekend at UNCG Softball Stadium. Dalehite entered the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, a 1-0 Spartan victory, as a pinch runner for designated player Kayleigh Willis. UNCG is 25-14 overall.

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick Henry Community College softball team swept a doubleheader from Florence-Darlington Technical College on Friday. The Patriots have won six of its last seven. In the nightcap, Hurdle earned the win in the pitching circle as PHCC prevailed 8-5. Hurdle replaced starter Brianna Taylor in the fifth inning. Hurdle tossed three innings of shutout ball. She conceded two hits and one walk with one strikeout. At the plate, Hurdle went 1-for-4. Patrick Henry won the opener 4-3 in ten innings. Hurdle finished 1-for-3 with two walks. Through 30 games, Hurdle is 3rd on the team in batting average (.369), RBIs (22), home runs (6) and hits (31). She’s second on the squad with 15 extra base hits.

In terms of pitching, Hurdle is now 4-1 with a 5.12 ERA. She has 26 strikeouts and ten walks.

Joey McMullin: Former Orange basketball guard Joey McMullin has announced his transfer to Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst. This winter, McMullin played at Bryn Athyn College, a Division III school in Philadelphia. McMullin scored over 1,000 points in his Orange career. He was a regular starter for Orange’s 2016-17 team that captured the Big 8 Regular Season Championship and advanced to the 3A State Quarterfinals. In his final win at Orange, McMullin rolled up 36 points against Northern Durham. Sandhills Community College plays in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. On Monday night, the Flyers advanced to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA National Championship with a win over John Wood Community College.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team swept a doubleheader over Jackson State on Tuesday. Davidson hit home runs in both games, bringing her career total to 65. She is now tied for fourth in Southeastern Conference history with 65 career home runs. In Mississippi State’s opening 8-0 win in five innings, Davidson went 1-for-3. In the second game, Davidson launched a solo blast in the 3rd inning. The Bulldogs captured the nightcap 10-3. Davidson went 1-for-4. Also in the second game, Davidson split time at second base and at first base. She has now played every infield position for her career at Mississippi State. 10 of Davidson’s last 12 hits have left the ballpark.

Montana Davidson: Montana came off the bench to play third base for Mississippi State in both ends of the doubleheader against the Tigers. She went 1-for-2 in the opener. In the nightcap, Montana scored off a single by Chloe Malau’ulu in the fourth inning. Montana also went 1-for-2 in the second game. Mississippi State is 23-19 and will host Texas A&M for a three-game series starting Friday in Starkville.

Grace Andrews: On Monday, the Catawba Valley Community College softball team split a doubleheader against Florence-Darlington Tech at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory. In the opening game, Florence-Darlington edged the Red Hawks 3-2. Andrews went 0-for-3, which ended her nine-game hitting streak. In the second game, Andrews rebounded in the second game, going 2-for-3 with her seventh home run of the season as the Red Hawks whitewashed the Stingers 6-0. Through 28 games, Andrews leads or is tied for the team lead in four offensive categories: a .478 batting average with 44 hits, seven home runs (tied with Alleigh Himes for the team lead) and 32 RBIs. Andrews is second on the team with ten doubles.

Landon Riley: It took two-thirds of the season, but Riley finally surrendered a run for the Liberty Flames–albeit an unearned run. Duke defeated the Flames 7-0 on Tuesday at Worthington Field. It was Liberty’s first home loss of the season. In the eighth inning, Riley faced four batters. He surrendered one run off two hits and one walk. LIberty is 5-2 against the ACC this year. The Flames are still in first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference with an 11-2 mark, one game ahead of Kennesaw State. Liberty hosts Coastal Carolina starting Friday for a three-game nonconfernece series.

Kayla Hodges: After winning the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Championship on Saturday, the Elon women’s soccer team will face Milwaukee to open the 48-team tournament at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Saturday. The winner will face Florida State, the #1 overall national seed, on May 1. Hodges has started all nine of the Phoenix’s games this season and was named 2nd-team All-Colonial Athletic Association last week.

Kate Burgess: The UNC Rowing team competed at Lake Hartwell, South Carolina last Saturday. The Tar Heels competed against Clemson and Oklahoma. The Tigers won with 81 points, while the Sooners finished with 70 points. The Tar Heels registered 65. Burgess was on UNC’s 2V4 crew, which defeated Clemson’s third and fourth boats with a time of 8:11.0.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team won its eighth straight game on Sunday, rolling past Methodist 27-12 at Monarch Stadium in Fayetteville. Jaylin Jones, a former Orange High star, scooped up one ground ball for the Falcons. Pfeiffer’s eight consecutive home wins matches the school record set by the 1994 team. The Falcons host William Peace to wrap up the regular season on Friday.

Kayla Hodges: On Thursday afternoon, the Elon women’s soccer team surprised top-seeded Hofstra 1-0 in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Towson, MD. Hodges, who was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season, started for the Phoenix on defense. Claire Broderdop scored the game’s only goal in the 78th minute. It’s the first time that Elon ever defeated Hofstra. The Phoenix is now 5-3 and will face UNC Wilmington for the Colonial Athletic Association championship on Sunday afternoon.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Queen’s University in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament last Thursday. Jean, a goalkeeper, didn’t play against the Royals. She earned the victory in net during Limestone’s final win of the season, a 2-1 win over Lincoln Memorial on April 5.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team had its season end against Mary Baldwin on March 26. This season, Rogers started in all eight games for the Pacers. She played 443 minutes. Peace finished 3-5 overall, 2-4 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith volleyball team’s season came to an end on Wednesday in the semifinals of the USA Southeast Division Tournament. Averett defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 26-24, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20 inside the Grant Center in Danville, VA. Lucas ended her junior season by starting the final game of the season. She compiled 16 assists, 15 digs and one kill. Lucas led the team with 314 assists this year. She was fourth in the squad with 108 digs. Meredith ends the year 9-5.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team won both of its midweek games this week. The Bulldogs defeated Samford 8-5 in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday. Davidson went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the 7th inning. On Wednesday, Mississippi State edged Southern Miss 3-2 in eight innings at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 1-for-3 with a single in the 1st inning, and eventually scored.

Montana Davidson: Montana hit an RBI single in the fourth inning for Mississippi State against Samford. In the third inning, Montana scored in the third inning off an RBI single by Fa Leilua. She finished 1-for-2 with an RBI against Samford. Against Southern Miss, Montana went 0-for-2 with a walk. Mississippi State is 22-16 and will travel to Missouri this weekend searching for its first Southeastern Conference win of the season.

Brandon Andrews: The former Cedar Ridge pitcher made his debut for Jacksonville State last month. In one-thirds of an inning, Andrews gave up three runs off two hits as the Gamecocks lost to Kennesaw State 12-10 at Stillwell Stadium in Kennesaw, GA on March 24. After two seasons and 37 relief appearances at Nicholls State, Andrews transferred to Jacksonville State last summer. He redshirted last season with Nicholls State. Jacksonville State is 16-15, 7-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Gamecocks will travel to Eastern Kentucky this weekend.

Kate Burgess: Burgess, a former center for the Orange women’s basketball team and cross country runner, is now a member of the UNC rowing team. On March 27, UNC’s 1V4+ quad earned its first win of the season over UCF at Virginia’s South Fork River Reservoir in Charlottesville, VA. Burgess was in the 2V4 race, joined by freshman coxswain Isabelle McGimsey, along with Gigi Maroney, Nicole Van Liew and Claire Melgard. They finished the race in 8:10.9. UCF’s team finished in 8:05.7.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team defeated Greensboro College 18-8 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Wednesday. Jones, who played football and lacrosse at Orange, had two ground balls for the Falcons. Pfeiffer improved to 8-1 overall, 6-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Pfeiffer will face Methodist in Fayetteville on Saturday.

Taylin Jean: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper returned to action for Division II Limestone on Monday night. The Saints defeated Lincoln Memorial University 2-1 in Harrogate, TN. Jean earned the win after she played 98 minutes. It was her first win of the season. On April 1, Jean came on as a substitute for starter Katie Maher in a 1-0 loss to Queen’s University at Saints Field. Limestone is 5-2 overall, 4-2 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 3-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference East Division Finals on Saturday. Daley played in her 41st career game for the Pride. Greensboro will face Pfeiffer for the USA South East Division Championship on Saturday.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team defeated the College of Charleston 1-0 at Patriot’s Point Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, SC on Sunday. Hodges was one of six Elon players to play the entire match. The Phoenix is now 3-3 overall, 2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Conference. Elon will travel to William & Mary on Saturday.

Landon Riley: The Liberty baseball team defeated Wake Forest 8-4 on Wednesday at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA. Riley finished out the game with a scoreless ninth inning. He surrendered one hit and one walk. Liberty is now 4-1 against ACC teams. This was Riley 10th appearance in 2020. He still has not surrendered a run. In eleven innings, Riley has given up five hits and five walks with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .135 against him. The Flames are 18-8, 5-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They will host Lipscomb for a three-game weekend series starting Friday.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State Junior College baseball team defeated Gulf Coast State College 4-3 on Wednesday night. Porter started in right field and finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. On Tuesday, Pensacola State defeated Gulf Coast 3-1 in Panama City, FL. Porter went 2-for-3 with a walk. In the last six games in which he’s played, Porter has had a base hit. (He sat out last weekend’s series against Northwest Florida State College) In 12 games, Porter has increased his average to .290. Pensacola State is 18-14, 8-3 in the Panhandle Conference.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team rallied to defeat Central Arkansas 4-3 at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS on Wednesday. Davidson passed Will Clark in MSU baseball and softball history with her 62nd career home run in the fifth inning. Davidson needs only three more home runs to enter the SEC all-time top five. Davidson finished 2-for-4 with a double, putting her at 197 career hits. On Monday, Southeastern Louisiana defeated Mississippi State 6-4 in Hammond, LA. Davidson finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Golden Lions.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at 3rd base for Mississippi State against Southeastern Louisiana and finished 0-for-3. She also started against Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Mississippi State’s weekend series against Tennessee has already been canceled because of COVID-19 protocols within the Volunteers program.

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick Henry Community College softball team split a doubleheader against Pitt Community College in Winterville on Tuesday. Pitt captured the nightcap 5-3. In that game, Hurdle hit a solo homer for PHCC. She finished 2-for-3 with a double and the dinger. Hurdle also started in the Patriots’ 3-0 win over the Bruisers in the opener. She went 0-for-4. Hurdle is now hitting .390 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 20 games. Patrick Henry is 9-13 overall, 4-4 in Region 10 of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This weekend, Patrick Henry will travel to Spartanburg Methodist for a Saturday doubleheader.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team swept Methodist in a senior day doubleheader at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Friday. Meredith took the first match 3-2 on scores of 20-25, 25-23, 26-24, 21-25 and 15-8. Lucas started and finished with two kills, 28 assists and seven digs. The Avenging Angels also won the second match 3-1 on scores of 22-25, 32-30, 25-15 and 25-20. In the final match, Lucas started and registered three kills, 24 assists and eight digs. Meredith is 7-4 overall, 4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They wrap up the regular season with a trip to Mary Baldwin for a doubleheader on Sunday. Lucas leads the team with 263 assists. She is fourth on the squad with 82 digs.

Dylan Boyer: The #17 Queen’s University men’s lacrosse team lost to #20 Limestone 11-5 at Saints Field in Gaffney, S.C. on Wednesday night. Boyer, a freshman with the Royals, came in as a reserve and fired one shot. Queens is now 6-4 overall, 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference.

The postseason honors continue to pour in for Orange and Cedar Ridge men’s lacrosse teams after a season where both teams made the state playoffs.

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Lacrosse Coaches Association named its 3A/2A/1A All-Region team. Orange longstick midfielder Duncan Grant and senior attacker Ryan Merrill each made the first-team. For Cedar Ridge, junior attacker Roman Oguntoyinbo and defenseman Dov Bearmann also made first-team.

Last month, Merrill and Oguntoyinbo were named co-Conference 9 Players of the Year. Bearmann was honored as co-Conference 9 Defensive Player of the Year, while Grant was named Conference 9 Player of the Year.

In addition, Orange sophomore Jake Wimsatt and freshman midfielder Connor Kruse were named second team All-Region.

Oguntoyinbo was the leading scorer for Cedar Ridge this season with 26 goals and 32 assists. He had five hat tricks, including a six-goal game in a 13-3 win over Vance Charter School in Hillsborough on March 9. He started the year with four goals and three assists against Walter Williams on January 29 in Burlington. Against Orange on February 24, he factored in on all six of the Red Wolves’ goals, scoring three and assisting on the other three.

Oguntoyinbo also led the team with 44 shots on goal and was second with 34 ground balls.

Bearmann provided steady defense for a Cedar Ridge team that held opponents under five goals in all of its wins this season. Bearmann led the Red Wolves with 46 ground balls and six takeaways. He was also occasionally utilized in the face-off circle by head coach Patrick Kavanaugh.

Cedar Ridge made the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Merrill led Orange with 40 goals and 21 assists. He had eight hat tricks, including two 6-goal games. The first was against Walter Williams on February 4, the other against Cedar Ridge.

Merrill’s junior season was limited to six games because of the pandemic. Overall, he ended his Orange career with 56 career goals and 90 points.

Grant was a steady all-around presence for the Panthers on both ends of the field. He registered 18 goals and 23 points in his senior season. He was second on the team with 68 ground balls and led the squad with 38 takeaways.

Under Coach Chandler Zirkle, Orange had the most successful season in team history. They romped through Conference 9, winning its first league championship with a 4-0 record. In the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs, the Panthers defeated Terry Sanford 17-1 in the opening round. It was the first playoff win for Orange in any sport since May 2019, when the Orange softball team defeated Jacksonville.

Against the Bulldogs, Merrill scored four goals. Grant had six ground balls and four takeaways.

That led to a second round game against Northwood, who throttled Orange 17-6 just nine days prior in Pittsboro Merrill scored three goals and two assists against the Chargers, including the Panthers’ first two markers.

Grant had eight ground balls against the Chargers.

The Panthers reached the State Quarterfinals for the first time in school history, where they face East Chapel Hill. It turned out to be the final game at Orange for Grant and Merrill. Grant had a season-high four points. Merrill scored four goals and three assists against the Wildcats, who defeated the Panthers 15-12 en route to the Eastern Regional Championship.

Just as Merrill and Grant represented Orange’s senior leadership, Wimsatt and Kruse provided a glimpse into the future. Wimsatt was the Panthers’ face-off ace. He won 73% of his draws and led the Panthers with 120 ground balls. Wimsatt also scored five goals in the playoffs and won 20 of 26 face-offs in the East Chapel Hill postseason meeting.

Kruse, who played at Stanford Middle School in 2020, scored the game-winning goal in the playoff win over Northwood. In his first varsity season, Kruse had 24 goals and 17 assists. That included four hat tricks, starting against East Chapel Hill in a 19-14 loss during the regular season on February 10. Kruse also had hat tricks against Northern Durham and Carrboro.

Players from Orange, Cedar Ridge, East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill comprised 11 of the 14 spots on the first team All-Region. East Chapel Hill’s Sam Reece, Nick Castro, and Alec Levy made the first-team. Chapel Hill was represented by defenseman Carter Grubbs, Zack Riepl, and face-off specialist Damien Kerner. Northwood goalkeeper Hunter Klingel, Topsail’s Brayden Velasquez and First Flight’s Nick Gardill rounded out the first team.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team swept North Alabama in a doubleheader at Hilda B. Anderson Stadium in Florence, AL on Saturday. In the opening game, the Bulldogs trailed 7-1 at the end of five innings, but stormed back to win 9-7 in nine innings. It was Mississippi State’s largest comeback win since 2004. In the third inning, Davidson hit her 61st career home run, tying her with Will Clark on Mississippi State’s career home run list. She’s also now tied for sixth on the Southeastern Conference’s career home run list. In the opener, Davidson went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks. She also drew a key walk that set up a grand slam by Fa Leilua that sparked the comeback. Mississippi State won the second game 9-1 in five innings, where Davidson went 0-for-2 with two walks. Last Wednesday, the Bulldogs edged Southern Miss 2-1 in nine innings. Davidson went 0-for-4 with one walk and one run scored.

Montana Davidson: Against Southern Miss last Wednesday, Montana had an RBI groundout which led to the first Mississippi State run. She finished 0-for-3 with the RBI. Against North Alabama, Montana started both games at third base. In the opener, Montana went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. In the nightcap, Montana finished 1-for-3 and scored off a double by Leilua in the 4th inning. Mississippi State is 18-14 and will travel to Southeastern Louisiana today (Monday).

Jaden Hurdle: The Louisburg College softball team, #4 in the National Junior College Division II rankings, swept Patrick Henry Community College in a doubleheader in Martinsville, VA on Saturday. Hurdle started both games for Patrick Henry and went 0-for-6 combined in both games. Hurdle also started as pitcher in the second game. She threw five-and-one-third innings. She struck out five and conceded three runs and five hits. The Patriots are 8-12 overall, 4-4 in Region X of the NJCAA. Hurdle is hitting .396 over 18 games, which is 4th on the team. She has three home runs and 15 RBIs.

Marvin Jones: Another big week for the former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf. Jones was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week after his performance last weekend at the Raleigh Relays, where he finished 2nd in the high jump. That was the MEAC’s best mark so far this outdoor season. On Saturday, Jones responded by winning the high jump competition at the VertKlasse Meeting in Dick Very Stadium at High Point University. Jones cleared 1.99 meters to take his first championship of the outdoor season for the Eagles. Tanner Henry of Wofford finished second at 1.94 meters.

Phillip Berger: Division III North Carolina Wesleyan baseball swept a three-game series from William Peace over the weekend at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger threw five-and-one-thirds innings of middle relief for the Pacers in the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday, which the Battling Bishops won 4-0. Berger gave up seven hits, three runs, three walks with three strikeouts. So far this season, Berger is 2-2 with a 3.78 ERA in nine pitching appearance with four starts. Peace is 12-11 overall, 4-4 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Dylan Boyer: Boyer tallied another goal for the Queen’s men’s lacrosse team in a 22-6 win over Lincoln Memorial at Dickson Field in Charlotte on Saturday. Boyer scored on an unassisted goal with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter to put the Royals ahead 8-2. Queens, which is ranked #15 in Division II, improved to 6-3 overall, 6-1 in the South Atlantic Conference. Boyer has played in nine games thus far in his freshman season with one start. He has five goals and four assists with the Royals, who will travel to Limestone on Wednesday.

Olivia Ward: The former Cedar Ridge All-Big 8 tennis player won for Division III Methodist University at the Clayton Tennis Center in Fayetteville on Saturday. Ward defeated Hannah Smith of Southern Virginia in #3 singles 5-7, 6-1 and captured a 10-point tiebreaker 10-3 to take the match. Southern Virginia won the team match 7-2. Later in the day, the Lions defeated Pfeiffer 8-1 in its final home match of the year. Methodist is 5-11 overall, 2-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Adam Chnupa: The remaining game of the Elon football team’s season is in question. The Phoenix’s game against James Madison was postponed on Saturday because of COVID-19 protocols at Elon. A decision on rescheduling the contest will be made at a future date. This was supposed to be the regular season finale for Elon, who are 1-5 overall, 0-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Chnupa, a former All-Big 8 Conference linebacker at Cedar Ridge, has played in every game for the Phoenix this year.

Two Orange lacrosse seniors responsible for the most successful season in school history have been honored accordingly.

Orange longstick midfielder Duncan Grant has been named the Conference 9 Player of the Year. Grant’s classmate, Ryan Merrill, was named the Conference 9 co-Offensive Player of the Year. Merrill shared the award with Cedar Ridge’s Roman Oguntoyinbo.

Grant is Orange’s first-ever Conference Player of the Year.

Orange sophomore Jake Wimsatt was named the Conference 9 co-Defensive Player of the Year. Wimsatt shared the honor with Cedar Ridge long stick midfielder Dov Bearmann.

The Panthers, who captured the Conference 9 Championship, had eight players make first-team All-Conference 9. In addition to Grant, Merrill and Wimsatt, also honored were freshman midfielder Connor Kruse, senior attacker Caleb Davis, midfielder Cy Horner, senior Leif Mahaney, and defenseman Griffin Metheny.

Orange’s nine seniors were responsible for the deepest run in school history. The Panthers reached the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A/2A/1A State Quarterfinals, upsetting Northwood in the second round. Last Monday, Orange lost to eventual Eastern Regional Champion East Chapel Hill at Auman Stadium, but the Panthers led late in the third quarter. Orange’s Conference 9 Championship was the school’s first outright conference title in any sport since February 2019.

“This was a great year for our conference,” said Orange Lacrosse Coach Chandler Zirkle. “There were many deserving players as voted on by our conference coaches.”

Grant scored 15 goals and three assists, including a vital hat trick in the win over Northwood, which came only one week after the Chargers romped past the Panthers by eleven goals. Grant was second on the team with 49 ground balls and led the squad with 32 takeaways.

Merrill led Orange with 29 goals and 15 assists. He scored six goals in a 10-6 win over Cedar Ridge on February 24, which essentially ensured the conference championship. Merrill had a hat trick in the victory over Northwood and was the go-to option on offense throughout the year. Merrill added four goals against East Chapel Hill in the state playoffs, his final game at Orange. He also assisted on two goals against the Wildcats.

“Roman Oguntoyinbo and Ryan Merril both had exceptional years scoring the ball for both Cedar Ridge and Orange,” Zirkle said. “Roman lead the conference in scoring during the regular season while Ryan Merrill was the leading scorer on the conferences top team who often came out mid way through games to give JV players the chance to play.”

Davis, a senior attacker, was second on the team with 22 goals and 20 assists. He finished with five points against Northwood, including a hat trick. He finished with seven points against Vance Charter School in Henderson on March 4, which officially secured the Conference 9 title for the Panthers. Davis also scored seven points in a 19-7 win over Carrboro on March 2.

Horner scored Orange’s opening goal against East Chapel Hill last Monday. He ended the year with five goals and nine assists. He scored four points against Carrboro, and assisted on Connor Kruse’s game-winning goal against Northwood.

Speaking of Kruse, he was one of only two freshman to make the All-Conference 9 first-team. Kruse, who played at Stanford Middle School last year, finished third on the squad with 19 goals. He also had 32 points. Kruse had three hat tricks, including two in back-to-back games against Northern Durham and Carrboro. Kruse was a regular feature on Orange’s top unit in the state playoffs and figures to be a prominent player for years to come.

Mahaney ended the year with 44 ground balls, third on the team. He was also a reliable defensive midfielder with 12 takeaways, tied with Davis for second-highest on the team behind Grant.

Metheny was a strong long stick defenseman for an Orange team that allowed five goals or less four times. As Orange struggled struggled throughout the year to find a steady goalkeeper because of injuries and football defections, Metheny was one of the pillars of the Panthers’ defense.

Wimsatt was Orange’s face-off ace. In the regular season, Wimsatt won 71% of his face-offs, with 81 victories in all. He controlled the face-off circle against East Chapel Hill, where he won a majority of his attempts. Wimsatt led Orange with 86 ground balls. He also developed into a scoring threat at the year wore on, ending the season with eleven goals.

Sophomore Braden Hunt and senior Tristan Watson were named honorable mention All-Conference.

Marvin Jones: A former Cedar Ridge track and field star, Jones finished second for North Carolina Central at the Raleigh Relays at N.C. State University on Saturday. Jones had a jump of 2.05 meters in the high jump. Virginia’s Brenton Foster captured the high jump championship. It was Jones’ first event since the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in February 2020, where he came in 3rd in the high jump. Jones’ personal best is 2.10 meters.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was optioned by the Atlanta Braves to an alternate training site on Friday. The move came after Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said the Braves wouldn’t use a fifth starter for the first few weeks of the season. Wilson was in contention to be the fifth man in the rotation. So far in spring training, Wilson is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four appearances with three starts. He has struck out nine batters in 13.2 innings.

Landon Riley: The Liberty baseball team won its 13th straight game with a 5-2 win over Bellarmine on Friday. Riley threw one-and-two-third innings, once again not allowing a run. He walked one and struck out one. Liberty’s winning streak ended with an 8-7 loss to the Knights on Saturday, but the Flames captured the series with a 5-1 victory on Sunday at Knights Field in Louisville, KY. Liberty will make another trip to the Triangle on Tuesday. They face Duke at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Joey Berini: #8 East Carolina defeated Elon 15-0 at Latham Park on Friday. Berini came in as a reserve shortstop and went 0-for-2. The Pirates are 17-5.

Phillip Berger: Berger took a no decision as Division III William Peace defeated Averett University 4-3 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary on Saturday. Berger worked seven innings and surrendered ten hits, but only two runs. He struck out five and walked two. This season, Berger is 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in eight appearances. The Pacers have won four in a row after sweeping the weekend series from Averett.

Mia Davidson: Davidson is now eighth in career home runs in Southeastern Conference history. On Sunday, Davidson hit a solo homer in the sixth inning against #12 Arkansas, giving her 60 career dingers. Davidson is already the all-time home run hitter in Mississippi State history. Arkansas swept the weekend series against Mississippi State. On Saturday, Arkansas held off the Bulldogs 8-7. where Davidson hit another home run. She went 0-for-3 in a 2-0 loss on Friday. Through 29 games, Davidson is hitting .337 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs. She’s tied for the team lead with 30 hits and leads the squad with seven doubles.

Montana Davidson: Montana started all three games against the Razorbacks at third base. She went 1-for-4 on Saturday. Montana has started all 28 games for Mississippi State and is hitting .287.

Jaden Hurdle: Patrick Henry Community College’s softball team swept a doubleheader against Surry Community College in Dobson on Friday. Hurdle went a combined 5-for-7 with four RBIS and four runs scored. In the second game, Hurdle drilled a 2-run homer in the Patriots’ 15-10 win. Hurdle finished the day 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. She also doubled. Hurdle even pitched one inning, where she surrendered three runs (two earned) off two hits. She walked one and struck out one.

In the opening game, PHCC won 10-3. Hurdle finished 2-for-2 with one run scored and two walks. Patrick Henry is in 3rd place in Region 10’s West Division with a 4-4 conference record. The Patriots are 8-10 overall. Hurdle is hitting .447 with 21 hits, both the second-best marks on the team. Hurdle leads the Patriots with eleven extra base hits. She also has three home runs and 15 RBIs.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team’s weekend series against Caldwell Community College was postponed by rain. It will be played today. Last Wednesday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader from the Montreat JV on scores of 11-0 and 9-0 in Hickory. In the opener, Andrews had an RBI single and finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. In the nightcap, Andrews also went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. In Division II of Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, Andrew is tied for 3rd with 25 RBIs. She’s seventh with a .492 batting average. Andrews also has four RBIs. The Red Hawks are tied with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute for 1st place in Region 10’s Western Division with a 6-2 record.

Adam Chnupa: #20 Richmond defeated Elon 31-17 at Robins Stadium on Saturday in Colonial Athletic Association football action. Chnupa finished with a tackle for the Phoenix, who are 1-5 overall, 0-4 in the CAA.

Dylan Boyer: The former Orange High midfielder played as a reserve for the Division II Queen’s College men’s lacrosse team last week. Queen’s defeated Coker University 12-8 at Queen’s Sports Complex in Charlotte. On Saturday, the Royals defeated Tusculum University 12-8 to improve to 5-3 overall, 5-1 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team drilled Averett 26-3 at Campbell Stadium in Danville, VA on Saturday. Jones scooped up a ground ball for the Falcons, who have won five in a row and are 6-1 overall, 3-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Kayla Hodges: Elon Phoenix junior Kayla Hodges was named Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week. Last week, Elon defeated James Madison in overtime 1-0. The Dukes fired 12 shots against Elon, but Hodges and the rest of the backline prevented any of the shots from getting on net. Hodges also had a shot on net in Sunday’s victory at Rudd Field. Elon is 2-1, 1-1 in the CAA. They host South Carolina on Thursday.

Brittany Daley: Division III Greensboro College played to a scoreless tie with Pfeiffer on Saturday at Pride Field in Greensboro. Daley made her 39th career start for the Pride, who are now 3-1-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Bailey Lucas: Lucas posted a double-double in Division III Meredith’s nightcap victory over North Carolina Wesleyan at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Saturday. Lucas had 24 assists and eleven kills as the Avenging Angels won the second match of a doubleheader 3-0 on scores of 25-14, 25-14 and 25-20. Meredith also captured the opener 3-0 on scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-9. In that match, Lucas started once again and registered nine assists and two digs. Meredith improved to 4-3, 3-2 in the USA South. This season, Lucas has started all seven matches for the Avenging Angels. She leads the team with 161 assists and is third on the squad with 51 digs. Meredith travels to Greensboro on Saturday.

Joey Berini: The #8 East Carolina baseball team lost to #24 North Carolina 8-1 on Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. Berini entered the game in the sixth inning and remained as the shortstop. In his only at-bat, Berini grounded out to second base. The Pirates are now 16-4.

Cooper Porter: Pensacola State defeated Chipola College 8-4 last Thursday. Porter finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. Through nine games with the Pirates, Porter is hitting .167 with one RBI and three stolen bases.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer University men’s lacrosse team defeated Methodist 18-8 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Sunday. It was the Falcons’ fourth straight victory. Jones was credited with a ground ball as Pfeiffer improved to 5-1, 3-0 in the USA South Conference.

Olivia Ward: Ward captured a victory at #3 doubles for the Division III Methodist women’s tennis team on Saturday. Ward, a former All-Big 8 Conference player at Cedar Ridge, teamed with Natalie Collins to defeat Emily Wrenn and Ruth Lechner 8-0 of Sweet Briar in #3 doubles. Sweet Briar wound up winning the match 5-4. It was Ward’s first victory in the college ranks. Earlier in the day, Ward lost in #3 singles to Kate Katany 6-4, 6-3. Methodist is 4-9 overall, 1-0 in the USA South Conference.

Connor Crabtree: Though he hasn’t played since early December, Connor Crabtree will be watching when the University of Richmond competes in the National Invitational Tournament quarterfinals. The Spiders will face Mississippi State on Thursday night. Unfortunately, Crabtree was sidelined for the season with a broken foot before Christmas. In his first season with the Spiders, Crabtree played in four games. On December 22, he scored eight points as the Spiders lost to Hofstra 76-71. Crabtree played a season-high 21 minutes. He also played seven minutes against Loyola-Chicago, whom the Spiders defeated 75-73 on December 18. The Ramblers will face Oregon State on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.