Orange Softball

The Orange softball team has advanced to the semifinals of the Central Conference Tournament. On Monday night, the Lady Panthers came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Person 5-3 at Orange Softball Field. Senior Sadie Cecil scored Cecil scored three runs. She drove in the game-tying run with a single in the fourth to score Addison Guentensberger. Cecil reached base in all four of her at-bats. Freshman Malynne Roemmich threw a complete game four-hitter and got better as the game went on. After Person scored three runs in the opening two innings, Roemmich only allowed two baserunners in the final five innings to earn the win. She finished with three strikeouts. Allie Carden delivered a RBI triple to score Cecil in the third inning. Later, Carden drew a walk. Evelyn George, serving as Carden’s courtesy runner, scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning after Guentensberger reached on an error off a hard ground ball. Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday night in a semifinal matchup. Orange, seeded #3 in the tournament, is playing its best softball of the year. They defeated Eastern Alamance, the league regular season champions, last Thursday in the final regular season game. They also defeated Western Alamance last week.

Orange softball’s Sadie Cecil and Malynne Roemmich discuss win over Person

The Orange softball team has advanced to the semifinals of the Central Conference Tournament. On Monday night, the Lady Panthers came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Person 5-3 at Orange Softball Field. Senior Sadie Cecil scored Cecil scored three runs. She drove in the game-tying run with a single in the fourth to score Addison Guentensberger.

Sadie Cecil had her game face on as she stepped up to bat for the second time on Monday night.

In possibly her final home game, Cecil’s Orange Panthers were down 3-1 to Person in the Central Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Her brother, Luke, decided to have a little fun at her expense. Right over the loud speakers, he announce his sister as “Now batting, the Prom Queen, Sadie Cecil.” It was a title Cecil earned during the prom on Saturday night.

Cecil didn’t even crack a smile and roped a single to left field moments later.

“I’ll probably kill him when I get home,” Sadie said afterwards.

Cecil’s mood improved after she drove in the game-tying run in the fourth inning, then added an insurance tally in the sixth as the Lady Panthers defeated Person 6-3 to advance on Monday night in Hillsborough. Cecil scored three runs as Orange fought back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Rockets for the third time this season.

Freshman Malynne Roemmich threw a complete game four-hitter to earn the win. She allowed only two baserunners after the second inning.

Person’s Madison Snead looped a two-run double that landed just beyond first base down the right field line, scoring Riley Morris and Kenzley Horne to put the Rockets ahead 3-1.

Orange steadily chipped away at its deficit.

After Cecil’s single in the third, Allie Carden belted a two-out triple that rolled to the centerfield fence. The following inning, Addison Guentensberger led off with a double that floated over the head of right fielder Macey Bowes. With two out, junior Hayleigh Hammond dropped a flawless bunt down the third baseline for a single. Cecil laced an RBI single to score Guentensberger to tie the game, but Hammond was thrown out at third by Person left fielder Isabel Castillo.

Allie Carden drew a two-out walk in the sixth. Evelyn George replaced Carden as a courtesy runner. Rhiley Crabtree dropped a single that landed in front of Castillo, who was injured on the play, allowing George to take an extra base. Guentensberger lined a sharp grounder that eluded the shortstop, scoring George to put Orange ahead 4-3.

Orange junior Katie Carden lined a two-run single for insurance in the sixth to score Hammond and Cecil.

Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday night in the semifinals.

Cedar Ridge 19, Walter Williams 1 (3 innings)

There were plenty of milestones for 2nd-seeded Cedar Ridge in an easy victory over Williams in the Central Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Monday night.

Senior Kimber Shambley hit two home runs against the Bulldogs. Shambley earned her 100th career RBI. Shambley delivered her initial dinger in the first inning right after Reagan Remaly laced an RBI single to left field to score Mia Best. Shambley knocked in Remaly again in the second inning with a home run over the right field fence in the second inning.

Shambley is drawing closer to the school record for career RBIs, which is held by Takia Nichols. From 2018-2022, Nichols hit 109 RBIs. Her sophomore season was abbreviated to four games because of the pandemic. Nichols’ junior year contained a limited schedule of 14 games, where she still hit 38 RBIs. She now plays at North Carolina Central.

Cedar Ridge senior pitcher Charlotte Lowry earned her 300th career strikeouts. She faced five batters and struck out four of them. Best closed out the game, retiring the final five batters.

Lowry hit two doubles and finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Brittaini Goddard also hit a home run, a two-run blast.

Madeline Galindo-Woodring had an RBI single.

Tuesday’s game will be the third of the season between the Red Wolves and the Lady Panthers. In the other semifinal, Western Alamance will travel to top-seeded Eastern Alamance.

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From the very beginning of the season in March, the Central Conference softball race has been unpredictable.

In the end, Eastern Alamance earned the championship, but the final games of the regular season proved this week’s Central Conference Tournament will bring new meaning to the term “wide open.”

On Thursday night, Orange’s Hayleigh Hammond drilled two doubles and turned a game-ending double play to upset the Eagles 6-3 in Hillsborough. It was the culmination of three games over four days for the Lady Panthers, who finished the regular season 9-8 overall, 7-5 in the Central Conference. Orange will host Southern Alamance in the opening round of the Central Conference Tournament in Hillsborough on Monday.

In her final regular season home game, Orange senior first baseman Rhiley Crabtree went 3-for-4.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, Hammond vaulted Orange ahead after a bases-loaded double that rolled to the fence in centerfield. Crabtree, Addison Guentensberger and Natalie Roberson all scored.

Sophomore Katie Carden added to Orange’s lead after she led dropped in a single to left field to lead off the fifth. Guentensberger sent a pop-up to shallow left field where two Eagle fielders collided with each other, allowing Carden to make it 4-1.

Guentensberger replaced freshman starter Malynne Roemmich as pitcher in the fifth inning. Guentensberger’s constant array of changeups and knuckleballs didn’t set radar guns on fire, but it did riddle Eastern Alamance hitters. Guentensberger allowed four hits and two runs in two-and-two-thirds innings.

The Eagles reduced Orange’s lead to 4-3 with two runs in the sixth inning. Eastern’s Olivia Foster scored off a sacrifice fly hit by Rachel Byrd. Carley Boggs sent an RBI single to left field, scoring fellow freshman Edie Stewart. Guentensberger got a crucial third out when she threw out Kayden Manning.

Orange got two more runs in the sixth. Hammond led off with another double. Carden drove her in with a single to left field. Allie Carden knocked in Sadie Cecil with a liner to centerfield.

On Tuesday night, Eastern Alamance clinched the Central Conference regular season championship by beating Southern Alamance 11-10 in Mebane. The Eagles trailed 8-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to win.

Cedar Ridge 5, Southeast Alamance 3: Cedar Ridge ended its most successful regular season in six years with a nonconference win over Southeast Alamance in Hillsborough on Thursday.

The Red Wolves finished the regular season 14-6 overall, 9-3 in the Central Conference. Cedar Ridge finished one game behind Eastern Alamance, whom they haven’t played since March 21.

Junior third baseman Mia Best drove in the game-tying run and scored the go-ahead run for the Red Wolves. After Qiaura Rogers belted a liner to right field that got past the right fielder for a triple, Best bounced a two hooper over the third base bag to score Rogers and even the game.

Cedar Ridge scored two runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Best reached second off a double to centerfield. Raegan Remaly dropped in a single to centerfield. With two out, Best would score off a passed ball with Charlotte Lowry at the plate. After Remaly moved to third, Lowry knocked her with a single to left field.

In the sixth inning, Remaly hit a RBI single to right field to bring in Madeline Galindo-Woording. Rogers scored off an error after the ball eluded the right fielder to increase the Red Wolves lead to 5-1.

Remaly finished 3-for-4 with a run scored.

Lowry, the senior Cedar Ridge pitcher, threw a complete game. She allowed only five hits with four strikeouts.

Cedar Ridge will host Williams in the opening round of the Central Conference Tournament on Monday in Hillsborough. The Red Wolves will be the #2 seed.

Orange junior pitcher Ryan Sawyer earned his fifth win of the season with a victory over Walter Williams in Burlington on Tuesday. Sawyer allowed just four hits in a complete game as the Panthers won 2-1. It was Orange’s first victory in Burlington since 2022. Sawyer threw five shutout innings against Southern Alamance on April 8. Last Tuesday, he threw six shutout innings against Cedar Ridge. Since February 26, when Orange defeated Chapel Hill, Sawyer has been Orange’s Tuesday starter and made rapid improvement. He leads the Panthers with five wins and 67 strikeouts this season. He has a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also has a 173 earned run average. Sawyer has also played left field the past two weeks as the Panthers continue to battle injuries and illness up and down its starting lineup. The win over Williams was Orange’s third straight Central Conference victory. Though Orange is out of the hunt for a fifth straight conference championship, they are battling to earn a home game in the state playoffs. On Friday, the Panthers will close out the two-game series with Williams for Senior Night in Hillsborough. Orange’ seniors Dominic O’Keefe, Garrett Sawyer and Eli Horton will be honored during a pregame ceremony that will take place at 5:45. First pitch will be at 6PM.

Orange pitcher Garrett Sawyer discusses win over Walter Williams

Orange junior pitcher Ryan Sawyer earned his fifth win of the season with a victory over Walter Williams in Burlington on Tuesday. Sawyer allowed just four hits in a complete game as the Panthers won 2-1. It was Orange’s first victory in Burlington since 2022.

Photo courtesy of Erin Martin 

Mary Moss Wirt: The Elon softball team has clinched a spot in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament. The Phoenix took a three-game series against Drexel in Coastal Athletic Association action at DU Softball Field in Philadelphia last week. Wirt started two games in the series at catcher. In the opening game of the doubleheader, she scored the final run in a 13-3 game decided in six innings on April 12. The following day, Wirt went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice hit in the Dragons’ only win of the series, a 6-3 decision. Elon is 16-4 in the Coastal Athletic Association, only one game behind Campbell in the loss column for first place. The Phoenix is 25-15 overall after sweeping a three-game series against North Carolina A&T this weekend. Wirt has started 20 games and has played in 25. She is hitting .265 with five RBIs.

Takia Nichols: The North Carolina Central softball team defeated Delaware State at DSU Softball Field on Saturday. Nichols started at first base. The Eagles salvaged a game in the three-game set. The Hornets took the opening game of a doubleheader 6-0 on Friday and completed the sweep with a 5-4 win in the nightcap. Nichols started all three games. Nichols has played in 33 games this year. The Eagles are 11-30 overall, 8-9 in the MEAC. They will face Appalachian State at Parkwood Athletic Field in Boone on Saturday.

Mia Davidson: Ever the globetrotter, Davidson has gone from Mexico to Japan to start her season with the Denso Bright Pegasus of Japan’s Diamond League. Last Saturday, the Bright Pegasus won its season opener over Honda Reverta 3-2, a game where Davidson score the game-winning run after she led off the inning with a single.

Carson Bradsher: The Division III Averett University Cougars swept its final home doubleheader of the season against Roanoke last week. Bradsher, starting in centerfield, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base as the Cougars won the opener 5-2. Bradsher scored in each of the first two innings. Averett won the nightcap 4-2. Bradsher finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored, including the opening tally of the game when she stole second and wound up scoring off a throwing error. On April 16, Averett split a doubleheader with Ferrum College. Averett edged the Panthers in the opener 2-1 at Cougar Field in Danville, VA. In the nightcap, the Panthers won 4-3 in eight innings, but Bradsher score the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh off an infield single by Hannah Zabik. Bradsher went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI triple. Averett is 17-19 overall, 8-10 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Bradsher, who transferred from South Carolina Upstate over the summer, has started all 36 games for the Cougars. She leads the team in seven offensive categories, including a .474 batting average with 64 hits, 35 runs scored, 72 total bases, a .533 slugging percentage, a .486 on base percentage and 21 stolen bases out of 22 attempts.

Ava Lowry: The Division III North Carolina Wesleyan Battling Bishops split a doubleheader at Mary Baldwin in Staunton, VA on Saturday. Wesleyan won the closing game 10-5, rallying back from a 4-0 deficit. Lowry went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run double that tied the game in the third inning. Lowry had another RBI double in the fifth. In the opener, the Squirrels won 10-2 in five innings. Lowry started both games at shortstop. Last Wednesday, Wesleyan swept a doubleheader from William Peace at Edge Field in Rocky Mount. Lowry went 1-for-4 in the the second game, which Wesleyan won 6-5 in eight innings. The Battling Bishops are 22-14 overall, 10-4 in the USA South Conference.

Olivia Aitkin: The Division III Amherst Mammoths swept a doubleheader from Trinity College out of Connecticut on Saturday. Aitkin started in centerfield and went 1-for-3 in the first game, which Amherst won 9-5. Aitkin drew two walks and scored a run in the second game, which Amherst won 11-5. On Wednesday, Springfield College swept a doubleheader from Amherst on scores of 12-3 in six innings and 1-0 in eight innings. Amherst is 14-13 overall, 5-7 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Breezy Foster: The Wake Tech Community College Eagles are 18-27 overall, 12-20 in Region 10 of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This weekend, Cleveland Community College won all four games from the Eagles. Foster started three of the four games at catcher. In a 16-2 win at Southwest Virginia, Foster went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Wake Tech will face Richard Bland College at Buffaloe Road Athletic Park in Raleigh on Wednesday.

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Mia Davidson: The Diablos Rojos won the championship of the Mexican Softball League last month. Davidson, playing her first season in Mexico, helped Diablos defeat Sultanes de Monterrey 3-0 in the best-of-five Serie de la Reina (The Queen’s Series). The third and deciding game, played in front of 12,424 fans at Estadio Alfredo Harp Help, was captured by Diablos 5-0. The series broke the league record for attendance. Davidson started at first base in all three games of the series. In game one, which the Diablos won 7-6, Davidson hit the game-winning three-run home run in the sixth inning to vault the Diablos ahead 7-5. She finished game one 2-for-4 with three RBIs. The Diablos finished first in the regular season with a 23-5 record, three games ahead of Bravas de Leon.

Bryse Wilson: In his first games for the Chicago White Sox, Wilson threw two innings of middle relief. He tossed a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout agains the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field on March 30. Los Angeles won 3-2. On March 29, Wilson threw another scoreless seventh inning, giving up two hits and a strikeout. The Angels won 1-0. The White Sox are 2-3 after losing to Minnesota on Tuesday.

Katie Belle Sikes: The greatest swimmer in Orange High history finished her freshman season at Georgia in the NCAA National Championships in Federal Way, Washington. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Sikes, Helena Jones, liane Reinstein Bri Robertson finished as second-team All-Americans. They finished 16th in the nation with a time of 3:13.20. Sikes swam the anchor leg at 48.27 seconds. Georgia finished 16h in the country with 58 points. Virginia won its fifth-consecutive national championship with 544 points.

Mary Moss Wirt: Delaware took two-out-of-three games against Elon in a softball weekend series in Newark, DE over the weekend. Wirt scored Elon’s only run in the Blue Hens’ 9-1 win over the Phoenix last Friday. Wirt, starting at catcher, went 1-for-2. On Sunday, Delaware edged the Phoenix 3-2. Wirt went 1-for-3. Against Monmouth on March 23, Wirt finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored as the Phoenix defeated the Hawks 11-0 in five innings. Elon swept the three-game series from Monmouth. In the opening game of the series, Wirt scored a run as a pinch-runner. Currently, Wirt is hitting .242 in 18 games. Elon is 17-14 overall, 9-3 in the Coastal Athletic Association.

Takia Nichols: The North Carolina Central Eagles took the series from Coppin State at CSU Softball Complex in Baltimore over the weekend. Nichols drove in a run off a sacrifice fly in the second inning of Sunday’s series-finale, which the Eagles won 10-0 in five innings. In Central’s 6-2 win over Coppin State on Friday, Nichols drove in the opening run off another sacrifice fly. Nichols went 1-for-2 in the opener. She started all three games at first base. The Eagles are 4-5 in the MEAC. They will host Morgan State at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary starting with a doubleheader on Saturday.

Carson Bradsher: The Division III Averett University softball team dropped a doubleheader to #5 Virginia Wesleyan at Cougar Field in Danville, VA on Sunday. Bradsher, hitting leadoff for the Cougars, went 2-for-7 with an RBI against the Marlins. #14 Randolph-Macon swept a doubleheader from Averett on March 29. Bradsher went 2-for-7 in the doubleheader. Averett is 11-14 overall, 2-6 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Bradsher is leading the team with a .439 batting average. She also leads the team in hits (43), runs (23), and total bases (46).

Ava Lowry: Against Guilford, Lowry went 2-for-5 with a double as North Carolina Wesleyan split a doubleheader against the Quakers on March 25. Lowry had an RBI single as the Battling Bishops improved to 2-2 in the USA South Conference. Over the weekend, Lowry started both games at shortstop as Wesleyan swept a doubleheader from Southern Virginia on scores of 4-0 and 9-1.

Olivia Aitkin: The former Cedar Ridge utility player started in centerfield for Division III Amherst on Sunday. Tufts University swept a doubleheader from the Mammoths. Aitkin also started in centerfield as Amherst split a doubleheader from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. In a 6-5 loss to Middlebury, Aitkin drove in a run off a sacrifice fly.

Brianne Foster: Foster started at catcher for Wake Tech and went 1-for-3 on March 26 against Louisburg at Buffaloe Road Athletic Park in Raleigh. Foster finished 1-for-3. Louisburg won 16-1 in six innings. Wake Tech is 14-15 overall, 8-8 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Foster has played in 18 games this season and is hitting .205 with six RBIs.

The Orange softball team captured its Central Conference opener in a wild game over Western Alamance on Tuesday night. In its final trip to Elon for a league game, senior Sadie Cecil went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 13-10. Last week, Orange held off Roxboro Community School 4-2. Cecil hit two home runs, including a three-run blast that put the Lady Panthers ahead in the second inning. Sophomore Addison Guentensberger has become Orange’s top pitcher this season, replacing Caden Robinson. Guentensberger earned the win throwing a complete game. She also had a single in the second inning and scored off the Cecil homer. In the season opener against South Granville, Cecil threw a three-hitter in a 10-1 win over South Granville in Creedmoor. She struck out three. Against the Vikings, Cecil went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cecil has opened the season with a five-game hitting streak as Orange has started the season 3-2. Guentensberger has thrown 27 innings through five starts. Orange sits atop the Central Conference going into its doubleheader tonight (Friday) against Walter Williams in Hillsborough. Last month, Cecil signed to play at Division II Mars Hill College, along with her Orange teammate, Allie Carden. Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday.

Orange softball’s Sadie Cecil & Addison Guentensberger discuss start to season

The Orange softball team captured its Central Conference opener in a wild game over Western Alamance on Tuesday night. In its final trip to Elon for a league game, senior Sadie Cecil went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 13-10. Last week, Orange held off Roxboro Community School 4-2.