Orange Softball

The Orange softball team sits atop first place in the Central Conference. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers used home runs from Mia Leathers, Caden Robinson and Hayleigh Hammond to defeat Eastern Alamance 8-5 in a battle of teams undefeated in conference play. Sophomore Katie Carden singled in the first inning, which allowed Sadie Cecil to score a run off an error. Later in the frame, Carden scored off a groundout by Allie Carden. After the Eagles tied the game at 2-2, Orange hit back-to-back homers. Hayleigh Hammond smashed one over the centerfield wall to put Orange in the lead for good. Afterwards, Leathers took one deep, also to centerfield. Later in the fourth, Katie Carden knocked in Addison Guentensberger with a single to centerfield to put Orange ahead 5-2. Katie Carden is hitting .378 this season and has played in all eleven games. Orange has won nine of its last ten games. Leathers has two home runs while starting at first base. On Friday night, the Lady Panthers will travel to Western Alamance, the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions. It will start the second half of the conference slate for Orange. Earlier this year, Orange defeated the Warriors 16-6 in six innings in Hillsborough. The Lady Panthers will host Person on Monday.

In a conference as deep as the Central Conference, any road softball win feels like a true accomplishment.

On Tuesday night, the Orange softball team did it the old fashioned way at Southern Alamance. They earned it.

Sophomore Hayleigh Hammond looped a RBI single to centerfield to score Katie Carden, pushing Orange ahead for good in a 5-4 win over the Patriots in Graham.

The win ended Southern Alamance’s 34-game conference winning streak. It was their first league loss since March 17, 2021, which was actually their season opener against Southwestern Randolph in the Mid-Piedmont Conference. That was the pandemic-shortened year where the Patriots wound up winning the 3A State Championship. The past two years, Southern Alamance played as a 4A team in the DAC-VII Conference, where they won 24 straight games and consecutive league crowns.

Senior pitcher Caden Robinson handled the lead for the final two innings as Orange won its seventh straight game. The Patriots got leadoff batter Brianna White aboard after a walk, but Robinson struck out Savannah Strickland. After Abagail Holt moved White to second with a sacrifice bunt, Macyee Tickle drew a walk. Hammond ended the inning when she caught a fly ball hit by senior Kayla Wilson.

The Lady Panthers (6-1) haven’t lost since dropping its opener against Wakefield on February 26. They are now tied with Eastern Alamance for first place in the Central Conference at 2-0. Orange hosts Eastern Alamance on Tuesday in Hillsborough.

Robinson struck out nine to earn her sixth win of the season, allowing only four hits.

Orange never trailed against the Patriots, but the Patriots tied the game twice. Robinson lined a double to the right field gap. Allie Carden followed with a bloop that fell between three Patriots in right for a base hit to score Robinson.

After Robinson retired the Patriots in order in the first inning, Hammond led off the second when she belted a hanging curveball to the left field fence for a double. Hammond advanced to third following a groundout by Mia Leathers to first base. Natalie Roberson laid down a bunt that rolled past first baseman Peyton Carter. Wilson, playing second, backed her up and tagged out Roberson, but Hammond easily scored to increase Orange’s lead to 2-0.

Southern Alamance struck for two runs in the second to tie the game. After Carter was hit by a pitch, Gracie Shoffner belted a line drive that sailed over the head of Hammond in centerfield. Freshman Avery Dobbins sent a high bouncer to shortstop, which Delanie Shaffer knocked down but couldn’t make a play with. Carter scored to cut the Orange lead in half. Then Shoffner scored off a groundout by White to tie the game.

Orange immediately grabbed the lead back in the third inning. Robinson lined a single through the hole into left field. Allie Carden took a 2-2 fastball and parked it just shy of the scoreboard in centerfield. her second home run of the season.

The Patriots evened things up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Holt reached on an error at first base. Wilson stepped up and lined a base hit to right field that nearly hit Holt running to second. Rylee Humble then sent a bouncing ball that eluded a diving attempt by Shaffer at shortstop and rolled all the way to the royal blue fence to score Holt and Wilson. With Morgan Edmunds running for Humble at second and one out, Robinson struck out Carter. Shoffner grounded out to Katie Carden to keep the game tied 4-4 at the end of three innings.

Katie Carden opened the fifth inning by getting hit by a pitch. Allie Carden went opposite field with a diving liner that hugged the right field line, sending Katie Carden to third, leading to Hammond’s game-winning hit.

Orange will host Cedar Ridge on Thursday night.

Since winning the final Big 8 Conference championship in the pandemic-shortened year of 2021, the Orange softball team has been lurking in the pack of the Central Conference as Eastern Alamance won two state championships and Western Alamance won the Eastern Regional championship last year.

On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers put on a display so dominant, it may has served as a wake-up call to the rest of the Central Conference that they won’t be content with being merely a formidable team this year.

Junior Allie Carden hit the first grand slam of her career and finished 4-for-4 with seven RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated Western Alamance 16-6 in six innings in Hillsborough. It was the first time that Orange defeated the Warriors since the two teams became conference rivals since 2022.

Orange senior pitcher Caden Robinson smashed a two-run homer run in the bottom of the third inning as the Lady Panthers set a new season-high with 16 runs and 15 hits.

Western Alamance (3-5, 2-1 in the Central Conference) lost 2023 Central Conference Pitcher of the Year Taylor Apple to graduation last summer. Apple is already pitching regularly for East Carolina as a freshman.

The Warriors still struck for three runs in the opening inning with its first four batters all getting aboard. Ryan Justice drew a leadoff walk, while Bayleigh Burris, Addison Beal and Kara Alday all walked to score the opening run. Senior Lela Kate Bakter sent a line drive to right field for a base it to score Burris. Then courtesy runner Andrea Bryant scored off a bases-loaded walk from Kyndal Wilborn. Robinson recovered to strike out the next three batters.

Robinson doubled to centerfield to send Katie Carden to third in the Orange side of the first. That’s when Allie Carden had her first big hit of the night, a double on a liner to center to score Carden and Robinson.

Orange took the lead in the third when leadoff batter Sadie Cecil reached on an error by Burris at shortstop. Katie Carden drew a walk, which led to Robinson’s three-run blast to put the Lady Panthers ahead 5-3.

The Warriors tied the game with a pair of runs in the fourth. Kayde Moore drew a walk. Justice sent a liner to left field, advancing Moore to second. Beal lined to left to score Moore and Justice and even things up at 5-5.

Allie Carden’s grand slam turned the tide of the game for good. Addison Guentensberger reached on an error by Moore at second base. Sophomore Payton Borland replied Guentensberger as a pinch-runner. Cecil walked. Katie Carden backed up left fielder Lela Kate Baker to left field before she hauled in the ball just shy of the fence. Western actually intentionally walked Robinson to get to Carden, which proved to be a mistake.

With the wind blowing towards left field, Carden fouled off a 2-2 pitch before taking a changeup low. Carden turned the payoff pitch to a laser into right field that buzzed over the fence. Carden got pats on her black helmet as she crossed home plate for the first grand slam of her career.

Alday hit a solo homer to left field to start the fifth to cut the Orange lead to 9-6, but the Lady Panthers would turn it into a rout in the bottom of the fifth. Borland singled to centerfield, followed by another hit from Cecil. Katie Carden grounded to second, where Cecil was thrown out at second. Robinson sent a double down the left field line to score Carden and Borland.

Freshman Anna Klein came in as the new Warrior pitcher. Allie Carden lined to centerfield to bring in Robinson. Delanie Shaffer singled, Hayleigh Hammond walked and Mia Leathers scored Carden on a groundout to second base to increase the Orange lead to 13-6.

Orange has  won five in a row after dropping its season opener to Wakefield. They will travel to Southeast Alamance tonight (Thursday) in Graham. The Lady Panthers will face Walter Williams on Friday night in Hillsborough in its final game before spring break.

The Orange softball team has won four in a row after Wednesday night’s 9-2 victory over Roxboro Community School in Person County. Sophomore Katie Carden hit the first home run of her varsity career with a two-run blast in the first inning. Last week, the Panthers rallied past the Bulldogs 7-6. With RCS leading 6-5, Carden tied the game with a double to centerfield, scoring Allie Carden. Addison Guentensberger laced a walkoff single to centerfield, scoring Carden. On Wednesday night, the Lady Panthers scored six runs in the third inning. Mia Leathers had the big blast with a grand slam, her first home run of the year. Caden Robinson added an RBI single in the third inning. In the circle, Robinson threw a complete game two-hitter, striking out six. Robinson is now 4-1 this season. She has been a member of Orange’s varsity since her freshman year, when the Lady Panthers won the Big 8 Conference championship. Last week, Orange won three games over the course of four days with win over RCS, West Johnston and Eden Morehead. Orange will start its Central Conference slate against defending league champion Western Alamance in Hillsborough on Tuesday night. Last year, Western Alamance won the 3A Eastern Regional championship behind pitcher Taylor Apple, who now plays at East Carolina. 

Mia Davidson: The all-time leading home run hitter in Orange High history has signed with the Denso Bright Pegasus of the Japan Diamond Softball League, the top professional organization in Japan. Davidson will play for the Bright Pegasus starting next week, as well as maintaining her American ties with Athletes Unlimited during the summer. The Diamond Softball League, commonly referred to as the “JD League,” has been in existence since 2022. Unlike the United States, which has struggled to maintain a standard individual franchise professional softball league despite the popularity of the sport in college and high school, the JD League has 16 teams. Denso Bright Pegasus was founded in 1960.

Takia Nichols: Nichols hit her first home run of the season for North Carolina Central against North Carolina on Tuesday night. The dinger gave the Eagles the lead, but UNC wound up winning 21-1 in five innings at Anderson Stadium in Chapel Hill. Over the weekend, the Eagles played in the Pirate Invitational at Joyner Family Stadium in Greenville. Nichols started in two games and went 1-for-2 with a double against Rider. The Broncs won 10-4. Nichols also started the second game of a doubleheader against East Carolina, which the Pirates won 5-0.

Mary Moss Wirt: Elon went 1-4 in the Duke Tournament in Durham last weekend. Wirt started at catcher in two games against Michigan State and against #8 Duke on Sunday. This weekend, the Phoenix will face off against UNC Greensboro at Hunt Softball Park in Elon.

Tori Dalehite: UNC Greensboro went 3-2 in the I-75 Tournament at Mewborn Field in Atlanta last weekend. In a 3-0 victory at Kennesaw State on Sunday, Dalehite entered the game as a pinch-hitter. In an 8-4 win over Robert Morris, Dalehite scored on a walkoff grand slam hit by Samantha Beck as the Spartans came back from a 4-0 deficit to win. Dalehite reached on an error leading up to the game-winning homer. Dalehite also played in a 13-1 victory over Army in five innings. Last week, Dalehite entered the game in the sixth inning as a reserve in a 6-4 loss to North Carolina.

Carson Bradsher: South Carolina Upstate hosted the Wings ETC Classic last weekend at Cyrill Stadium in Spartanburg, SC. The Spartans rolled past Monmouth 8-1. Bradsher scored as a pinch-runner in the sixth inning off of a sacrifice fly. On Saturday, Upstate defeated Monmouth again 9-0. Bradsher scored the final run of the day after Cassie Norris was hit by a pitch. Bradsher also entered the game in a reserve role in a 11-6 loss to Kentucky on Sunday. South Carolina Upstate went 2-3 in the event.

Lauren Jackson: Lenoir-Rhyne is now ranked #25 in Division II after sweeping four games from Barton and Johnson C. Smith at Bears Field in Hickory. Against the Golden Bulls, Jackson went 2-for-2 with an RBI single during a nine-run first inning. Jackson played as a pinch-hitter in a 4-0 win over Barton on Sunday in the opening game of a doubleheader. On Saturday, Jackson walked as a pinch-hitter in a 10-0 whitewashing of Barton in five innings.

Ava Lowry: Division III North Carolina Wesleyan started its season dropping a doubleheader to #9 Virginia Wesleyan over the weekend at Edge Field in Rocky Mount. On Saturday, the Battling Bishops swept Mid-Atlantic Christian in another doubleheader. Lowry, a former Cedar Ridge shortstop, hit a two-run homer in her first at-bat of the season in an 11-0 win over the Mustangs. In the nightcap, Lowry drew three walks and scored two runs as the Bishops won 17-4. Virginia Wesleyan won the opening game of Sunday’s doubleheader 6-5 in nine innings. The Bishops led 2-0 going into the seventh inning, but the Marlins tied the game in the seventh. Lowry finished 1-for-3. The Marlins claimed the second game 8-0. Lowry went 0-for-2.

Kelsey Tackett: Wesleyan’s opening weekend was also the first official games for Tackett, who played for Orange from 2020-2023.

Brianne Foster: Wake Tech Community College defeated Southwest Virginia 9-1 on Monday in William Peace University in Raleigh. Foster entered the game as a pinch-hitter. Foster started in left field as the Eagles swept the doubleheader with a 17-9 win in five innings. Foster started in left field. On Thursday, the Eagles will travel to North Myrtle Beach to face South Carolina Union.

Olivia Aitkin: The Division III Amherst College Mammoths will start its season on March 17 in a doubleheader against Endicott College and Rampo College. Aitkin will start her sophomore season after playing ten games last year, starting six. She had a batting average of .385 in 13 at-bats.

Photo from Carolina University 

Grace Andrews: After three years at Catawba Valley Community College, Andrews is now at Carolina University, a National Christian College Athletic Association school in Winston-Salem. Carolina won its first game of the season against Salem College on February 17. Andrews went 2-for-5 with a double. In the second game of the doubleheader, Andrews finished 1-for-3 with an RBI double as Salem won 9-8 with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. On February 21, the Bruins split a doubleheader with Milligan University in Milligan, TN. In a 12-2 win for Carolina in the opener, Andrews went 2-for-4 with an RBI double. In Milligan’s 5-4 win in the nightcap, Andrews went 1-for-4 and scored the Bruins first run off a throwing error. She started at shortstop. Andrews also played both games in a doubleheader sweep of Johnson C. Smith in Clemmons on February 19. The Bruins are 4-4.

Takia Nichols :North Carolina Centra won 3-2 in the HBCU Softball Invitational at the Turner Lake Softball Complex in Covington, GA last weekend. Nichols started as a designated hitter in a 4-3 win over Alabama State. She went 1-for-3. Alcorn State edged the Eagles 7-6 on Friday night. Nichols went 1-for-2 with a double and two walks. Nichols went 1-for-3 with an RBI off a sacrifice fly as Central edged Jackson State 9-8 on Saturday. Alabama A&M defeated Central 4-1 on Sunday. Nichols entered the game as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-1 with a walk. The Eagles are 4-6 and will head to Greenville this weekend for the Pirate Invitational at East Carolina University. Central will face East Carolina on Friday.

Tori Dalehite: Last week, Dalehite started in left field as UNC Greensboro defeated Wintrop 6-1 at UNCG Softball Stadium. Dalehite went 0-for-3 with a walk. The Spartans hosted the Spiro Classic last week in Greensboro. Dalehite started in left field in a 5-3 win over Sacred Heart on Friday. She played right field in a 7-2 win over Drexel on Friday night. Dalehite singled and scored as a pinch-hitter in the Spartans 7-3 win over Drexel on Saturday. Ohio defeated UNCG twice last weekend, including a 6-4 win on Sunday. Dalehite entered that contest in the seventh inning as a right fielder.

Mary Moss Wirt: The Elon softball team played in the Marucci Classic at Dail Softball Stadium at N.C. State University in Raleigh. The Phoenix went 1-4 in the event. Wirt played in all five games, starting with an appearance as a pinch-hitter in an 8-7 loss to North Dakota State in eight innings. Wirt started as catcher in an 9-0 loss to Connecticut in five innings. Elon’s only win of the weekend with a 7-5 victory over North Dakota St. in eight innings. Wirt entered the game against the Bison in the second inning as catcher. Wirt also played in two games against N.C. State. The Wolfpack defeated Elon on Saturday 5-2. On Sunday, N.C. State prevailed 8-4. On Wednesday, Wirt started at catcher in a 9-1 loss to Virginia Tech in six innings at Tech Softball Park in Blacksburg, VA.

Carson Bradsher: South Carolina Upstate went 2-2 in the Winthrop Eagle Classic at Terry Field in Rock Hill, SC last weekend. In a 14-3 win over Mount St. Mary’s, Bradsher had an RBI single to right field in the fourth inning. Bradsher entered the game during a 10-run fourth inning as a pinch-runner and scored. off a throwing error.

Lauren Jackson: Division II Lenoir-Rhyne defeated the #1 team in D2, North Georgia, 2-1 in ten innings in Dahlonga, GA on Saturday. On Sunday, North Georgia bounced back to beat the Bears 6-0. Jackson played in the second end of the doubleheader as a pinch-hitter. Jackson walked in the Bears 9-0 victory over UNC Pembroke in five innings on Saturday afternoon. On Thursday, Lenoir-Rhyne split a doubleheader against Lees-McRae at Bears Field in Hickory. The Bears won the nightcap 10-2 in five innings. Jackson started at catcher and went 1-for-3.

Brianne Foster: Breezy has started her freshman season at Wake Tech. The Eagles defeated the Guilford College junior varsity team 10-2 on February 18 for its first win. Foster went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Foster went 2-for-4 in the opening game of the doubleheader against Guilford, which the Quakers won 15-7. Foster started at catcher. Foster also started the opening game of a doubleheader against Gaston College on Wednesday, which the Rhinos swept.

Mia Davidson-Smith: The United States women’s national softball team won the gold medal at the Pan-American Games in Santiago, Chile on Saturday. The Americans defeated Puerto Rico 7-0 in the gold medal game. The U.S. didn’t surrender more than three runs in any of its six games and outscored its opposition 60-8. Davidson-Smith hit a home run in an 18-0 win over Chile run in the Americans opening 18-0 win over Chile. She had a pinch-hit homer in the second inning. Davidson-Smith played in the Americans 8-3 win over Canada last Friday. She scored a run in the U.S. 7-0 victory over Mexico after she drew a walk pinch-hitting for Erin Coffell, who played at Kentucky. Davidson started against Venezuela and went 0-for-1 with a walk. The trip to Chile was the latest international journey for Davidson-Smith. Last spring, she played in Dublin, Ireland for the United States in the World Baseball Softball Confederation World Cup, where the Americans also took gold.

Trenton Gill: The Chicago Bears lost to the New Orleans Saints 24-17 at the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome on Sunday. Gill had two punts for an average of 47.5 yards. His longest punt was 49 yards. The Bears are 2-7 and will face the Carolina Panthers at Solider Field on Thursday night.

Payton Wilson: Wilson was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week for N.C. State after the Wolfpack defeated Clemson 24-17 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Wilson returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to put the Wolfpack ahead 17-7. Wilson finished with eight tackles with one-and-a-half tackles for loss. N.C. State defeated Miami 20-6 last weekend in Raleigh. Wilson led the team with 16 tackles, had two pass breakups and two quarterback hits. He also had a tackle for loss. Through eight games, Wilson leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, pass breakups, quarterback hits, and fumble recoveries. He also is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two.

Darius Satterfield: The Elizabeth City State football team ended its season with a 38-20 win over Bluefield State University last weekend. Satterfield averaged 33.5 yards per punt over four attempts. One was downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was 45 yards. On October 21, the Vikings upset Virginia State 17-16 on the road at Rogers Stadium. Satterfield averaged 38.2 yards on four punts. One was downed inside the 20-yard line. He had one touchback. The Vikings finished the year 3-7. This season, Satterfield averaged 36.4 yards per punt on 43 punts. He had three punts of over 50 yards.

Braxton Mergenthal: The Hampden-Sydney football team claimed a thrilling 26-25 win in overtime over Shenandoah in its home finale on Saturday. It was the final home game for Hampden-Sydney head coach Marty Favret, who is retiring after 24 years. Mergenthal finished with one tackle. Hampden-Sydney has a chance to make the Division III playoffs. They go into its regular season finale at Randolph-Macon this weekend with a 6-3 record.

Ivy Garner: The Liberty women’s soccer team won the Conference USA Tournament championship last week. The Flames defeated New Mexico State 2-1 at Robert Mack Caruthers Field in Ruston, LA. Garner started and played 56 minutes, firing one shot on goal. Last Friday, the Flames defeated Louisiana Tech 4-0 in the semifinals. Garner started and played 64 minutes for the Flames. She had three shots. Liberty will face #3 Georgia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

Emerson Talley: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team remains undefeated as they go into the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The Bears finished the SAC regular season champions after beating #4 Catawba 2-1 in Salisbury on November 1. Talley started and played 90 minutes. She fired one shot. On Sunday, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Mars Hill 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the SAC Tournament. Talley started and played the first half. The Bears won its home finale over Lincoln Memorial 2-0 at Moretz Sports Complex in Hickory. Talley started and played 81 minutes. Lenoir-Rhyne will face Carson-Newman in the semifinals on Friday morning in Matthews.