Orange Softball

There’s something about playing Triton in the state playoffs that leads to heroic moments for Orange.

The latest magic came from Orange softball senior Allie Carden in Erwin on Tuesday night.

Orange’s season was hanging by a thread. Down 7-2 against the Hawks in the seventh inning, senior Sadie Cecil grooved a double down the left field line to score Natalie Roberson, who drew a leadoff walk.

After Molly Kate Ollis loaded the bases with a walk, Carden stepped up with two out. On a 1-0 pitch, she drilled a no-doubter well over the centerfield fence that landed into the trees beyond the royal blue fence at Hawks Softball Field. Orange’s reserves, adorned in black uniforms with orange numbers, spilled out of the dugout as one to celebrate a new life to their season as Carden crossed home plate.

Stuck with only three runs over the first six innings, Orange couldn’t stop scoring after Carden’s grand slam.

Orange sent eleven batters to the plate in the eighth inning and scored eight runs to put it out of reach as the Lady Panthers defeated the Hawks 15-7 in eight innings in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. Orange (14-11), seeded #17, will face top-seeded Southern Nash in Bailey on Friday night.

With one out in the eighth, Hayleigh Hammond banged a double off the left field wall, missing a home run by inches. It started a string of four consecutive Orange hits that put the game away. Cecil drove in the game-winning run with another two-bagger to left field. Ollis lined a single through the heart of the 5-6 hole. Cecil tested the arm of left fielder Sydney Bradham and slid into home plate safely as the throw was off line to increase Orange’s lead to 9-7.

Katie Carden added insurance with an opposite field triple that rolled to the right field fence, easily scoring Ollis and forcing a Triton pitching change. Senior Rhiley Crabtree knocked in Carden with a bouncing ball that dipped under the glove of second baseman Kelsey Matthews for a single. Hammond, in her second at-bat of the inning, drove a triple to left field to score Roberson and Karley Neighbours.

Freshman Lexi Bowes earned the win in relief, throwing five innings.

In 2023, the Triton baseball team led Orange 8-3 after scoring five runs in the 10th inning in the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Orange responded by scoring six runs in the bottom of the 10th with Wyatt Hedrick hitting a walkoff single to win 9-8.

Cedar Ridge 12, West Johnston 1 (5 innings): 

In Cedar Ridge’s last home playoff game six years ago, they needed eleven innings to defeat West Johnston.

On Tuesday night, in their first home since that night in 2019, they finished off the Wildcats quickly.

Senior Reagan Simmons hit a three-run homer during a four-run fourth inning. Senior Charlotte Lowry, in possibly her final start in Hillsborough, allowed only three hits after the first inning as the Red Wolves easily advanced to the second round.

The Red Wolves will travel to Richlands on Friday night. The Wildcats needed a walkoff hit to beat White Oak 2-1 in the opening round.

There was no such drama in Hillsborough on Tuesday. Kimber Shambley broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning with a RBI single to centerfield to plate Mia Best. Simmons, in her first game in several weeks, drilled a three-run homer that floated over the centerfield fence to put the Red Wolves ahead 5-1.

Simmons finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Mia Best scored four runs and went 3-for-3 with two doubles. Lowry allowed only five hits. Kimber Shambley went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Cedar Ridge added three runs in the fourth. Raegan Remaly knocked in Brittani Goddard off an error. Shambley drove in Madeline Galindo-Woodring off another error to increase the Cedar Ridge lead to 7-1.

Cedar Ridge is 17-7, its most successful season since going 21-3 in 2019.

West Johnston, which came into the game having won eight of its last nine, ends the year 13-9.

For a period of time, it appeared that Orange softball would host a state playoff game in the opening round for the fifth straight round.

Instead, Orange will head out on the road later today to Erwin.

The Lady Panthers received a #17 seed in the 3A State Playoffs from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association on Tuesday. Orange will face Triton from the Quad County Conference tonight.

On seeding day, the preliminary brackets had Orange with a #16 seed hosting Western Alamance, which would have been the third matchup between the two teams this year. But those brackets were rescinded after Carrboro was erroneously seeded and put ahead of Orange. That cost the Panthers a home game.

Orange goes into the state playoffs 10-9 after falling to Cedar Ridge 15-14 in a marathon Central Conference semifinal last Tuesday. In the final week of the regular season, the Lady Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance, the Central Conference regular season champion. They also swept Western Alamance, who finished in a tie for third place with Orange at 7-5.

In the non conference portion of its schedule, Orange opened by beating South Granville 10-1. The Vikings would go on to win the Northern Lakes Conference. The Lady Panthers also split two games against Roxboro Community School, a 1A team that went undefeated in the Triangle North Conference. Also on Orange’s resume was a game against Wakefield, which tied Wake Forest for the Northern Athletic Conference championship.

Orange was led by first year head coach Emily Pierce this season. Junior third baseman Katie Carden led the team with a .510 batting average. Senior shortstop Sadie Cecil had a .492 batting average. In the Central Conference Tournament, Cecil hit .666 with five runs scored and four RBIs. Catcher Allie Carden hit .428 with two triples and a double. Both Carden and Cecil will play at Mars Hill University next year.

Cedar Ridge will host its first state playoff game since 2019 against West Johnston tonight at Red Wolves Softball Field. The Red Wolves received a #13 seed after finishing 2nd in the Central Conference, finishing one game behind Eastern Alamance for first place.

As fate would have it, West J0hnston was the opponent the last time Cedar Ridge hosted a state playoff game in 2019. The Red Wolves won a thrilling 4-3 game in eleven innings when Tionna Carter hit a walkoff single. Cedar Ridge defeated West Carteret in the second round before falling to eventual state champion Eastern Alamance.

The winner of Cedar Ridge-West Johnston advances to face either Richlands or Western Harnett. Richlands, the champions of the Coastal Conference, finished the regular season 18-5.

Behind the pitching of Charlotte Lowry and an offense that led the Central Conference with 223 runs, the Red Wolves knocked on the door of winning the conference championship throughout the season. In three games against Eastern Alamance, the Red Wolves had the lead going into the sixth inning each time only to fall short.

In the Central Conference Tournament championship game on Thursday in Mebane, Cedar Ridge led the Eagles  5-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning after Kimber Shambley drove in Qiaura Rogers. The Eagles’ Edie Stewart hit two home runs, including a two-run blast in the sixth. After Carley Boggs tied the game with a two-run home run in the seventh to tie the game, Stewart ended the game with a walkoff homer to left field.

West Johnston finished 11-3 in the Quad County Conference and finished 13-8 overall. South Johnston finished the Quad County with a 14-0 record. Last week, South Johnston edged West Johnston 5-4 when the Trojans got the game-winning run in the sixth inning.

Cedar Ridge will face West Johnston at 6PM tonight.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior softball third baseman Katie Carden. Carden started this season by hitting two home runs in Orange’s 10-1 win at South Granville on February 26. This season. Carden leads Orange with a .510 batting average and is tied for the team with four home runs. On Tuesday, Carden drilled a grand slam against Cedar Ridge in the Central Conference Tournament as the Lady Panthers rallied back from a 12-4 deficit to take the lead . In the opening round on Monday, Carden had a two-run single as Orange pulled away from Person 6-3. Last week, Carden had a crucial RBI single in the sixth inning as Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 6-3. Last week, Carden scored and drove in a run in Orange’s 5-4 win over Western Alamance, completing a season sweep of the Warriors. In 2024, Carden hit .410 for an Orange team that reached the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. She was tied for second on the team with 34 runs. Carden has committed to Queen’s University, which is completing its transition to a Division I program in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Katie’s mother, Christy, played softball for Orange in the 1990s. Her cousin, Jayden Hurdle, was the starting first baseman for the 2017 3A State Championship team.

Orange Panther of the Week: Katie Carden

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior softball third baseman Katie Carden. Carden started this season by hitting two home runs in Orange’s 10-1 win at South Granville on February 26. This season. Carden leads Orange with a .510 batting average and is tied for the team with four home runs.

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.