Orange Softball

Eddie Davidson’s arrival as softball coach at Orange High was the textbook definition of perfect timing. He arrived just as his oldest  daughter Montana was a rising senior and his youngest daughter Mia was a junior.

It May, Eddie led the Orange softball team to the first women’s team state championship in school history.

In a perfect world, Davidson would just be planting his roots in Hillsborough and prepare for a long stay, just like his baseball coach Dean Dease has done when Davidson played right field for him in 1991 and 1992.

But sometimes life gets in the way and the timing isn’t always perfect.

Two weeks ago, Davidson’s wife Christina earned a promotion for the National Association of Letter Carriers after a vacancy suddenly opened, necessitating a move to Washington, D.C. Davidson, who has worked in the post office industry in Durham just like his father Cliff since graduating from Orange, also earned a promotion and will accompany his wife.

On Thursday, the day before Orange was slated to open its season against Eastern Alamance (who was postponed do to high winds), Davidson informed his team of his resignation.

Henry Horn, who served as an assistant at Northern Durham for three years, will serve as the interim coach.

“It was very difficult for him,” said Horn. “It was a good situation for his family at that time. He really hated to step away, but that’s when he asked me to fill that void for this season. I told him I would.”

After Horn left Northern, he had no intention of getting back into the game. He filled the time watching his daughter, Callie, play at Elon. Then Mia Davidson talked him into coming back to be a hitting coach for her Showcase Summer League team.

When Davidson asked Horn to return to high school coaching in 2017, Horn was reluctant.

”I wasn’t ready, to be honest,” said Horn. “But I really like these kids. I really like these kids. I promised him that I would stay here just to keep the tradition going.”

Davidson, who played football and baseball during his high school days at Orange from 1988-1992, leaves the softball team after two seasons as head coach. He went 49-7 with two Big 8 Championships (Orange shared the 2016 title with Northwood).

In 2016, Orange advanced to the 4th round of the 3A State Playoffs, where they lost to C.B. Aycock 7-5.

A year later, the Panthers claimed the 3A state championship by sweeping Piedmont in the best-of-three series at N.C. State’s Dail Field. Mia Davidson was named series MVP after she hit a two-run homer to dead center to vault Orange ahead 3-2 in the 7th inning to take game one.

Mia Davidson: The freshman Mississippi State catcher currently leads the Bulldogs in batting average, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage (.803, over 150 points better than Morgan Bell, who is in 2nd place), and on-base percentage. And she has a stolen base. On Saturday during the Bulldog Slamboree, Davidson hit a two-run homer to center in the first inning. The Bulldogs swept the Bulldog Slamboree with wins over Lamar, Mercer and a doubleheader sweep against Sam Houston State. Mississippi State is now 16-3 and ranked #25 in the country.  

Mackenzie Cates: The senior shortstop for the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears softball team, Cates has helped the Bears win 5 straight games, reaching a 15-4 record overall and a #15 ranking in NCAA Division II. On Saturday.in the opener of a doubleheader against Francis Marion, Cates went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Bears won 5-1. Later that day, Lenior-Rhyne completed the sweep as Cates with 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI as the Bears prevailed 8-2. Last Tuesday, Lenior-Rhyne swept another doubleheader against Belmont Abbey in Hickory. The Bears took the opener 8-0, where Cates went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Through 19 games, Cates, a native of Efland, has hit .309 with one home run and 7 RBIs. She also has three doubles and is 2-for-2 on stolen bases.

Brandon Andrews: The first Ceda Ridge centerfielder/pitcher played in two games over the weekend for Nicholls in the Cox Diamond Invitational. Andrew threw two-thirds of an inning, striking out one, in a 6-3 loss to Ohio State. Andrews also pitched in an 11-5 loss to Eastern Michigan. Nicholls is 1-9.

Brad Debo: The N.C. State baseball team is off to a 10-2 start. Catcher Brad Debo, who graduated from Orange in 2016, has started ten games as a catcher, hitting .333 with two doubles and eight RBIs. On Friday, when the Wolfpack defeated Bowling Green, Debo went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI as Wolfpack Coach Elliott Avent won his 800th career game. On Saturday in a 21-4 victory over Campbell, Debo went 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI.

Stephen Tanner: A former goalkeeper for the Cedar Ridge lacrosse team, Tanner earned the win in net for Greensboro College in a 10-7 victory over Hampton on Saturday. Tanner made five saves in playing 75 minutes. On Friday, Greensboro edged Alma 10-9, where Tanner earned another win by making eight saves. So far this season, Tanner has started eight games. He is 5-3 with a .478 save percentage and a 9.05 goals against average. The Pride is 5-3 overall in the NCAA Division III South Athletic Conference.