Softball Notebook: McPherson homers for Orange in win over Northwood; Shambley drives in four in Red Wolves victory
Orange 13, Northwood 0: A night after suffering its first loss of the season, Orange (4-1, 1-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) bounced back with a dominant 11-1 victory in five innings over Northwood at Orange Softball Field on Wednesday night.
Junior Caden Robinson earned her fourth win of the season in the circle with ten strikeouts. Robinson also hit a two-run homer in the first inning to dead centerfield. Senior centerfielder Serenity McPherson added a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to stretch the Lady Panthers lead to 10-0.
Robinson added a triple in the second inning to plate Natalie Roberson and McPherson. Orange added another run in the third when Hayleigh Hammond laced a leadoff triple to left field. Delaney Shaffer doubled in Hammond with a fly ball to centerfield. Natalie Roberson singled in Shaffer.
Robinson has had double-digit strikeouts in three games this season for Orange. She struck out eleven against Roxboro Community School. In the season opener against Eastern Guilford, Robinson fanned 13.
Cedar Ridge 23, Seaforth 1: Sophomore Kimber Shambley hit her first career home run for Cedar Ridge as the Red Wolves won in its first trip to Seaforth in Pittsboro.
Shambley, who finished with four RBIs, ended the scoring on the night with a two run homer to centerfield, also scoring Cierra Copeland. Shambley, the daughter of former Orange High centerfielder Kevin Shambley, had an RBI single in the first inning to bring in Rylee Capps.
Cedar Ridge catcher Reagan Simmons opened the game with a double to right field. Laci Sykes scored Simmons on a RBI groundout. Capps drove in Charlotte Lowry with a triple to centerfield.
Freshman Mia Best earned the victory in the circle with a compete game. She struck out ten and surrendered only five hits. Anaya Carter went 2-for-4, while Best went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Western Alamance 4, Orange 0: Western Alamance pitcher Taylor Apple was in top form as the Warriors maintained first place in the Central Carolina Conference on Tuesday night in Elon.
Apple, who has committed to East Carolina, struck out eleven in a two-hit shutout. Caden Robinson’s, Apple’s counterpart in the circle, got Orange’s only two hits of the game. Robinson was the only Lady Panther to touch second base the whole night.
Apple hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Payton Rainey was hit by a pitch with one out and scored off the dinger.
In the 5th, Lela Kate Baker hit a leadoff double to centerfield. Baker moved to third after a sacrifice bunt by Kasidy Allen. Ryan Justice lined an RBI single to center to score Baker and increase the Warriors lead to 3-0. Robinson allowed eight hits in the circle in a complete game.
Person 12, Cedar Ridge 1: Person, which was denied the CCC Championship by the eventual 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance last year, maintained its share of first place with a win over Cedar Ridge in Roxboro on Monday night.
Person’s Delaney Glover three a two-hitter with eight strikeouts. Simmons and Carter were the only Red Wolves to get hits off Glover. The Red Wolves did score the opening run when Simmons drew a leadoff walk. Carter lined to left field to move Simmons to second base. Lowry reached off an error by the shortstop, which allowed Simmons to score.
Person (4-1, 1-0 in the CCC) came back with two runs in the bottom of the first. Following a walk by Lindsey Melton, Liberty Jones reached on a bunt. With Taryn Massey at bat, Melton scored off a passed ball. Massey singled in Jones to keep Person ahead for good. Kaiden Hawkins sent 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Rockets. Glover, in addition to her victory in the circle, went 2-for-4. Massey went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Cedar Ridge will host Northwood on Friday night at Red Wolves Field at 6PM.