Orange Softball

It was a bumpy but ultimately successful ride for the Orange softball team in its trip to Chatham Central on Monday night. The Lady Panthers prevailed over the Bears 6-5 in Bear Creek, nearly an hour from Hillsborough. After the Bears got a grand slam from freshman Carleigh Warf put Chatham Central ahead 4-2 at the end of two innings, the Panthers chipped away at the lead. Senior third baseman Mary Moss Wirt had the biggest hits of the game. In the third, she laced a leadoff double to right field and scored off another double by Kelsey Tackett to cut the Bears lead to 4-3. In the fourth, Orange scored three runs to take the lead. Wirt hit an RBI single to right field to bring in Caden Robinson and tie the game. Delaney Shaffer knocked Wirt in wit a line drive to centerfield as Orange took the lead for good. Caden Robinson earned the win in the circle, throwing a complete game. Junior shortstop Carson Bradsher went 2-for-3 and had several important defensive plays. Orange is scheduled to host Vance Charter on Wednesday. They will open Central Carolina Conference play on Friday with another trip to Chatham County to face Northwood.

What is delayed cannot be denied.

From the day she led the Orange softball team to the 2017 3A State Softball Championship, power has been the theme of Mia Davidson’s career. She still owns the all-time North Carolina record with 53 home runs.

When she started her career at Mississippi State in 2018, Davidson homered on her first day as a college player, an 8-0 win again Omaha at Nusz Park in Starkville. It was her second game as a Bulldog.

Through a pandemic, a head coaching change and an injury to her most prized teammate (her older sister), last week Davidson cemented her name in the Southeastern Conference record book for years to come. She hit her 70th career home run against Southern Illinois on February 18, breaking the all-time SEC record previously held by Lauren Haeger of Florida.

Davidson needed 214 games to break the record. Haeger achieved 70 home runs over the course of 261 games.

“It’s a great achievement,” Davidson, clearly emotional, said after the doubleheader during the Bulldog Classic. “I’m going to cry, oh my goodness. just being here for five years and doing something, especially in one of the best conferences in the country. It’s something amazing. It’s nice. It felt amazing. I was jumping around the bases the whole time.”

Davidson’s 70th dinger was a solo blast in the sixth inning that drew the Bulldogs to within one run of the Salukis, who held on to beat MSU 4-3. Later in the day, Mississippi State defeated Central Arkansas 11-3. In that game, Davidson had a two-run homer in the 2nd inning. It was an emotional moment for an emotional player that has aimed to make the Mississippi State program a better one as she prepares to end her softball career this summer.
“It was nice,” Davidson said. “They (her teammates) all came and gave me a hug. I think some of us starting crying together. It was an amazing feeling. I think just having a strong team and family especially with having my sister there. It was really nice.”

In 2018, Davidson was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after leading the conference with 18 home runs, but it wasn’t an easy transition from Hillsborough. Her older sister, Montana, was sidelined with a knee injury and was forced to take a medical redshirt.

Montana Davidson, who graduated from Orange in 2016, returned the following season, where she and Mia played at Duke Softball Stadium against the college team they grew up rooting for. The year away from Montana wasn’t just a period to recover from a painful injury. It robbed her of precious time to play alongside her sister that neither one of them could get back.

“It was indescribable,” Montana said after an extra innings win over Duke in 2019. “It hit me pretty hard when I couldn’t even travel (with the team due to being hurt).”

While Montana was out, she guided Mia through her first year away from Hillsborough.

“She was pretty much everything for me,” Mia said in 2019. “She would listen when I vented. She would tell me when to calm down and stuff. It was a different experience when she was there.”

Over this past weekend, Mia continued her torrent pace for her senior season. During five games in the Alex Wlcox Memorial at Nusz Park, Davidson hit five home runs. She went 7-for-13 while being walked five times. This season, Davidson has eight homers and 17 RBIs. She is now one RBI away from tying the school record.

On Friday alone, Davidson had four home runs over the course of two games. Against Longwood and Belmont, Davidson went 5-for-6 with eight RBIs. She reached base safely in seven of her eight plate appearances. The only time she was retired all day came when she struck out after her contact lens fell out on the previous pitch.

Against the Lancers, Davidson had a career-high six RBIs while going 4-for-4, including a grand slam. The six RBIs was the third-most in a single-game in school history. The grand slam was the third of her career.

In Sunday’s win over South Alabama, Davidson launched a solo blast to centerfield as the Bulldogs prevailed 5-0.

Mississippi State is 9-7 overall and will continue the season against Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team finally got its season going over the weekend. The Red Hawks swept doubleheaders on consecutive days against the Montreat junior varsity and Pitt Community College. Andrews picked up where she left off last season. Against Montreat on February 16, she went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two doubles. The Red Hawks won the opener 6-3. In the nightcap, CVCC won 12-0 in five innings. Andrews, who started at third base, went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

On Saturday, the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader from Pitt Community College. In the opener, which CVCC won 2-1, Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. In the second game, Andrews went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI as the Red Hawks prevailed 9-4. Andrews came away from the first eight games of the season as the leading hitter on the team with a .615 batting average.

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick & Henry Community College softball team had back-to-back doubleheaders over the weekend. On Saturday, Georgia Military College swept the Patriots on scores of 6-1 and 6-3 in Milledgeville, GA. In the opening game, Hurdle went 0-for-3. She started as pitcher and went six innings with one strikeouts. She surrendered six runs (three earned) off six hits. In the nightcap, Hurdle went 1-for-3.

The following day, Gordon State College swept the Patriots in Barnesville, GA. Hurdle homered in the opening game against the Highlanders, who won 12-7. In the second game, Hurdle went 3-for-4 an RBI. Hurdle also finished the game in the circle throwing the last four innings. She struck out seven.

Braden Homsey: For the second time this year, Homsey won an individual tournament for the Division III Ferrum Wrestling team. Homsey captured the 197-pound championship at the Southeast Wrestling Conference championship on February 5 in Danville, VA. Homsey dominated Averett’s William Baldwin in the championship match, winning via technical fall 21-4. In the opening round, Homsey defeated Cache Holmes of Southern Virginia via pinfall in 2:11. Homsey had a major decision over Max Steele of Greensboro College 15-4 in the semifinals. On Friday, Ferrum won a senior day dual match over Shenandoah 34-10 at Swartz Gym in Ferrum, VA. Homsey pinned Troy Gibson in 2:15. The Panthers are 6-6.

Jamar Davis: Davis finished in first place in the high jump for the N.C. State men’s indoor track & field team in the Virginia Tech Challenge in Blacksburg, VA on Friday. Davis won the long jump with a leap of 7.55 meters, beating eleven other athletes. It was the end of the regular season for the Wolfpack. The Atlantic Coast Conference championships are set to start Thursday in Blacksburg, VA. Davis has qualified for the long jump.

Connor Crabtree: The Richmond men’s basketball team fell to VCU 77-57 in Richmond, VA on Friday night. Crabtree came off the bench to play two minutes.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team opened its season against Birmingham Southern at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Thursday. Birmingham Southern defeated the Falcons 14-7. Jaylin Jones scored a goal for Pfeiffer. He also has two ground balls and created two turnovers. Pfeiffer will travel to Lees-McRae on Wednesday.

Phillip Berger: Berger was the opening day starter for the Division III William Peace baseball team. Brevard defeated the Pacers 7-3 on February 5 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger had a no decision after he threw two innings. He surrendered one run off one hit with three walks and a strikeout. On Saturday, Berger threw four innings as the Pacers defeated Mitchell College 7-5 at Durham Athletic Park. Berger struck out six in another no decision. He gave up three runs off six hits. William Peace is 2-3 after taking the weekend series from the Mariners.

Will Walker: Pitt Community College defeated the Barton junior varsity squad 8-7 last Wednesday. Walker started at first base for Pitt and went 1-for-4 with a double. The Bulldogs are 5-1.

Photo by Angie Carden Hurdle

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick Henry Community College softball team went 3-1 in its opening doubleheaders of the season last weekend. On Friday, the Lady Patriots mauled USC Union in a doubleheader by scores of 14-2 and 21-8. Hurdle had a huge game in the opener, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scores. She also had two triples and a double. On top of that, Hurdle earned the win as pitcher, throwing six innings. She struck out five in six innings. Hurdle surrendered two runs off five hits. In the second game, Hurdle hit her first home run of the season. She went 2-for-3 with four runs scored and two RBIs. On Sunday, Spartanburg Methodist defeated Patrick Henry 11-3 in Spartanburg, SC. Hurdle went 1-for-3 . She also took the loss as a starting pitcher. She threw five innings. The Lady Patriots defeated Spartanburg Methodist 10-1 in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Hurdle hit two home runs, including a two-run shot. She finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team opened the season by going 1-3 in the Mark Campbell Invitational in Irvine, California last weekend. Mia Davidson hit the 70th home run of her career in the Bulldogs’ 5-3 loss to Loyola Marymount at Smith Field in Los Angeles on Sunday. She is now one shy of the Southeastern Conference record, held by Florida’s Lauren Haeger. Davidson’s 2-run homer in the 7th was her only hit of the day against the Lions. Mississippi State started the weekend by beating Loyola Marymount 4-2 at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, AC on Friday. Davidson went 2-for-2 against the Lions and scored the first Mississippi State run of the season off a home run by Matalasi Faapito. Later on Friday, #1 Oklahoma defeated Mississippi State 9-0 in five innings. Davidson went 1-for-2 with a double, one of only two hits for the Bulldogs. It was the 22nd straight game where Davidson reached base, a school record. On Saturday, #3 UCLA shutout Mississippi State 8-0. Davidson went 0-for-3.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at third base for Mississippi State in the opener against Loyola Marymount and went 0-for-3. She entered the Oklahoma game as a reserve and finished at first base. On Sunday, Davidson was a pinch hitter in the loss to Loyola Marymount and went 0-for-1.

Tori Dalehite: The former Cedar Ridge 2nd baseman made the first start of her college career during the Felsberg Invitational at Florida International University in Miami. The Spartans went 1-3 during the three-day event. On Friday, Florida International held off UNCG 4-3. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner and scored a run off a 2-run homer by Makenna Matthijs in the seventh inning that put the Spartans within a run. On Saturday morning, UNCG edged Maryland 6-5. Dalehite entered the game in the second inning as a pinch hitter in place of Anna White. She spent the rest of the day at first base and went 0-for-4. Later on Saturday, Maryland knocked off the Spartans 5-3. Dalehite made her first official start at first base. She also drove in her first college run off a sacrifice fly to centerfield in the sixth inning, which evened the game 2-2. Dalehite went 0-for-2.

Maddie Bartlett: The Wake Tech Community College softball team started its season against the William Peace Junior Varsity squad on Sunday. Peace defeated the Eagles 9-2 in the opening game of the doubleheader. Maddie Bartlett started as leadoff batter for the Eagles, playing shortstop. She went 2-for-3 with a double and two stolen bases. Bartlett scored the Pacers first run. In the second game of the doubleheader, Peace completed a sweep with a 14-5 win. Bartlett went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two doubles. Bartlett scored in the first inning off a double by Jesse Dillon.

Kara Tackett: A former Orange Lady Panther, Tackett also started both games for Wake Tech against William Peace JV. In the opening game, Tackett went 1-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. Tackett plated Bartlett in the first inning for the Eagles’ first run of the season. In the nightcap, Tackett went 0-for-1. She also entered the circle and threw the final two innings. Tackett didn’t allow a hit and gave up only two hits, striking out four with one walk.

Will Walker: The Pitt Community College baseball team defeated the Mount Oliver junior varsity squad 8-7 in the season opener on February 2. Walker entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-2 with a run scored. On February 9, Pitt hammered the Barton College junior varsity team 19-0. Walker entered the game as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-2. He finished the game at first base.

While lacrosse season starts for some schools last week, the spring sports season will get underway in earnest today. Baseball will officially start for most Division I schools next week, but here are the Hillsborough products who will start their spring season this weekend:

Mia Davidson: The all-time leading home run hitter in Mississippi State history, baseball or softball, Davidson will kick off her final season with the Bulldogs on Friday in the Mark Campbell Invitational. Mississippi State will face Loyola Marymount, then face #1 Oklahoma at Bill Barber Park in Irving, California. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will take on #4 UCLA, then end the weekend with another game against Loyola Marymount. This is the 40th Mississippi State softball team. To commemorate the anniversary, Mississippi State released its 40 greatest players in team history. Davidson was named to the all-time team. Davidson, the catcher for Orange’s 2017 3A State Championship team, was named an All-American in 2019. A two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection, Davidson holds the school record with 69 career home runs. She needs just two more to tie the SEC career record. In 2019, Davidson hit 26 home runs. Davidson holds the Mississippi State record for most NCAA Tournament games played (19).

Montana Davidson: Mia’s older sister was a third baseman at Orange. She enters her final season at Mississippi State after playing 58 games in 2021, starting 57 at third base. Last season, Montana hit .257. She was fifth on the team with 23 runs scored and 21 RBIs. Montana was a three-time All-State selection at Orange playing for her father, Eddie Davidson.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team begins its season in the Feisberg Invitational at Florida International in Miami, FL. On Friday, the Spartans face #18 Tennessee, then will take on Florida International later in the day. The Spartans will also battle Maryland on Saturday. Dalehite was the 2018 Big 8 Conference Hitter of the Year for Cedar Ridge. She won two Big 8 Conference championships with the Red Wolves, including the first title in program history in 2018. Dalehite, a sophomore, played in 12 games last season. She had one at-bat and mainly played as a pinch runner.

Jaden Hurdle: Hurdle will start her second and final year at Patrick Henry Community College on Friday afternoon against USC Union. Last week, Hurdle announced she would compete her college career at Catawba College.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team was supposed to start play last weekend, but a series against East Georgia State College and Patrick Henry Community College was rained out. This weekend’s series at the Highland Recreation Center in Hickory has also been canceled because of COVID precautions. Last season, Andrews hit eight home runs for the Red Hawks. She led the team with 41 RBIs as CVCC finished 23-13-1.

Kara Tackett: A freshman at Wake Tech, Tackett was the extra hitter for the Orange softball team last season. Tackett hit .462 with five doubles last season for a Lady Panthers team that won the Big 8 Championship in 2021. The Lady Panthers went undefeated in the regular season.

Madison Bartlett: Another former Orange player now a freshman at Wake Tech. Bartlett was a shortstop in 2020 who had her senior season was limited to four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bartlett was a starter for Orange’s 2019 team that tied Cedar Ridge for the Big 8 Regular Season championship. In 25 games as a varsity player at Orange, Bartlett hit .367 with 29 hits, 19 RBIs and eight doubles. Wake Tech will open against the Willam Peace University junior varsity squad in a doubleheader on Friday in Raleigh.

Jaden Hurdle: After her freshman season at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA, Hurdle has announced that she will play softball at Division II Catawba College in Salisbury in 2023. Hurdle was supposed to start her final season at PHCC this weekend, but a series of games in Hickory was canceled due to inclement weather. The Patriots were supposed to face Catawba Valley Community College, which includes Hurdle’s former teammate Grace Andrews. Hurdle and Andrews shared the same side of the infield (Hurdle at 1st base, Andrews at 2nd base) for the Lady Panthers’ 2017 3A State Championship team. In her first season at PHCC, Hurdle hit .328 with ten home runs and 32 RBIs. She was tied for the team lead in home runs. Hurdle also had 17 pitching appearances, going 4-3 with a 4.61 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 17 walks. PHCC will officially start its season against the USC-Union on Friday. At Orange, Hurdle was a part of two Big 8 Conference Championship teams.

Will Walker: Former Orange High first baseman Will Walker started his first game as the Pitt Community College Bulldogs defeated the Mount Olive junior varsity squad 8-7 on Wednesday night at the Minges-Overton Baseball Park in Greenville. Walker started as the designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk. He scored in the 4th inning off a bases-loaded walk drawn by Houston Koon. Pitt return to action against the Barton junior varsity on Wednesday. Walker graduated last summer. He was a first baseman and designated hitter for the Panthers under head coach Jason Knapp.

Dylan Boyer: The Division II Queen’s University men’s lacrosse team rolled past Lees-McRae 21-5 at Dickson Field in Charlotte on Friday. Boyer played for the Royals to start his sophomore season. Queens will travel to Savannah, GA to face Lynn University next Saturday.

Connor Crabtree: The Richmond Spiders men’s basketball team defeated St. Bonaventure 71-61 at the Robins Center on Friday. Crabtree, who didn’t play in the Spiders’ previous two games, came off the bench to play two minutes. The Spiders are 15-8 overall, 6-4 in the Atlantic 10. This week, the Spiders will host George Mason on Monday, then face the Patriots in Fairfax, VA on Wednesday.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team has won eleven in a row. On Wednesday, the Flyers defeated Wren College 125-67 in Pinehurst. McMullin led the Flyers with 22 points, one of eight Flyers in double figures. McMullin shot 9-of-10 from the field, including both of his attempts from 3-point range. McMullin added six assists and four rebounds. On Saturday, the Flyers held off Oxford College of Emory University 87-82. McMullin started and scored nine points. He added four rebounds, four steals and two assists. On Tuesday, the Flyers defeated Hosanna Bible College 93-83. Once again, McMullin led the Flyers with 27 points, shooting 12-of-19 from the field. McMullin added six rebounds and a blocked shot. Last Sunday, the Flyers defeated Oxford College of Emory University 109-82 in Oxford, GA. McMullin had ten points, eight rebounds and two assets. Sandhills is 18-6, 6-0 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Marvin Jones: Former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf Marvin Jones earned a victory for the North Carolina Central indoor track and field on Saturday. In the Liberty Open in Lynchburg, VA, Jones won the high jump with a leap of 2.06 meters. It was the second meet in a row that Jones has won. Next week, Jones will compete in the Champion College Team Challenge in Winston-Salem. He has already qualified for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in Virginia Beach, VA, starting February 21.