In the two-game series between Orange and Williams back in March, the two teams split 1-0 victories.
In Burlington on March 21, the Bulldogs prevailed after pitcher Nate Billings threw a two-hitter. Just one Orange batter reached third base.
Three days later, Orange prevailed when the only run scored off a dropped ball in left field. Again, the Panthers were held to two hits, this time in victory.
So when Orange and Walter Williams met for the Central Carolina Conference Tournament championship on Thursday night in Hillsborough, there was every reason to think the final score would resemble your average soccer game. Especially with Billings starting for Williams.
A funny thing happened on the way to the pitcher’s dual. A slow-pitch softball game broke out.
Despite no noticeable wind, the two teams combined for four home runs in the first two innings. There were 13 overall runs in the opening three innings–only to have both teams go scoreless in the final four frames.
Orange finished with ten hits, its third-highest total of the season, and didn’t trail again after senior Connor Nordan belted a grand slam in the first inning. Senior Ryan Hench put the Panthers ahead for good with a two-run blast in the second as Orange defeated Williams 9-4 to win the CCC Tournament title on Thursday night at Orange High Field.
Orange (22-2) will go into the 3A State Tournament on a 15-game winning streak. While conference tournaments weren’t contested during Orange’s years in the Big 8 Conference and the Carolina 6 (ranging from 2010-2021), this is still the Panthers first conference tournament title since 2006 when they were a 2A team playing in the Mid-State Conference.
With the state tournament still to come, Orange has already won more games than all but three squads in school history dating back to 1987.
The 2008 team, which won the 2A State Championship, holds the school record with a 27-3 record.
Orange’s journey to the tournament title was no joyride. The vehicle they traveled in didn’t arrive at the finish line safely in a pretty and well-defined body on the exterior. Instead, there were bumps and unexpected turns along the way, along with the best power-hitting catcher Orange has faced this season.
Williams had 13 hits, the most conceded by the Panthers in 2023.
Orange won three games in three days, including a victory over crosstown rival Cedar Ridge in the semifinals on Wednesday night that grew heated after a Hench home run in the sixth inning led to angry words being exchanged between opposing players, coaches and fans.
“We saw some adversity last night,” said Orange coach Jason Knapp. “We dealt with some adversity from the opposing dugout and opposing fans. I thought last night made us better. Our hats are off to that team across town that made us better. They made us better going into tonight and moving into next week.”
Williams catcher Dan Mahan took the first pitch of the game and parked it over the left field fence against Orange starter Josiah Gibbs, and the Bulldogs were just getting warmed up. Tate Jones followed with a single to left field and immediately advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Angel Mora grounded out to Gibbs to move Jones to third, Vince Coker nicked a cue shot left of the mound for an infield single, beating out the throw from 3rd baseman Neo Best. Jones scored. Coker stole second, then scored off a fly ball that dropped into centerfield in front of Cameron Guentensberger.
Orange tied its largest deficit of the season at 3-0, but it was wiped away quickly. In the bottom of the first, Jackson Berini ripped a fastball down the right field line all the way into the corner for a stand-up triple. Hench reached on an error on a grounder to the shortstop, but Berini held up at third. Following a walk to Guentensberger, Nordan stepped up and slapped a high fly that sailed over the left field fence. It was his first grand slam since middle school.
“I knew it was gone when it left my bat,” Nordan said. “I just sat there and watched it and took off running.”
But Mahan wasn’t finished yet. In the second, he sent another fastball over the left field wall for his second home run in three swings to tie the game.
It wasn’t even for long. Berini lead off with a walk. Hench belted his second home run in as many nights, this one over the centerfield wall that landed just a few feet away from fans watching Orange’s State Playoff Lacrosse game from adjacent Auman Stadium.
Gibbs threw five innings and didn’t surrender another run to earn his team-best seventh win of the season. He now has ten win in his career.
“Josiah was nervous,” Knapp said. “I love that kid. He was nervous, but he finally settled in. He got his nerves calm after the first inning. He didn’t have his best stuff, but that’s part of pitching. Getting through those outings when you don’t have you best stuff. And he just battled and grinned. That’s who he is.”
Cross Clayton drew a walk to lead off the third. Elijah Santos tried to move Clayton over on a sacrifice bunt, but the throw by the pitcher was offline. With runners at first and second and one out, Waitt smashed a single to left to load the bases. Hench grounded to second, where there was another misguided throw. Clayton and Santos scored, while Waitt raced to third. Guentensberger delivered a perfectly executed squeeze play to bring in Waitt and increased the Orange lead to 9-4.
Then the slow-pitch softball game ended and the regularly scheduled pitcher’s dual finally emerged. The Bulldogs had their chances, loading the bases in the third with Mahan up at bat. Again, he pulled the ball to left field, but this one landed a few feet shy of the fence and into Santos’ glove.
Williams loaded the bases in the fifth, but Santos retired Ethan George to quell the threat. Williams left 14 runners on base.
Trace Hicks, who relieved Billings in the second inning, struck out eight in four innings of middle relief.
The nine Orange seniors have now won four championships: the 2021 co-Big 8 Conference title, the 2022 and 2023 CCC regular season championships and the tournament title.
The field of 64 for the 3A State Tournament will be released on Monday morning.
