This Week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior pitcher Joey Pounds. Joey earned this award after several strong performances out of the bullpen during the Hilltop Invitational at the beginning of spring. On March 30, Pounds faced New Hanover, currently ranked #2 in the 4A East Region by MaxPreps, and threw a shutout in the 7th inning with one strikeout to keep the Panthers down 2-1 going into the bottom of the frame. Two days later, the Panthers made a long trip to Wilmington to face Ashley, currently ranked #9 in 4A East. Pounds came into the game in relief of starter Cross Clayton and threw a perfect 6th inning with two strikeouts. It allowed Orange to go into the 7th down 4-3. On April 12, Pounds earned his first win of the season against Northwood in Hillsborough. In the eighth inning with the game tied 2-2, Pounds struck out two Chargers. Cross Clayton delivered the game-winning hit in the eighth inning. This season, Pounds came out of the bullpen to throw four-and-two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings. He continues to be a reliable presence for Coach Jason Knapp and has been a valuable presence for an Orange team that captured its first outright regular season championship since 2018. Pounds uncle, Larry Pounds, was a 1991 Orange High graduate and the greatest kickball player in Cameron Park Elementary School history, Orange will return to action in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs on Tuesday. 

Mia Davidson: As her career at Mississippi State winds down, Mia Davidson earned another honor on Wednesday. Davidson was selected in the Athletes Unlimited College Draft. She was one of 13 athletes invited to the league. Players with Athletes Unlimited are not sent to an individual team. They play as individuals on new teams that are drafted each week and collect points for themselves. Davidson will play her final home series starting Friday against LSU. She is two starts shy of the Mississippi State record. Currently, she’s hitting .411, which is sixth in the Southeastern Conference.

Tori Dalehite: The Charlotte 49ers softball team defeated UNC Greensboro 10-5 at UNCG Softball Stadium on Wednesday. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning. The Spartans are 35-15 and will look to remain in first place in the Southern Conference this weekend when they travel to Birmingham, AL to face Samford for a three-game series.

Marvin Jones: Last week, Jones won the high jump competition at the Penn Relays. Competing for North Carolina Central University, Jones leaped to a personal-best 2.12 meters to win the high jump in the 126th Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Jones was the only competitor to leap over 2.10 meters. It was his sixth victory since the start of 2022. Jones is now in the top-20 in the East Region and the top-50 in the entire NCAA.

Cy Horner: The Division III Methodist University men’s lacrosse team ended the season with a 16-10 win over Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL on Saturday. Horner, a freshman who played for Orange last season, finished with one goal and four assists. For the season, Horner had 28 goals and 22 assists for the Monarchs, who ended the year 9-8 overall, 4-5 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Chase Finley: The Division II Shorter University men’s lacrosse team ended its season in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Tuesday night. Montevallo defeated the Hawks 24-5. Finley, the goalkeeper for the Hawks, made 13 saves in 48 minutes before he was replaced by Jacob Sutley. Finley faced 43 shots. Shorter ends the season 3-14.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team dominated Averett University 24-7 to win on Senior Day at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Saturday. Jones assisted on three goals for the Falcons, including Pfeiffer’s first goal of the night scored by Quinn Becraft. Jones also had two ground balls. Pfeiffer improves to 11-3 overall, 7-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. The Falcons will face Piedmont in the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament starting Friday in Buena Vista, VA.

Aidan Poole: The Greensboro College men’s lacrosse team ended its regular season with a 16-4 win over LaGrange College at Panther Field in LaGrange, GA on Saturday. Poole started for the Pride on defense and created one turnover. He also scooped up one ground ball. On Tuesday, Greensboro defeated William Peace University 14-10 in the opening round of the USA South Tournament at Pride Field in Greensboro. Poole came off the bench and fired one shot for the Pride. He also had a ground ball. Greensboro will face Southern Virginia in the tournament semifinals on Friday afternoon.

More than any other sport, baseball is the game where the best team doesn’t always win.

Combine that fact and place it within the confines of a single-elimination tournament and its easy to see why there are some unpredictable results this time of year.

After the Orange baseball team ended the regular season with ten straight Central Carolina Conference wins, they faced Person in the conference tournament semifinals. The Panthers probably greeted that news like a puppy getting a new bag of Pupporoni sticks from his owner.

On paper, it was the best matchup possible for Orange. The Panthers routed Person 9-1 in Hillsborough on April 6. Two days later, Orange piled up a season-high 16 hits in a 10-0 rout of the Rockets in Roxboro, the Panthers first run-rule win of the conference season.

Really, Person didn’t have much better fortune hitting the ball in the conference semifinals on Tuesday night in Hillsborough. They also didn’t make big mistakes.

A emotionally charged Rockets team, despite not getting its first batter on base until the fifth inning, stunned the Panthers 4-0 to advance to the CCC Tournament Championship game. Person (11-13), just 24 hours removed from a 10-inning marathon against Eastern Alamance, will travel to Northwood on Thursday night for the tournament title.

It was another big surprise in a tournament that has been filled with them. On Monday, 7th-seeded Walter Williams upset 2nd-seeded Cedar Ridge 6-1 in Hillsborough.

The Rockets got a tremendous performance from sophomore Dylan England, who came into the tournament without a win on the season. On Tuesday, he earned his second victory in two nights. England closed out the Eastern Alamance win by throwing two-and-a-thirds inning of relief.

On Tuesday, England replaced starter Keegan Holmes in the third inning and threw five shutout innings, allowing only one hit.

Orange (16-8)suffered its first loss against a Central Carolina Conference team since March 18, when they felt to Western Alamance.

“That’s baseball,” Orange coach Jason Knapp, looking dejected, said afterwards. “Person was more emotionally ready than we were. They’re playing for the #2 seed and a spot in the (state) playoffs. They definitely had more motivation and more energy than we did tonight. That falls squarely on me. I have to have us ready to go and more prepared. I didn’t do a good job of that tonight.”

Going into the fifth inning, the big question in some Orange fan’s minds wasn’t “Will we win?” It was “Can Ryan Hench throw a perfect game?”

Hench, in his 11th start of the year, retired the first 12 Rockets he faced, none of whom were particularly close to getting on base. In the fifth, Hench stretched that streak to 14 straight after a gorgeous diving stop by shortstop Jackson Berini, who threw out Person Tyler White.

With two out in the inning, Berini made another diving stop on a grounder hit by Person’s Bryce Thaxton and appeared set to end the inning. The throw pulled Orange first baseman Codey Snipes slightly off the bag. Snipes appeared to have got his foot back on to retire Thaxton, but dropped the ball in the process.

That set off a firestorm. After Holmes and Drew Mangum each drew walks, Jamie Martinez sent a pop-up to shallow left field that fell down amidst three Panther fielders. Thaxton and Mangum scored and Person, who had one run in 17 innings against Orange in the regular season, led 2-0.

A.J. Terrell replaced Martinez as a pinch-runner at first base, leading to Person executing a gorgeous double steal where Holmes slid under the tag of catcher Davis Horton at home plate. England lined a single to left field to bring in Terrell.

Hench went from being seven outs away from a perfect game to suffering his second loss of the season.

Orange’s offense, which was limited to three hits in a 2-1 win in eight innings over Eastern Alamance on Friday night, was held to two hits against the Rockets. The Panthers had some threats early. In the first inning, David Waitt reached on a fielder’s choice and Hench got onboard off an error. Bradley turned a 1-6-3 double play to wrap up the inning.

In the third, Jackson Berini drew a leadoff walk and Waitt lined a single to left field, which led to England being installed as pitcher by head coach Kyle Boyette. Hench was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but England got out of the jam after a strikeout, followed by a 4-6-3 double play triggered by Thaxton.

Orange left seven men on base.

The Panthers, which will still be the #1 seed from the Central Carolina Conference going into the 3A State Tournament, will resume play on Tuesday in the opening round of the state playoffs. The Panthers haven’t won a postseason game since 2018, when they upset Jacksonville.

For the second year in a row, Cedar Ridge’s Josh Mayhew has qualified for the 3A State Singles Men’s Tennis Tournament. On Saturday, Mayhew reached the finals of the 3A Mideast Regionals at the Burlington Tennis Center. In the semifinals, Mayhew defeated Jacob Womble of Lee County in the semifinals to reach the regional championship match against Terry Sanford’s Drew Hedgecoe, a freshman who eventually won the championship. This year has brought plenty of success for Mayhew and the entire Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team. The Red Wolves captured the Central Carolina Conference championship. Mayhew went undefeated during the regular season. He became the first Cedar Ridge player in school history to reach a regional final in back-to-back years. On Friday, Mayhew started the regional round by beating Luke O’Donnell of Franklinton 6-1, 6-0. Mayhew qualified for the state championships after beating Jayden Pham of Terry Sanford 6-2, 6-2. Mayhew was the only person in the tournament to win a game against Hedgecoe. Mayhew will start play in the 3A State Championships on Friday in Burlington. 

The same way that Ted Williams hit a home run in his final game at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox, the greatest power hitter in Cedar Ridge softball history went out in style on Wednesday night. In her final game at Cedar Ridge Softball Field, Take Nichols hit a home run that sailed well beyond the fence into left field. Nichols added a double and went 3-for-3 as the Red Wolves defeated Williams 21-2. It was the final game at Cedar Ridge for Nichols, centerfielder Olivia Aitkin and shortstop Ava Lowry. Aitkin, who has signed to play at Amherst University, finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Lowry, who committed to North Carolina Wesleyan, went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple. This group of Ceda Ridge seniors won the 2019 Big 8 Conference Championship and won two games in the 3A State Playoffs. Nichols will graduate in June as the all-time leading home run hitter in Cedar Ridge history with 32 home runs. She has 109 carer RBIs, also a school record. Nichols and Lowry has played on the left side of the infield for the past four years. Lowry is hitting .444 this season. She is a career .450 hitter over 55 games. Aitkin is one of the most versatile athletes in Cedar Ridge history. She was also a member of Cedar Ridge’s 3A State Championship Volleyball team. Aitkin is one of the most versatile athletes in school history. She has qualified for the 3A Central Regional Golf Championships. She also is a member of the 4×200 swimming relay team that set the school record last winter, and also qualified for the 3A Central Regionals. 

With an array of Division I softball prospects spread across the various Alamance County schools within the Central Carolina Conference, it’s been easy to overlook the Hillsborough teams this season.

Orange did win the 2021 Big 8 Conference Championship after an undefeated regular season. Cedar Ridge won back-to-back conference titles in 2018 & 2019, reaching the Round of 16 in the 3A State Playoffs both times.

It speaks volumes about Cedar Ridge’s strength of schedule that, even with a current 9-11 overall record, the Red Wolves are still seeded #22 in the 3A East Rankings, according to MaxPreps. Four of the teams ahead of Cedar Ridge are from the Central Carolina Conference.

Nonetheless, Cedar Ridge coach Allen Byrd, who became a grandfather over the weekend, doesn’t want a repeat of last season.

The 2021 3A Softball state playoffs was narrowed down to 32 teams instead of the standard 64 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At season’s end, the Red Wolves were ranked #59 by MaxPreps, which likely would have put them in the postseason in a standard year. Of course, 2021 was anything but standard. Seven Cedar Ridge seniors, many of whom were members of the 2018 team that won the first softball conference championship in school history, ended their careers without one final trip to the playoffs.

While Cedar Ridge’s chances of returning to the postseason are strong this year, there was no denying a sense of finality last Wednesday. It was the final home game for Red Wolves seniors Takia Nichols, Olivia Aitkin and Ava Lowry. They have all signed to play college softball across the East Coast.

In her farewell game at Cedar Ridge against Walter Williams, Nichols hit one last home run in easily the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in the Central Carolina Conference, possibly the state (it is 220 feet down the left and right field lines to the wall at Cedar Ridge Softball Field. For comparison’s sake, at Duke Softball Stadium, it is 195 feet each way). Leading off the bottom of the second inning, Nichols drilled an 0-1 pitch well beyond the left field wall for her school record 32nd career home run. She finished the night 3-for-3 with two RBIs as the Red Wolves cruised 21-2 in five innings. Nichols, who has committed to play at North Carolina Central, now has 109 career RBIs, also a school record.

While Nichols is prepared to move on to play with the Eagles, she will have at least two more games alongside Lowry. The two have shared the left side of the infield for the past two seasons, but it should have been longer.

Perhaps the perfect play that sums up the pairing came against Orange on April 15, 2021. In the seventh inning, Orange’s Serenity McPherson lined a ball to Nichols at third base. With a runner at second, the ball ricocheted off Nichols knee, bounced directly across to Lowry, who recovered in time to throw out McPherson and end the inning.

“I know that Ava always has my back,” Nichols said the following week. “I never have to question if she’s going to be there for me. I bobbled that ball, she had my back and we made the out.”

Lowry, who has signed with North Carolina Wesleyan, went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against the Bulldogs. She had a double and a triple. For her career, Lowry has a .450 career batting average. She has 28 hits this season, which leads the team.

“Takia and I have this bond,” Lowry said last summer. “She’s amazing. We’ve been playing since middle school. We know what’s going to happen. We’ll know what each other is thinking without saying anything. I know that if she’s covering the line, then I need to move closer to the hole in the infield. Our communication is the best.”

Aitkin, who committed to Amherst College in Massachusetts last year, is a three-sport athlete. Last fall, she made regionals in golf. In February, she teamed with Sophia Stinnett, Quinn McCrimmon and Abbygale Pearce to set a new school record in the 4×400 relay in swimming at the Orange County Sportsplex. They group qualified for the 3A Central Regionals.

Tonight, the three Cedar Ridge seniors will play its final game against crosstown rival Orange at Panther Softball Field in the Central Carolina Tournament quarterfinals. The Red Wolves are the #5 seed. The winner of the game will face top-seeded Eastern Alamance on Tuesday night in Mebane.

Nichols, Lowry and Aitkin are the last players who won a conference championship in softball. In 2019, Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 8-3 at Panther Softball Field to claim the #1 seed from the Big 8 Conference for the state playoffs. In the postseason, Cedar Ridge defeated West Johnston 4-3 in eleven innings, then journeyed all the way to Morehead City and defeated West Carteret 6-3. Nichols homered in the fourth inning against the Patriots.

Also tonight in the Central Carolina Tournament: Williams travels to Person while Western Alamance hosts Northwood. The semifinals are set for Tuesday with the championship game on Thursday.

Photo by Angie Carden Hurdle

Jaden Hurdle: As the career of Jaden Hurdle as a member of the Patrick & Henry Community College softball team starts to wind down, she earned a honor for the Lady Patriots. Before starting a weekend series at Surry Community College, Hurdle was named the Patrick & Henry Female Athlete of the Year during a ceremony last week. On Friday, Patrick & Henry defeated Surry Community College 8-0 in six innings in the opening game of a doubleheader. Hurdle went 0-for-3. In the final game of the season, Surry defeated the Lady Patriots 8-2 at Fisher River Park. Hurdle started as the pitcher and went six-and-one-thirds innings. At the plate, she went 0-for-2. Last Tuesday, Ferrum College swept a doubleheader from Patrick & Henry in Martinsville, VA. In the opening game, which the Panthers won 11-2, Hurdle went 1-for-1. In the nightcap, Ferrum won 9-2. Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. She also relieved starter Brandy Roberts as pitcher in the fourth inning. Hurdle threw four innings and gave up five runs off five hits. She struck out four. Hurdle currently has a .377 batting average with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. Her ten home runs is fourth in Region X Division II. She also leads the team with four triples. As a pitcher, Hurdle is 7-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 18 appearances. Hurdle will play next season at Catawba College in Salisbury.

Mia Davidson: Mia Davidson continues her climb up the all-time NCAA Softball Home Run list. On Sunday, Davidson became the first player in Mississippi State history to have two 20-home run seasons. Davidson blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning in a 9-5 loss to #11 Kentucky at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, KY. it’s just the fourth time in school history that Mississippi State has had a player hit for 20 home runs in a season. Davidson has done it twice. Davidson now has 89 career home runs. Only five players have ever hit 90 career home runs in Division I history. On Sunday, Davidson went 1-for-1. On Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 6-2. It was Mississippi State’s sixth win against a ranked team this season. Davidson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to increase the Bulldogs’ lead to 5-2. Davidson also broke the school record for career hit-by-pitches. She was plunked for the 54th time on Sunday. On Friday, the Wildcats defeated the Bulldogs 7-3. Davidson went 0-for-1 with a run scored and two walks. Mississippi State is 31-21 overall, 9-12 in the Southeastern Conference. On Wednesday, Mississippi State knocked off Southern Miss 9-5 in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Montana Davidson: Montana entered the game as a pinch-hitter in Saturday’s win over Kentucky for Mississippi State.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team honored its sophomores on Sunday. The Red Hawks easily swept a doubleheader from Bryant & Stratton at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory. In the opening game, a 17-0 Red Hawks’ win, Andrews went 1-for-1 with a two-run single. She also scored twice. In the second game, Andrews started at third base again and finished 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Andrews concludes the regular season with a .311 batting average through 44 games. The Red Hawks will prepare for the Region X/South Atlantic District Tournament in Richmond, VA, which starts May 11.

Kara Tackett: The Wake Tech Community College softball team defeated Brunswick Community College 13-4 in Raleigh on Sunday. Tackett started in centerfield and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI single. Wake Tech swept a doubleheader from the Dolphins. The Eagles won the opening game 10-0 in five innings. Tackett went 0-for-3 in the opening game. On Friday, Southeastern Community College shutout the Eagles 11-0 in Whiteville. Tackett went 0-for-2. Southeastern won the opening game of the doubleheader 9-1. Tackett hit leadoff and went 1-for-3.

Bryse Wilson: After four starts this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wilson came out of the bullpen for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers in PNC Park. Milwaukee won the game 3-1. Wilson relieved starter Dillon Peters in the third inning and threw four innings. He allowed only one hit with four strikeouts. Wilson left the game with the game scoreless.

Joey Berini: The East Carolina baseball team had a weekend sweep of the Cincinnati Bearcats at Clarke-LeClair Stadium in Greenville. On Saturday, the Pirates defeated the edged the Bearcats 4-3. Berini entered the game in the sixth inning as a shortstop. East Carolina defeated Cincinnati 6-3 on Sunday. Berini replaced Zach Agnos at shortstop in the eighth inning. The Pirates are 11-4 in the American Athletic Conference, 27-18 overall.

Brandon Andrews: Pitching for Nicholls State, Andrews earned his first save of the season on April 19. Andrews tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the Colonels in a 2-0 win over Southern University at Didier Field in Thebodaux, LA. He gave up only one hit. On Sunday, New Orleans defeated Nicholls 6-2. Andrews came out of the bullpen and retired the only Privateer he faced.

Landon Riley: The UNC baseball team rolled past Liberty 8-1 at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill on Tuesday. Riley closed out the game for the Flames. He threw the eighth inning with one strikeout and one walk.

Phillip Berger: Berger earned another complete game win for Division III William Peace University on Friday. The Pacers defeated Southern Virginia University 11-1 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. In seven innings, Berger threw a three-hitter. He gave up one unearned run with six strikeouts and three walks. Berger is 7-2 this season for the Pacers. He leads the team in wins. He has a 4.38 ERA. The Pacers are 21-18, 11-10 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They will prepare for the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament, which starts on Thursday.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State baseball team ended its season last week. Tallahassee Community College defeated the Pirates 8-3. Porter started at third base and when 2-for-4 with a double. Porter ends the season with a .224 batting average over 41 games. He hit one home run with ten RBIs.

Will Walker: Bryant & Stratton Community College edge Pitt Community College 3-2 on Saturday in the final game of a doubleheader. Will Walker, starting at first base for PCC, went 0-for-3. In the opener, Bryant & Stratton won 8-5. Walker reported in as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-1. The Bulldogs defeated Lenoir Community College 13-12 on Wednesday. Walker finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Pitt Community College is 34-7 as they move on to the Region X South Atlantic Tournament.