With eleven home runs in 26 varsity softball games, it’s easy for local softball fans to draw a comparison between Cedar Ridge’s Takia Nichols and former Orange catcher Mia Davidson.

After Friday night, maybe Roy Hobbs would be the most accurate. (Here’s a video of the above reference for younger readers).

In the second inning against West Johnston, Nichols took a leadoff fastball and knocked it off the left field scoreboard at Cedar Ridge softball field. Despite gusts of 25 miles-per-hour, Nichols’ power thrust the ball into the teeth of the wind and off the screen that tallied the opposing team’s runs (above the home team) to tie the game at 7-7.

That was all West Johnston Coach Laura Jefferson needed to see.

Nichols never got another swing the rest of the night, receiving four intentional walks, twice with runners on board.

After two hours and 25 minutes in mid-40 degree temperatures, Cedar Ridge showed poise and plenty of offensive firepower to defeat the Wildcats 21-16 on Friday night. It was a rematch of a first-round state playoff game in May, where the Red Wolves’ won 4-3 in 11 innings off a walkoff single by Tionna Carter.

The Red Wolves amassed 19 hits to improve to 2-0. They opened the season with an 11-7 win over Cardinal Gibbons.

Cedar Ridge built an 18-8 lead off an inside-the-park grand slam by junior centerfielder ShiLi Quade, who laced a riseball to left field as the signature blow in a six-run third inning. Quade score Ava Lowry, Olivia Aitkin, and Reagan Ruhl.

Quade was one of five Red Wolves with three hits. She was joined by Aitkin, Thornton, Lowry and Ruhl. Lowry scored four runs, as did Ruhl and Nichols.

Aitkin, who spent the winter competing in the climate-controlled atmosphere of the Orange County Sportsplex for the Cedar Ridge swimming team, had to brave howling winds standing inside the circle in her first year as a regular starting pitcher. With scattered onlookers bundles under blankets, hand warmers and heavy jackets, Aitkin was left alone to face a West Johnston offense that piled up 24 runs in its season-opening victory over Northern Nash.

“I just try to focus on throwing my pitches like I imagine in my head,” Aitkin said. “Then I just throw it. I play softball year around so I’m used to the cold.”

After giving up an early run, Cedar Ridge scored five runs in the first inning after the opening two batters were retired. Ruhl, who played second base, drilled a double to left field to bring in Ava Lowry and Aitkin. Thornton launched a triple to center to score Rhule and Quade.

After trailing 16-6 going into the fifth inning, West Johnston cut its deficit to 19-16 off five runs in the sixth inning, including a three-run triple by shortstop Kaitlyn Tucker.

In the bottom of the sixth, Quade reached on a bunt single. After advancing to second and third off wild pitches, Rachel Serre scored Quade on a sacrifice fly. Thornton walked and added an insurance run following a double by freshman Anaya Carter.

Cedar Ridge will start its Big 8 Conference slate against Northwood on Tuesday in Pittsboro, then travel to Four Oaks for a rematch with West Johnston on Thursday. The Red Wolves travel to Chapel Hill for a doubleheader on Friday.

“The girls battled tonight,” said Cedar Ridge Coach Allen Byrd. “We got some productivity from the bottom of our lineup tonight, which we didn’t have the other night (against Cardinal Gibbons). They came up and hit the ball. These kids just stuck together and played fundamental softball.”

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech women’s basketball team won the Region X Tournament Championship over Louisburg College 86-59 at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA on Saturday. It is the first championship in program history. Wake Tech, who entered the tournament as the #3 seed, won three games in three days. They opened with a victory over USC-Salkehatchie 88-65 on Thursday. The Eagles knocked off 2nd-seeded Cape Fear Community College 76-57. Cates, a freshman who graduated from Orange in June, will accompany the Eagles to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Tournament starting March 17 at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron, MI.

Icez Barnett: The Division II Chowan women’s basketball team had its season end in the opening round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament. On Tuesday, Belmont Abbey defeated the Hawks 87-37 in Belmont. Barnett started for Chowan and played eight minutes. In her freshman season, Barnett played 19 games with four starts. She averaged 9.4 minutes per game and scored 39 points. Barnett averaged 2.4 rebounds per game. Chowan finished 6-21 overall, 6-16 in Conference Carolinas.

Marvin Jones: At the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Landover, MD, Jones earned the bronze medal in the high jump for North Carolina Central. Jones cleared 2.05 meters. North Carolina Central’s men’s team finished eighth with 23 points, its best showing since 2013. Jones concluded the indoor season with three individual championships.

Jamar Davis: At the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Notre Dame’s Loftus Sports Center, Davis finished seventh in the long jump at 7.37 meters. Davis, a sophomore, finished 20th in the triple jump at 13. 39 meters.

Jonathan Hall: At the Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Lexington, VA, former Cedar Ridge star Jonathan Hall had a new personal best in the 60-meter hurdles. Competing for Wofford, Hall finished 7th at 8.51 seconds. Hall earned two points for the Terriers’ team standings.

Bowen Collins: The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse team, ranked #17 in Division II, defeated #3 Adelphi 17-16 at Moretz Stadium in Hickory on March 1. It was the second-highest opponent the Bears have ever defeated. Collins assisted on a goal scored by LR’s Toron Eccleston that tied the game 11-11 in the third quarter. The Bears are 4-1.

Zach Wright: The Division II Mars Hill men’s lacrosse team is 3-4. On February 29, Lander defeated the Lions 23-10 inside Van Tyler Stadium in Greenwood, S.C. Wright, a senior who graduated from Orange, scored a goal and had an assist. He finished with three shots, two on goal. On Saturday, Catawba defeated Mars Hill 13-4 in Salisbury.

Aidan Poole: A sophomore for the Division III Greensboro College men’s lacrosse team, the Pride defeated Randolph College 16-5 on Saturday. Poole started on defense for Greensboro and had two ground balls and created one turnover. On Thursday, Greensboro defeated Chatham University 12-5. Once again, Poole started and scored his second goal of the season in the first period off an assist from Patrick Bell. Poole finished with two shots, three ground balls and created one turnover. Greensboro is 4-3 and will host Hampton on Wednesday afternoon at 2.

Luke Hernandez: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team scored 13 goals in the first half to blast Averett University 23-6 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Saturday. It was the Falcons USA South Athletic Conference opener. Hernandez, who graduated from Cedar Ridge last summer, created two turnovers and scooped up two ground balls for Pfeiffer.

Jaylin Jones: Jones, who graduated from Orange in 2018, is also a member of the Pfeiffer lacrosse team as a midfielder. He had a ground ball in the win over Averett. On Wednesday, Southern Virginia defeated Pfeiffer 23-14. Against the Knights, Jones had two ground balls and created one turnover. The Falcons are 2-3 overall.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is softball center fielder Shili Quade. On Friday night, Quade had an inside the park grand slam as the Red Wolves outscored West Johnston 21-16 at Red Wolves Softball Field. Quade reached in all four off her at-bats against the Wildcats and scored three runs as Cedar Ridge improved to 2-0. Shili has been a member of two Big 8 Conference Championship teams in softball and has played on the varsity team since her freshman year. She has also played volleyball for the Red Wolves. Last fall, she helped the Red Wolves reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. In the season opener against Cardinal Gibbons on Wednesday, Quade went 1-for-4 with a run scored as the Red Wolves won 11-7. Cedar Ridge will start Big 8 Conference play with a road trip to Northwood on Tuesday.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is lacrosse midfielder Ryan Merrill. Last week, Merrill scored five goals as the Panthers opened its season with a 18-5 win over Carrboro. Merrill added two assists and had seven shots. He also created a turnover and grabbed two ground balls. On Wednesday, Merrill added two more goals as the Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 17-5 in Graham. Merrill tallied nine shots against the Patriots. The Orange lacrosse team is off to a 3-0 start and has outscored opposition 52-14 so far. The Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance 17-4 at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough on Friday night. Orange will return to action against Heritage at Auman Stadium on Tuesday night, then will host J.H. Rose on Wednesday.

With wind gusts of 25 miles per hour making it feel in the high-30s, the Cedar Ridge softball team defeated West Johnston 21-16 at Red Wolves Territory on Friday night. Sophomore Olivia Aitkin stood in the middle of the blustery weather and threw 131 pitches for her 2nd win of the season. Aitkin helped her own cause by reaching base four times. She scored three times, including during a five-run first inning. Aitkin scored off a double by Shili Quade. Last year, Aitkin was the backup pitcher for the Red Wolves. Now she’s the first day starter and is 2-0 after picking up a victory over Cardinal Gibbons on Wednesday. Cedar Ridge will start Big 8 Conference play with a road trip to Northwood on Tuesday night in Pittsboro.

Photo by Angie Carden Hurdle

In terms of adversity, it’s already been a long season for Orange softball.

And they just finished their second game.

Before the Lady Panthers started workouts this year, they had already lost their top pitcher, their starting first baseman, their backup pitcher and their starting shortstop for the entire year.

Then again, things are tough all over Hillsborough softball as winter draws to a close. Across town, Cedar Ridge lost second baseman Tori Dalehite, the most accomplished player of the class of 2020, with a torn ACL suffered just as practice was about to start.

In November, Orange’s coaches knew that Jaden Hurdle, a freshman who was the starting first baseman for the 2017 3A State Championship team, would be unlikely to play her senior season. Hurdle tore the ACL in her left knee for the second time in her high school career last summer during travel ball.

The news grew more grim in the winter. Sophomore shortstop Mary Moss Wirt was injured playing basketball at Carrboro on December 12. Wirt, who played 20 games as a freshman, tore her ACL trying to return to action.

On top of that, sophomore pitcher Gracie Walker suffered a torn labrum in her throwing shoulder. She underwent surgery last month and watched Orange’s game against Roxboro Community School with her arm in a sling Thursday night.

In her freshman year, Walker led Orange with eight wins in the circle, including a victory over Jacksonville in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. She finished 8-5 with a 2.90 ERA, along with a .414 batting average.

“It put us behind the eight ball,” said Orange Softball Coach Henry Horn. “We’re trying to do all the little things now. We’re giving a lot of kids opportunities. We’re just very young and inexperienced on the mound.”

The silver lining was Orange returned Kelly “Maddy” Bartlett, an all-Big 8 Conference infielder. Naturally, Bartlett was injured while tagging out Roxboro Community School’s Maci Clark at 2nd base in the penultimate out of Thursday night’s game in Hillsborough. Bartlett had to leave the game, forcing Orange to get the last out with four freshmen on the field.

Orange managed to get that last out to beat the Bulldogs 8-5 for its first win of the season. The Lady Panthers trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but scored four runs in their final at-bat. Sophomore catcher Lauren Jackson and freshman Serenity McPherson were hit by pitches to open the sixth. Grace Andrews had a critical RBI single to score courtesy runner Brianna Wilkins.

If there is a positive for Orange, it’s that the five freshmen who are already on the varsity roster have plenty of experience winning. McPherson, Carson Bradsher, Savannah Wynne, Briane Foster and Kelsey Tackett were all members of Stanford Middle School’s Orange Person Athletic Conference Championship team from last May.

Bradsher, who hit leadoff for Orange on Thursday, finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored.

“Carson is someone we can play anywhere,” Horn said. “She’s a utility player. Very talented lady.”

Foster earned the save for Orange by retiring the final two Bulldogs.

Hurdle’s absence means that senior first baseman Grace Andrews is the final player remaining from Orange’s State title team. Three years ago, Andrews was a freshman whose insertion into the starting lineup by coach Eddy Davidson required senior Abby Hamlett to move to shortstop, a combination that led Orange to Raleigh and eventually glory.

“We’ve asked her to be a leader,” Horn said. “We need her to get over this hill for us this year. She’s done a really good job to helping the younger players.”

After a rocky start to the season with a 7-1 loss to Holly Springs on Wednesday, Orange’s youth came through on Thursday against a Roxboro Community School team that topped the Panthers twice last season.

“This is nice because they got us twice last year,” Horn said. “This year, I want to get them twice.”

The Orange softball team rallied to defeat Roxboro Community School 6-4 at Orange Softball Field on Thursday night. Puckett went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, including a crucial hit during a four-run sixth inning that led the Lady Panthers to its first win of the season. Sophomore pitcher Courtney Watkins earned her first victory by throwing two-and-one thirds innings. She threw two strikeouts and two runs, neither one earned. Orange trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning before scoring four runs in the sixth. Jackson, who started as a freshman at catcher last year, hit .439 last season with 25 hits and 21 RBIs. On Tuesday, Orange will open Big 8 Conference play at East Chapel Hill. First pitch will be at 4. The Lady Panthers are 1-1.