EDITOR'S CHOICE
Orange Pitcher Kristina Givens Discusses Throwing 230 Pitches in One Night and a Regional Title
On Friday night, Kristina Givens threw 230 pitches over the course of two games. It was worth it. In her final games at Orange Softball field, Givens earned her 19th and 20th wins of the season as the Panthers captured the Eastern Regional Championship, beating West Brunswick 7-4 and 5-1 in games two and three. Next weekend, Givens will pitch against Piedmont for the 3A State Championship.
Orange 1st Baseman Jaden Hurdle Discusses Winning the Regional Championship as a Freshman
Only a freshman, Jaden Hurdle will do something next weekend that many Orange softball players never did: play for a state championship. The Panthers defeated West Brunswick 2-games-to-1 for the Eastern Regional Championship on Friday night. Hurdle hit .333 in the series, including a 3-run homer in game 1.
Orange Designated Hitter Alisha Pettiford Talks 2-Run Homer vs. West Brunswick
Alisha Pettiford hit one home run during the regular season for Orange. On Saturday night, she hit her 2nd, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. West Brunswick trailed 5-4 in the fifth after falling behind 5-0 at the end of one inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Pettiford laced a two-run homer to left field to sew up a game 2 victory. She also scored in game 3 during a 3-run 2nd inning, which put Orange ahead for good.
Orange Third Baseman Olivia Ruff Discusses 1st Home Run vs. West Brunswick
Entering Friday’s game against West Brunswick, Orange sophomore Olivia Ruff had never hit a home run. Not in a regular season game, not in a summer league game, not even in practice. Yet in game 2 against the Trojans, the 3rd baseman changed the shape of the series with a grand slam in the 1st inning, putting Orange ahead 5-0, a deficit the Panthers never yielded on its way to a 7-4 win.
Orange Softball Coach Eddie Davidson Discusses the Panthers’ Regional Championship
In his 2nd year at the helm, Orange coach Eddie Davidson has led the Panthers to its first-ever Regional Championship. The Panthers defeated West Brunswick 5-1 to win the best-of-3 Eastern Regional Championship series on Friday night in Hillsborough. Orange will play Piedmont for the 3A State Championship in another best-of-3 series.
Orange Senior Enzyah Holt Talks Scoring Two Runs vs. West Brunswick
Though she didn’t start in either of Orange’s two games against West Brunswick on Friday night, Enzyah Holt made an impact. She scored three runs as a courtesy runner. In the third and deciding game against the Trojans, she scored the Panthers’ final two runs running for pitcher Kristina Givens as Orange won 5-1, earning its first-ever Eastern Regional Championship in softball.
Cedar Ridge Attacker Sean Tobin Reflects on Cedar Ridge Career, State Title Game
Cedar Ridge senior Sean Tobin finished his career with a hat trick in the 3A/2A/1A State Championship game on Friday, a 21-6 loss to Weddington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. It was Tobin’s eleventh hat trick of the season, and his seventh in the last eight games. Tobin finsihed the year with 45 goals and 63 points. He ends his Cedar Ridge career with 146 goals and 375 points, a member of the first team from Hillsborough to play for a state lacrosse championship.