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There wasn’t a sense of finality for the Cedar Ridge Baseball team on its senior night. They will likely be playing at home again next week in the state playoffs.

But Adam Chnupa picked a poetic time for his first grand slam.

The senior, who attended Elon University’s spring football game on Saturday, drove in five runs as Cedar Ridge routed Southern Durham 23-1 on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Stadium. Chnupa blasted the grand slam during a nine-run 3rd inning.  He also tripled in the fourth.

Cedar Ridge is guaranteed to finish no lower than second place in the Big 8. They can still tie for the Big 8 Championship if they beat Southern Durham on Thursday and if East Chapel Hill wins at Chapel Hill. On Tuesday night, Chapel Hill clinched a share of the Big 8 regular season championship by edging East Chapel Hill 2-1.

If Cedar Ridge clinches a share of the Big 8 Championship, they will receive the top seed from the Big 8 for the 3A State Tournament, which begins Tuesday.

Chnupa was one of six Cedar Ridge seniors playing their final regular season home game at Red Wolves Stadium. Centerfielder Sailor Ramos, 1st baseman Chris Cox, right fielder Erik Zehnder, designated hitter Landon Badger and 3rd baseman Nicholas Starr were the other seniors honored before the game. All six started.

Ramos hit two doubles and finished 4-for-4, improving his batting average to .417, which leads the team. Ramos also leads the team with 25 hits and 18 RBI. He has hit safely in five consecutive games, which is tied with Dante DeFranco for the longest streak on the team.

Cox went 2-for-2 with a double and scored three runs, driving in two. Erik Zehnder went 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and three runs scored. Badger went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cedar Ridge finished with a season-high 19 hits.

Cedar Ridge has now won 11 straight games, the longest winning streak of any team from the Big 8 Conference this year.

Mattthew Kahn earned the win, striking out ten in four innings. Starr came on in the final inning for mop-up duty.

Kahn is now 6-2  with a 3.26 ERA. He has struck out 37 while walking 17.

Cedar Ridge (16-5, 10-3 in the Big 8) will conclude the regular season on Thursday when they face Southern Durham at Pete Shankle Field in the Bull City.

Jaydin Poteat’s final plate appearance at Orange High Field was befitting of his entire high school career. He was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning against Northern Durham. Poteat stole second, took third after Joey Berini was also hit by a pitch and scored off an infield single by Dayne Watkins. It was the 63rd run of Poteat’s career and helped the Panthers defeat the Knights 9-4 to improve to 11-10. Orange now has sole possession of 3rd place in the Big 8 with a 9-4 record.

Orange Senior CF Jaydin Poteat Discusses Scoring a Run in his Final Plate Appearance at Orange High

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Sometimes, baseball can become a sudden sport. On Tuesday night, Orange starting pitcher Will White was struck on the right foot by a line drive. He left the game an inning later. On short notice, Kaymin Matsko entered the game. Matsko, a senior, threw 4-and-one-third scoreless innings. Behind Matsko’s arm, Orange rallied from a 4-1 deficit to defeat Northern Durham 9-4 to take over sole possession of third place in the Big 8. It was Matsko’s third win of his varsity career. Even though Matsko is a middle reliever, Tuesday night’s game wasn’t his longest outing. Last month against Wake County HomeSchools, Matsko threw six innings of relief.

Orange Senior Kaymin Matsko Talks Getting a Win on Senior Night

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On a night where four seniors played their final games on the Orange softball field, it was a junior and a sophomore who ensured the Lady Panthers would return to the postseason.

Junior 3rd baseman Olivia Ruff went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run, while sophomore pitcher Jaden Hurdle hit her 3rd homer of the season to push Orange past Northern Durham 14-4 on Tuesday night at Panther Softball Field.

The win ensures Orange will finish at least 4th in the Big 8 Conference, which will put them in the state playoffs, which begin on Tuesday.

After a rocky start where Northern scored four runs in the first inning, Hurdle finished the game throwing four shutout innings to improve to 6-6 in the circle.

The Knights stormed out to a 4-0 lead, but Orange scored 14 consecutive runs to improve to 10-8 overall, 8-5 in the Big 8.

Orange started the comeback with five runs in the 1st, starting with Hurdle singling to centerfield. Hurdle rounded the bases without a hit, taking second on a passed ball, stealing third and scoring on another passed ball. After Hayley Funk and senior Alysann Lloyd each walked, Funk scored off another wild pitch. Freshman Emma Puckett double to right to bring in Lloyd. Ruff’s first hit of the game plated Puckett to tie the game 404. Senior Olivia Latta-Harshaw reached on an infield single that went off the glove of Northern pitcher McKenzie McCullen, scoring Ruff and putting Orange ahead 5-4.

Orange struck for eight runs in the fourth. Hurdle led off the inning with a double to centerfield. After a bunt single by Funk, Lloyd reached on an error to score Hurdle. Alisha Pettiford knocked in Funk off a hard ground ball to the shortstop. Ruff swatted a three-home homer to left field, increasing Orange’s lead to 10-4.

Sophomore Rachel Tilley started another offensive wave with a single to center. Senior Alyssa Heilman walked, leading to Hurdle’s three-run homer.

The Lady Panthers ensured a slaughter rule win with a run in the fifth. Ruff hit a two-out double to right field,  and Tilley singled her in to end the game.

Orange is now tied with Northern Durham for 3rd place in the conference. The two teams will meet again on Thursday night at 6 to conclude the regular season.

The state playoffs begin on Tuesday.

In a battle for 3rd place in the Big 8 on Tuesday night, the Cedar Ridge Women’s soccer team tied Northern Durham 1-1 at Red Wolves Stadium. Cedar Ridge nearly got the game-winner with 5:42 remaining in the 2nd overtime after Emerson Talley’s diagonal pass on a counter found freshman Ivy Garner, who was ruled offside on a borderline call. Junior Grace Davies was in net for the Red Wolves. It was her eighth game of the season. Davies has four shutouts this season for a Cedar Ridge team that has clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the third straight season. After the game, she discussed sharing time in net with senior Taylin Jean, and producing music that you can find on Spotify. 

Cedar Ridge GK Grace Davies Discusses 1-1 Tie with Northern Durham and Making Music

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Sophomore Joey Berini went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and 3 RBI in the opening game of Friday night’s doubleheader against Southern Durham, which was Orange Coach Dean Dease’s 500th victory. This season, Berini leads the Panthers with a .407 average, 22 hits, nine doubles and a .571 on-base percentage. Orange is now tied for 3rd with East Chapel Hill in the Big 8 Conference. The Panthers will host senior night on Tuesday against Northern Durham. 

Orange SS Joey Berini Discusses a Big Night vs. Southern Durham

Sophomore Joey Berini went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and 3 RBI in the opening game of Friday night’s doubleheader against Southern Durham, which was Orange Coach Dean Dease’s 500th victory. This season, Berini leads the Panthers with a .407 average, 22 hits, nine doubles and a .571 on-base percentage.

Cedar Ridge RF had a walkoff single last Friday when the Red Wolves defeated East Chapel Hill 5-4. Last week, the Red Wolves ensured a spot in the 3A state playoffs for the second straight year by sweeping Hillside in a two-game series. On Thursday, Zehnder hit two doubles as the Red Wolves won 10-0. On Friday in a 11-1 win over the Hornets, Zehnder went 1-for-3. On Saturday, Cedar Ridge defeated Eastern Guilford 8-2 in Gibsonville. Zehnder earned the win on the mound, striking out seven in five-and-two-thirds innings. He gave up just three hits as Cedar Ridge won its eighth straight game. 

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Erik Zehnder

Cedar Ridge RF had a walkoff single last Friday when the Red Wolves defeated East Chapel Hill 5-4. Last week, the Red Wolves ensured a spot in the 3A state playoffs for the second straight year by sweeping Hillside in a two-game series. On Thursday, Zehnder hit two doubles as the Red Wolves won 10-0.

Orange Baseball Coach Dean Dease is already in exclusive company solely from remaining as the head of the Panther baseball program since 1988.

On Friday, he goes for his 500th career victory when Orange hosts Southern Durham for a doubleheader starting at 5. Once Dease earned his next win, he will move into even more exclusive company.

How exclusive?

According to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, there are only seven members of the 500-win club among North Carolina high school baseball coaches.

The most recent totals were updates to the NCHSAA in 2013, according to spokesman James Alverson. At the time, three coaches had reached the 500 win plateau. Since them, four more have joined the club. The most recent was Charles Davis, who retired from C.B. Aycock in 2016 with 512 career wins.

The all-time leader is Ronald Vincent of J.H. Rose, who won his 900th game last season.

What are the playoff implications going into the final week of the regular season?

Of greater importance for Dease is Orange’s standing for the state playoffs. After Cedar Ridge’s 10-0 win over Hillside on Thursday night, the Red Wolves are in sole possession of 2nd place in the Big 8 Conference with a 8-3 record, one game behind first-place Chapel Hill. The Red Wolves travel to Durham on Friday.

If Orange sweeps Southern Durham, they will be 8-4 in conference play, placing them in no worse than a tie for 3rd place. On Friday afternoon, Northwood travels to East Chapel Hill. The Wildcats, were started last week tied for 1st with Chapel Hill, have lost three in a row and are tied with the Chargers for 4th at 7-4. Next week, Chapel Hill will face East to wrap up the regular season.

What are Cedar Ridge’s chances of trying for the Big 8 Championship? 

Average. As mentioned before, Cedar Ridge played the toughest part of its schedule in the opening five weeks of the season when they faced Northwood, Chapel Hill, Orange, East Chapel Hill and Northern Durham. If the Red Wolves win its final three conference games, they have to hope Chapel Hill loses two of its final three league games. Chapel Hill will face Northern Durham on Friday before starting the East Chapel Hill next week. Cedar Ridge and Chapel Hill split its season series, with Cedar Ridge winning 3-1 on March 19. Chapel Hill took the rematch four days later. If the Red Wolves and Tigers finish tied, the tiebreaker would greatly depend on where Northwood and East Chapel Hill finish in the league standings, which won’t be determined until the regular season ends next Thursday.