Bauer 2-run, walk-off homer seals BRD title

Laura Bauer isn’t one to become overly perturbed when opposing teams, in respect for her prowess with the bat, pitch around her.

“It’s a little annoying sometimes,” admits the power-hitting New Kent Lady Trojan catcher.

Patience, however, is one of Bauer’s virtues, and that patience paid off in the form of a two-run, walk-off homer with one away in the bottom of the seventh and final inning on May 22 to overcome York’s host Falcons 4-3 for the Bay Rivers District softball tournament championship.

Bauer’s blast barely cleared the fence as Falcon center fielder Audrey Shemateck crashed through the barrier in a vain effort to glove the ball. Ashley McMichael (walk) scored ahead of Bauer and waited at home plate with the rest of the Lady Trojan team to greet Bauer and touch off a wild celebration.

“I was looking for a pitch I could drive and I got it,” Bauer said afterward. “[York pitcher Ashley Prosper] threw it right down the middle.”

The home run extended New Kent’s winning streak to 14 after a 5-3 start. Earlier, the Lady Trojans (19-3) had locked up the number one seeding in the Region I tournament.

York, the district’s second seed, took advantage of its home environs to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Two uncharacteristic errors by second baseman Tyler Fleming enabled the first two Falcon batters to reach base. Courtney Williamson’s grounder created the York advantage as Fleming’s throw to the plate was not in time to erase Rachel Lamb who scored from third.

Despite trailing 1-0, New Kent pitcher Becca Mills owned a no-hitter through four innings. Prosper’s looping single behind first base to start the York fifth ruined the bid.

New Kent, meanwhile, experienced its problems at the plate. The Lady Trojans left the bases loaded in the first inning and had runners in scoring position in each of the next three frames, but to no avail.

But a hobbling Maria Bates doubled into the right-center field gap to lead off the Lady Trojan fifth and open the door for the regular season champs. Bates provided an emotional lift, staying in the game after taking a Prosper fastball on the left shin, just below the kneecap, in the first inning.

“Maria’s heart carried us in this game,” her coach, Betsey Lane, said. “I wish every player had her heart.”

Bates limped to third on a wild pitch and scored easily to tie the game on Ashley McMichael’s bouncing single between shortstop and third. Moments later, McMichael sprinted to the plate all the way from first on Bauer’s double off the center field fence.

York answered New Kent’s surge in the next inning. Mary O’Connor drew a one-out walk and a throwing error on Amanda Lucker’s ground ball placed two aboard. A Shemateck ground out moved the runners up a base. Mills then walked Lamb to load the bases.

Stephanie Olson looped a single just over the outstretched glove of Fleming on the run in shallow center to score both O’Connor and Lucker for a 3-2 Falcon lead.

New Kent stranded a runner in the sixth, but kept the Falcons from pulling away in the seventh as right fielder Rachel Baldwin turned in the defensive play of the game. With two Falcons on base and two away, Baldwin made a diving catch on O’Connor’s sinking drive into shallow right field.

“That was a beautiful catch by Rachel,” Lane said. “It looked like she hesitated at first, but then she went after it and got it.”

After back-to-back nail-biters in the district tourney, Lane indicated she would welcome a more one-sided game as a measure of relief.

“These games are killing me. I can’t take much more of this,” she said.

“Our defense let us down today. We let the ball play us and sat back on our heels, and that’s not our philosophy at all,” she said. “But Laura’s homer — that was the perfect ending to a not-so-perfect game.”