Girls’ Softball: New Kent 6, Grafton 4

New Kent second baseman Peyton Fleming fires to first to complete a double play after forcing out Grafton’s Krista Hall.

Alan Chamberlain photo

New Kent’s Lady Trojans built a 6-1 lead and held off a last inning Grafton rally to preserve a 6-4 Bay Rivers District softball victory over the visiting Clippers. The March 15 outcome upped the hosts’ district record to 2-0.

“We’ve got an amazing group of girls,” said first-year New Kent head coach Nicole O’Bier. “We’ve got good hitters, we’ve got speed, and we have an awesome defense. That goes for our starters and second string. We’re strong all the way around.”

And O’Bier should know a thing or two about talent. During her softball playing days at New Kent just over a decade ago (known then as Nicole Slosjarik), she achieved all-district status before going on to earn All-American honors at Christopher Newport University.

The game, however, didn’t start as O’Bier envisioned. Grafton got a leadoff single from Hannah Olson who worked her way to third before beating a throw to the plate on a Taylor Wagner infield grounder.

New Kent evened the affair in the bottom of the first on Peyton Fleming’s single to right that scored Karley Allen (reached on error). Then in the second, the hosts moved in front after Emi Peterson’s pop-up dropped in the infield and Madison Beasley singled past first. Olson at shortstop had no play after fielding Emily Silver’s sharp grounder on the outfield grass. Peterson raced home for the go-ahead run.

New Kent appeared to add to their run total as Beasley tagged up at third and scampered to the plate on Allen’s fly-out to left for the second out. Silver, however, was called out for leaving base early, thus ending the frame with the hosts up 2-1.

“That’s not the way I wanted to start the game,” O’Bier said. “But once we were up, we were strong the rest of the way.”

Dani Foster walked and scored on Brittany’s LaPrade’s single for a 3-1 lead in the third. Then the hosts pulled away in the fourth on Allen’s RBI double that scored Silver (single) and Kristin Colegrove’s two-run double that drove in Allen and Kristen Saunders (single).

Lady Trojan pitcher Marissa Bush weathered a seventh inning Grafton uprising. The Clippers loaded the bases and closed the gap to 6-2 on a wild pitch. Jessica Sprouse followed with a two-out, two-run double, but Bush got Tara Dock to look at a third strike to end the game. Bush scattered seven hits while striking out seven and walking five.