Middle inning surge lifts Lady Trojans to 2-1 conquest of Grafton

Lady Trojan shortstop Paige Simpson gloves the throw and beats Grafton's diving Hannah Olson to the bag at second base to complete a first inning double play.

Alan Chamberlain photos

New Kent’s Lady Trojan softball team has a new strategy at the plate — clump all hits into one inning thus scoring enough runs for the win. Although that may not be the formula for success in every game, the ploy worked well enough to topple Grafton’s invading Clippers today in a battle of teams with only one loss apiece.

The Lady Trojans clustered all three of their hits off Clipper pitcher Kayley Cox in the fourth inning. The sudden surge produced two runs, not only spoiling Cox’s no-hit effort but also overcoming an early Clipper lead for a 2-1 victory.

Today’s (April 21) outcome upped New Kent’s record to 7-1 while Grafton fell to 8-2.

Afterward, Lady Trojan coach Nicole O’Bier indicated she would much prefer her players spreading hits over several innings, but for today, at least, a win by any method is welcome relief.

“I was a little concerned,” she said after watching her team get just one base runner aboard (walk) over the first three innings. Then when Grafton took advantage of one of four Lady Trojans errors on the afternoon to take a 1-0 lead, her concern heightened.

“That’s definitely a lot more errors than what we usually have, but we’ve just come off a nine-day break,” she said, pointing to last week’s spring vacation.

“It’s tough coming off a nine-day break,” she added. “I’m proud of the way we played.”

Emily Angle launched the Lady Trojan fourth inning rally with a one-out single. Brittany LaPrade followed with another single, driving in Angle to tie the game. Marisa Bush stroked the third hit, moving LaPrade into scoring position for Madison Beasley who drove in the winning run with a fly ball to the outfield.

“Once we get our timing down and get it to going, we get it to going,” O’Bier said, looking back at the decisive frame.

Bush, who pitched the distance, and the defense did the rest. A double play ended a Clipper threat after the visitors got two aboard in the first inning. And in the fifth with runners at second and third, the defense choked off a run at the plate.

Bush, meanwhile, scattered three hits and walked only one while striking out seven. She got the Clippers’ Chelsea Evans to chase a high pitch for strike three and the third out in the fifth, stranding the potential tying and go-ahead runs at second and third.

“[Bush] did her job,” O’Bier said. “She’s been working very hard. She just gets in her groove and does her thing.”

New Kent catcher Stephanie Torrence blocks the plate and tags out Grafton’s sliding Hannah Olson at the plate in the fifth inning.