Lafayette breaks 3-3 deadlock, pulls away from New Kent for 9-5 win

New Kent shortstop Steven Carpenter unleashes a throw to first baseman Trey Cox in time to retire a Lafayette runner.

Alan Chamberlain photo

After spotting Lafayette’s Rams a 3-0 first inning lead, New Kent’s host Trojans evened Tuesday’s baseball encounter, pushing across three runs in the second frame. But the visitors broke the deadlock with a solo run in the third and took command with a three-run fourth on the way to a 9-5 win.

The loss, incurred during New Kent’s final home game of the season and celebration of Senior Day, dropped the hosts to 3-15.

“We’re a very disconcerting 3-15,” said Trojan coach Ronnie Cox. “We’ve been in a lot of one-run lost games. A walk here, a base hit there has been deciding those games, but that’s baseball.”

A couple of walks and hits, however, got the Trojans back in the game. Ram starter Jerome Artle walked Tyler Jenkins and Brennan Gray to start the Trojan second before giving up a single to Brett Richardson to load the bases. One run scored on Hunter Pitts’ sacrifice followed by two more on Steven Carpenter’s double to right-center.

But Lafayette gradually built another lead before Andre Lipcius’ two-run homer to straightaway center highlighted the Ram fourth. Solo runs in the sixth and seventh opened a 9-3 advantage.

New Kent rallied in the seventh behind consecutive singles from Chris Roman and Trey Cox followed by pinch hitter Desmond Glover’s two-run double to the fence in left-center. The hosts loaded the bases after that, but could not produce additional runs.

“We fought back,” said coach Cox. “Our five seniors played real well. All contributed, and I’m happy for them. I would love to have won the game, but [Lafayette] is a good ball club. At least we made [the final score] respectable.”