Single inning collapse erases New Kent lead, Colonial Heights takes advantage for 8-5 win

New Kent's Lamont Brandon scores New Kent's third run as the throw to the plate sails well above the leaping effort of Colonial Heights catcher Noah Bryant

Alan Chamberlain photo

Through five frames, New Kent’s Trojans owned a 3-1 advantage and appeared to be cruising to a baseball win over Colonial Heights’ Colonials. But in the sixth, disaster struck in the form of a seven-run Colonial eruption, brought on in part, by New Kent errors. The hosts never fully recovered, enabling the visitors to post an 8-5 victory.

“We won six out of seven innings, but in that one inning we imploded and that was the difference in the ball game,” said New Kent coach Michael Kuper. “We took the momentum early with that 3-1 lead, but they battled back.”

Colonial Heights broke a scoreless deadlock after loading the bases with one away in the fourth. The Colonials’ Brandon Pond launched a drive to deep center that was hauled in by Jacob Rivera. One run scored, but the throw to second baseman Hunter Pitts nailed Kyle Chernault to end the inning and prevent further damage.

Shawn Cousins opened the Trojan half of the fourth with a sharp grounder bobbled by shortstop Tanner Young. Cousins stole second before being joined on base by Blake Frye (walk). A passed ball moved the runners up a base.

Chris Wade’s slow roller handcuffed third baseman Chris Markins, enabling Cousins to tie the game. Jared Mitchell followed with a line drive single to center, scoring Frye and Wade.

The Colonials, however, benefitted from four sixth inning hits along with an equal number of Trojan errors to move in front to stay. Mitchell lofted a two-run homer over the left field fence in the bottom of the sixth, but that was New Kent’s final hit of the game.

“There were several double play balls we couldn’t get in the sixth and those could have gotten us out if it,” said Kuper, whose team is now 1-2. “Jared hit the home run to bring us back and give us a chance, and that’s all you can ask for. It’s just that we made the mistakes and they didn’t.”