Lady Trojans throw scare into unbeaten Warhill before Lions survive in extra innings

New Kent second baseman Sydney Ervin winds up to fire to first after forcing out Warhill's Emma Harris at second in the ninth inning.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Far from intimidated by Warhill’s unbeaten Lions’ presence on their softball diamond, New Kent’s Lady Trojans took the defending state champs to the limit, forcing Friday’s contest into extra innings. But in the Warhill half of the 10th, a throwing error plated the eventual deciding run, enabling the Lions to escape unblemished with a 3-2 final.

Despite the loss, Lady Trojan coach Maria Bates indicated the close encounter bodes well for her team’s chances in the Conference 25 tournament that opens Monday with New Kent, now 4-17, traveling to Southampton.

“I’m pretty proud of the girls,” she said. “Only one other team has scored two runs on [Warhill]. This is the time to come together as a team, and they’re playing their best ball at the right time.”

Warhill stroked three hits off Lady Trojan pitcher Haley Hyndshaw on the way to a two-run second inning. Over the next eight frames, however, Hyndshaw held the Lions in check, scattering four hits.

“Haley was amazing today, and she pitched a great game yesterday,” Bates said, pointing to her team’s win the day before at Lafayette. “[Warhill] is a bunch of power hitters, but she shook them up and they didn’t know what to do with themselves.”

In their first meeting earlier this season, Warhill dominated to the tune of 10-0. Lion pitcher Keely Rochard fired a no-hitter while striking out 19.

Rochard fanned 18 in Thursday’s rematch, but also surrendered five hits including three singles in the Lady Trojan fifth when the hosts overtook their guests. Alex Peace drew a one-out walk before moving to second on Abby Young’s sacrifice. Taylor Goode followed with a single to put runners at the corners.

Sydney Ervin stroked a single to center to drive in Peace for New Kent’s first run. Peyton Slater then singled in Goode for a 2-2 deadlock.

Rochard, however, did not allow another base runner the rest of the way. She struck out the side in the sixth, ninth, and 10th.

Starting with the ninth inning in girls’ softball, the team at bat opens with a runner, who was the third out in the previous frame, on second base. In the 10th, a throwing error on Kieran McClure’s lead-off bunt allowed Olivia Schulz to race home from second for the winning run.

The result, though, failed to adversely affect the Lady Trojans’ attitude, labeled as “great” by Bates.

“We’ve gone from going up [to the plate] and thinking we might get a hit to thinking we’re going to get some hits and score some runs.”