New Kent baseball snaps four-game skid with 11-1 win over Bruton

New Kent's Logan Albertson (11) dives safely into second base despite an attempt by Bruton's Brandon Danet (left) to tag him.

Robb Johnson photo

The last four games have been a nightmare for New Kent’s Trojans baseball team. Having dropped all of those contests, the Trojans have gone from first to worst in the tight Bay Rivers District. New Kent looked to right the ship against Bruton in an Apr. 24 clash and got the outcome they desperately sought.

With a combination of good hitting and Trojan hurler Nate Kagey delivering seven strikeouts, the hosts defeated the visiting Bruton Panthers in a 11-1 mercy rule victory.

New Kent found themselves in a troublesome situation in the top of the first inning as Bruton runners positioned themselves in scoring position. Fortunately, Kagey delivered in the clutch with two strikeouts to escape with no damage done.

The bottom of the first favored the hosts when they stepped up to the plate. Albertson’s base hit and subsequent steal fired up his teammates. Chris Wade received a free pass to first with a walk, allowing Riggs Ellis blast into the outfit that brought home his two comrades. Kagey added some insurance with his at bat, bringing in Ellis with his base knock. Bruton appeared rattled, leading to errors by the visitors and allowing New Kent to trot three more runs across home plate for a 7-0 lead after one.

From there, the Trojans controlled things for the rest of the game, allowing seven hits and only one run. By the end of the contest, the hosts emerged victorious to up their record to 5-7 on the season.

New Kent head coach Michael Kuper talked about what his team must do going forward after the game.

“I expected us to come out really focused and we were focused on hitting the ball in practice,” he said. “They beat us last time so going into this game we knew we had to be prepared.

“We’re not overlooking anybody because you can get beaten on any given day and this game is about was about focus,” Kuper continued. “It’s us against the ball, not against anybody else, so we have to go with that mentality and know that we can beat anybody.”