New Kent routs York to earn spot in Group 3A state tournament

New Kent's Taylor Yates snags a throw at first base in time for an out.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent Lady Trojans head softball coach Maria Bates said that beating a team three times in one season was a tough task to do. In two earlier contests with the York Lady Falcons, New Kent slipped by with two wins using their defense, as the run differential was only 5-2. But with a state berth on the line, the Lady Trojans received the extra motivation they needed.

With a brutal unleashing on the offensive side of the ball, New Kent rolled 14-1 Friday afternoon to defeat York and clinch a spot in the Group 3A State Championships playoff bracket. The win also sets up another showdown against Park View’s Lady Dragons, a team that handed New Kent one of their two defeats this year.

The hosts did their damage in the opening frame. During the bottom of the first, the Lady Trojans belted out nine hits. Factor in a plethora of errors by York and the result saw New Kent trot ten runners across home plate. From there, defense by the Lady Trojans kept the visitors in check as they coasted to the regional finals.

Bates discussed her team’s strong effort after they dominated their Bay Rivers rival.

“We had a lot to play for and with a state berth on the line, we came out and had a complete team game,” the head coach said. “The crowd helped a lot.

“The girls love to have people in the stand rooting for them,” Bates added. “They played up to that, so it was definitely an exciting game.”