New Kent blanks Park View-South Hill to win Group 3A Region A softball championship
New Kent's Lady Trojans pose with the regional trophy after defeating Park View-South Hill's Lady Dragons on May 29.Robb Johnson photos
For years, New Kent’s Lady Trojans have been stifled by Park View of South Hill’s Lady Dragons whenever they collided in postseason play. But with a little bit of detective work and a defense that refused yield any runs, the hosts solved the enigma during the May 29 affair.
New Kent defeated Park View 8-0 to claim the Group 3A Region A Championship. The win results in the Lady Trojans hosting a state tournament quarterfinal game.
Similar to previous encounters, Park View looked to jump out early against the hosts by placing runners on base through contact and playing simplified softball. But New Kent’s defense were able to make catches from pop flies to halt the momentum of the visitors.
It didn’t take long for the Lady Trojans to put runs on the board. McKenna Mueller’s three-run home run over the left field wall provided what eventually turned out to be more than enough runs. The hosts also took advantage of errors committed by Dragon outfielder Lizzie Wesson as K.B. Snyder’s hit a ball that evaded her. Snyder would trot across home plate later in the inning to up the advantage to four (4-0).
Feeding off the crowd’s energy, four more runs crossed the plate for New Kent. Meanwhile, the Lady Dragons could not take advantage of situations when runners were in scoring position, ultimately ending the game.
New Kent head coach Maria Bates talked about the team’s goals and how they are down to three games to win a state championship.
“We came out here to make a statement these last few games and we are playing the best ball we have played all year,” the victorious coach commented. “It’s that time to play that type of ball.
“This is what we have been working for since February and all year long through season workouts,” Bates continued. “The girls are buying into the program and this is the result of their hard work.
“The ultimate goal is to get to Salem and bring a state championship back to New Kent,” she added as the interview wrapped up. “We are trying to take it one game at a time, one day at a time, and hopefully eventually bring home a ring for New Kent.”
The ball explodes off the bat of McKenna Mueller on its way to clearing the left field wall for a home run.
Lady Trojan head coach Maria Bates can’t escape the traditional celebratory bath as players douse her with water.