Poquoson snaps New Kent’s Lady Trojans four-year regular season home-winning streak

New Kent’s Alline Alexander snags a pop fly in the top of the seventh to get the Lady Trojans out of the inning.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Lady Trojans softball team knew that being the defending state champion resulted in every team they played giving them their best shot. And on May 10, the visiting Poquoson Lady Islanders best effort resulting in something that hadn’t been done in four years.

The inability to string together hits played part of New Kent’s downfall as they fell 2-0 on Senior Night. The loss by the Lady Trojans is their first regular season loss at home since Mar. 10, 2019.

Pitching and defense by both sides kept each team trying to figure out how to breakthrough. It would be the visitors who figured out that conundrum, as Poquoson’s Alyssa Laney and Brooklyn Arneault each drove in a run to produce a 2-0 lead at the end of the frame.

New Kent’s Lady Trojans best shot came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alline Alexander’s single and a base knock by Morgan Berg placed runners on first and second. But pop outs by Abbie Kegley and Hannah Perkins resulted in Poquoson escaping the inning. The Lady Islanders retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, ending New Kent’s stranglehold and capturing the Bay Rivers District lead.

After the contest, New Kent Lady Trojans Head Coach Maria Bates spoke about the inconsistency at the plate during the contest.

“We got four hits the entire game,” she commented. “We are not stringing them together and we are struggling at the place.

“We need to find our identity,” Bates added. “They are doing everything the way they supposed to be doing. We just need to put it together and get over the jitters. At this level, they know what they need to do and it’s just mental.”

New Kent’s Lady Trojans fall to 14-5 on the season.