Fifth-inning fallout sends Panthers to first defeat of season

A fifth inning surge by the visiting Armstrong Wildcats proved to be too much for Charles City’s Panthers to handle in a Mar. 17 baseball contest. The visitors pushed across 10 runs in the top of the fifth frame, putting what was once a competitive contest out of reach as Armstrong defeated Charles City 16-2. Wasting little time, Armstrong jumped out to a 1-0 lead from the get go after Troy Cook singled in Laphonso Walker. Walker would touch home plate after a passed ball and teammate Will Gary would duplicate the feat shortly afterwards to launch the visitors ahead…
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Frye pitching, Carpenter hitting key New Kent’s 11-1 victory over Park View

Blake Frye hurled a complete game while Steven Carpenter just missed hitting for the cycle to help propel New Kent’s host Trojans to an 11-1 baseball conquest of Park View-South Hill’s Dragons. Frye scattered six hits while striking out four and walking only two in Thursday’s five-inning affair. Carpenter, meanwhile, belted a two-run homer to go along with a single and double. He walked in his only other plate appearance. “Blake had a great outing,” said his coach, Michael Kuper. “With us having three games this week, his complete game takes a lot of pressure off our pitching staff. It…
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Park View subdues Lady Trojans on two-hit shutout

New Kent’s Lady Trojan softball team has seen enough of Park View-South Hill pitcher Odici Alexander. Over the past two seasons, Alexander has occupied the circle as the Dragons knocked New Kent out of the conference playoff picture on both occasions. Thursday afternoon, the two teams met again, this time in a regular season match-up at New Kent. And for the third straight time, the outcome was the same. Park View prevailed 10-0 in five innings behind Alexander who allowed just two hits while striking out six. “We started putting the bat on the ball toward the end,” said Lady…
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Carousel of baserunners lift Lady Panthers to victory in softball home opener

Capitalizing from free trips to basepaths, Charles City Lady Panthers’ softball team used aggressive running as they pushed across 20 runs for a victory over visiting Armstrong 20-6 in the Mar. 17 home opener. The visiting Lady Wildcats took the lead in the top of the first, as Jada Bryant and Shana Nichols crossed home plate courtesy of Kayla Kimbrough’s single. Kimbrough would score later as Armstrong took a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first. But patience was key for the Lady Panthers when it was their turn to step to the plate. Meryah Bates singled for…
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Ribbon cutting held for new New Kent High School tennis courts

Viniterra hosts Junior Golf tour

The Club of Viniterra golf course in New Kent hosted the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour on Mar. 12-13. The course served as a stop and invited golfers ranging from ages 11-18 to the course witih the opportunity to qualify for the national tour championship on Dec. 3-4. Winners during the tour stop were Dru Ritcher (boys 16-18 division, +3), Patrick Garciss (boys 14-15 division, +8), Katherine Schuster (girls 14-18 division, +18), and Marhall Meisel (boys 11-13 division, +15).

Kuper’s coaching debut successful, New Kent topples York 4-1

First-year New Kent baseball head coach Michael Kuper couldn’t have asked for a better way to launch his varsity career. Moving up from last year’s JV program, he watched Tuesday afternoon while his Trojans dismantled York’s visiting Falcons for a 4-1 victory in the season opener for both. “Exciting,” Kuper said afterward while breaking into a wide grin. “It was just a solid all-around effort. Our pitching was solid, and clutch hitting came through when it needed to.” Trojan shortstop and leadoff hitter Steven Carpenter opened the home half of the first inning in the best possible way, drilling the…
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Lady Trojans fall to York in softball season opener

New Kent Lady Trojan batters had problems making contact with offerings from York pitcher Chelsea Evans. The Falcon hurler struck out 15 and scattered five hits in denying the host Lady Trojans a victory in Tuesday’s softball season opener. York prevailed 9-1. “We had a lot of strikeouts,” said Lady Trojan coach Nicole O’Bier, noting that seven batters were caught looking at third strikes. “We’ve got to get those bats swinging and get that confidence up,” she said. And as for her team’s ability to do just that, she added, “They definitely have it.” The hosts gave up a solo…
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New Kent comeback falls short in soccer opener

Despite playing one man short for most of the second half, New Kent’s host Trojans managed to erase most of a three-goal lead Colonial Heights’ fast-starting Colonials built in the first half of Tuesday’s season opening soccer battle. And an apparent game-tying goal on an indirect free kick appeared to pull the hosts even with the Colonials just past the second half’s midpoint. But that scored was waved off, enabling the visitors to cling to a one-goal advantage. Colonial Heights then added an insurance score down the stretch to escape with a 4-2 win. “We started to really pick it…
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New Kent finishes second in season opening track meet at Charles City

New Kent’s Jon Swartout won the boys’ 1600 meter run while twin brothers Josh and Joe Dixon each claimed a throwing event as the Trojans earned a second place finish at Charles City’s regular season track meet Tuesday afternoon. On the boys’ side, New Kent scored 128 points, good enough for second place out of seven teams at the meet. Middlesex finished on top with 153 points, with Armstrong finishing in third place with 121 points. Host Charles City placed fourth with 32, while Washington & Lee (26), Grove Christian (8), and Richmond Christian (3) rounded out the scoring. Swartout…
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