Six-run third paces NK win
A six-run third inning backed the no-hit pitching of Renee Silver as New Kent’s Lady Trojans cruised past Warhill’s visiting Lions 10-0 in their regular season home finale in Bay Rivers District softball.
Silver struck out 11 and walked only one in the May 19 affair shortened to six innings by the district’s 10-run slaughter rule. Only one other Warhill player reached base, that coming on an error in the first inning. No Lion base runner reached second base.
Warhill pitcher Amanda Borden retired the Lady Trojans in order in the first two innings, but all that changed in the third.
“We were having a little trouble with her outside pitch,” said New Kent coach Betsey Lane. “We were fouling it off and not being patient.”
But the hosts began to get to Borden as Chelsea Bedwell reached on an error to lead off the third and both Kristin Colegrove and DeDe Samuels bunted safely to load the bases. Bedwell scored on a wild pitch, and Emily Silver’s ground out drove in courtesy runner Alex Pair for a 2-0 lead.
Rachel Baldwin’s single past the bag at third scored Samuels. Maria Bates walked just before Sarah Barnett jumped on Borden’s first offering, smacking a RBI single up the middle. Nikki Jones then stroked Borden’s first pitch for a double into the left-center field gap, upping the advantage to 6-0.
Baldwin singled in a run in the fourth, and Bates drove in another as the lead reached 8-0. The hosts ended the game with a pair of runs in the sixth, upping their record to 9-8 in the district and 11-8 overall.
New Kent’s Trojans rallied from a 4-0 deficit to take a 6-4 lead, but Warhill’s visiting Lions scored the next three runs to turn back the hosts 7-6 in Bay Rivers District baseball.
“We couldn’t pull it out,” said Trojan coach Ronnie Cox. “We made some errors at inopportune times and left the door open for them.”
A four-run second frame put Warhill in front, but New Kent began to chip away at the deficit in the third as Darian Carpenter singled to drive in Steven Allen (single). Nick Maxim and Willie Driscoll cracked RBI doubles in the fourth to reduce the margin to 4-3. Then with two aboard, Nick Valentino looped a single to center to tie the game.
Valentino got picked off first, but avoided becoming an out thanks to a throwing error on the Lion rundown attempt. Allen, who had reached on a walk, scored from third on the play to hand New Kent the lead. Kyle Hudgins then lined a RBI single to left to open a 6-4 advantage.
But Warhill scored once in the fifth before tying the affair with a run in the sixth. Thomas Gill’s seventh inning single delivered the deciding run.
New Kent fell to 6-11 in the district and 8-11 overall.