Late inning rally lifts New Kent past Jamestown, 6-3

New Kent’s Dakota Oxendine slides safely past the tag of Jamestown catcher Griffin Colorado to score in the Trojans’ sixth inning comeback and celebrates at bottom with teammate Mason Downer.

Alan Chamberlain photos

Unable to score late after loading the bases with no outs, New Kent’s prospects appeared dim for overcoming a 3-2 Jamestown lead and salvaging a Bay Rivers District baseball win. Trojan coach Ronnie Cox harbored those same feelings after the hosts’ fifth frame proved fruitless.

“When we didn’t get anything with the bases loaded and no outs, I thought we wouldn’t be able to bounce back from it,” he said after the March 27 contest.

Cox’s fears, however, dissipated in the next frame. The Trojans put together a four-run sixth while holding the Eagles scoreless (and hitless) over the final three innings. In the end, the Trojans posted a 6-3 triumph, driving their district record above the .500 mark to 3-2.

Cox, meanwhile, credited his pitching staff for shutting down the Eagles until his team’s bats warmed up. Jamestown touched starter Matt Metheny for a pair of first inning runs and another in the fourth. But he held the visitors at bay in the fifth with a little help from his defense in catching an Eagle base runner in a rundown between second and third to erase a threat.

After spotting Jamestown a 2-0 lead in the first, New Kent got one run back in the second on Steven Carpenter’s single that scored Nick Valentino (single). The hosts scored again in the fourth as Carpenter reached on a single and scored on a throwing error.

“Matt kept us in the fight,” Cox said. “Things didn’t open up for us like I thought, but we were patient. Then we got some critical hits. I’m proud of my guys.”

In the Trojan sixth, Kevin Karaffa drew a leadoff walk, worked his way to third just before Trey Cox walked, and scored the tying run on Michael Carpenter’s ground out. Clay Simpson, running for Cox, raced to third on the play.

Dylan Walton reached base on an infield grounder that scored Simpson for the go-ahead run. Next, Dakota Oxendine’s double down the right field line delivered Walton. Oxendine then beat the throw to the plate on a Valentino single.

A half-inning earlier, Trojan reliever Chris Beshai, the eventual game winner, set up the Trojan rally by retiring three Eagles in order after the leadoff batter got aboard on an error. Michael Carpenter got the save in the seventh, issuing only a two-out walk before ending the game on an infield pop-up.