New Kent holds off Grafton 10-9 in baseball thriller

New Kent catcher Zach Ferrell reaches to tag out Grafton's Zach Lechthaler on a third inning play at the plate.

Alan Chamberlain photos

Today’s (April 21) Grafton-New Kent baseball clash proves that no lead in high school baseball is safe, especially when two teams that rank among the best from the old Bay Rivers District get together.

New Kent’s host Trojans used a six-run second inning to seemingly take command. But the visiting Clippers chipped away, pulling within two before a pair of Trojan runs in the fifth enabled the hosts to breathe easier with 10-6 advantage heading into the seventh and final frame.

And even that comfort zone wasn’t enough — almost. The Clippers scored three times in the seventh and were poised to tie with a runner perched on third base and two away, but Trojan relief pitcher Tyler Lambert got the Clippers’ D.J. Dobbins to chase a bad pitch for strike three to end the game.

The 10-9 outcome raised New Kent’s record to 6-3 while Grafton fell to 7-4.

“It’s never easy,” a relieved Trojan coach Ronnie Cox said afterward. “[Grafton] just kept hitting the ball. They’re such a tough team to beat and they have been through the years, but we’ll take it.”

New Kent’s six-run second inning seemed almost too good to be true. And all six runs scored after two were out.

Chris Beshai drew a walk off Clipper starter Spencer Brown. Clay Simpson and Zach Ferrell followed with a singles, the latter scoring Beshai for the first run. Tyler Robertson walked to load the bases for Steven Carpenter who cleaned the sacks with a triple into the right-center field gap.

“That triple was huge,” Cox said. “Steven’s been very clutch in these situations. Grafton probably would have been better off to put him on. He’s the kind of player that rises in these types of situations.”

But the hosts weren’t finished. A pitch struck Michael Carpenter before Lambert stroked a two-run double into the gap in right-center to open the 6-0 advantage.

Grafton, however, began to inch back with two runs in the third. New Kent got those runs back in the bottom of the frame behind doubles from Beshai and Ferrell, but the visitors scored two more in the fourth and another pair in the fifth, closing the gap to 8-6.

In the Trojan half of the fifth, the hosts capitalized on Clipper fielding miscues to score a pair of crucial runs. An error placed runners at the corners for Trey Cox whose bouncer down the first base line handcuffed defender P.J. Jackson, enabling Lambert (fielder’s choice) to score. Beshai followed with a looping single to left, driving in Kevin Karaffa (reached base on an error).

“I’m glad we picked up those two runs in the fifth,” Cox said. “If we hadn’t scored those runs, we’d have been in a world of trouble.”

Lambert, on the mound in relief of starter Michael Carpenter, drew the task of shutting down the Clippers over the next two innings. Carpenter had scattered four hits, struck out seven, and walked five when he complained of dizziness in the third inning. Lambert came on in relief with one away in the third.

“Tyler was going to come in anyway, but when Michael started feeling dizzy I had to bring him in way earlier than I planned,” said Cox.

Grafton touched Lambert for nine hits, including two doubles and a pair of singles in the final frame, but he also struck out five (two in the last inning) and never surrendered a walk.

New Kent right fielder Kevin Karaffa zeroes in for a
running grab on a sinking line drive off the bat of Grafton’s Gray Harris in the third inning.