New Kent shocks once beaten Warhill with three-hit, 4-0 shutout

New Kent third baseman Madison Beasley displays the ball in her glove for the umpire to see while Warhill's Keely Rouchard looks to the ump and sees she's out. Beasley tagged Rouchard, attempting to take third on an error, to help cut off a late Warhill rally in the seventh inning.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Coming off a 19-0 drubbing of Lafayette the day before, Warhill’s Lady Lions rode an 8-1 record into Saturday’s softball encounter at New Kent, a team that had just risen above the .500 mark earlier this week with back-to-back wins, including a 4-0 decision at Lafayette.

Either the Lion bats never made the bus trip or the visitors could not solve Lady Trojan pitcher Destiny Eberhard’s delivery. Eberhard shackled the Lions on three hits while the Lady Trojan defense played flawless ball behind her for six frames. Those factors entered into a 4-0 shutout victory, raising New Kent’s record to 6-3.

“I’m so proud of them,” Lady Trojan coach Nicole O’Bier said afterward concerning her team. “They all put their part in, and they brought their ‘A’ game today.

“As I’ve always said, it’s anybody’s game in this league,” she said. “It’s all based on who’s hitting, who brings their ‘A’ game, and who makes errors.”

Miscues have frequently plagued New Kent this season, but today became Warhill’s turn to absorb errors. The Lions committed four for the game, including a pair that aided the hosts’ run production.

An error helped New Kent load the bases in the first inning, setting up Brittany LaPrade’s two-run single. LaPrade scored moments later on Stephanie Torrence’s ground out for a 3-0 lead.

Paige Simpson opened the New Kent third with a single. Another error enabled Simpson to reach third before she scored the game’s final run on a passed ball.

New Kent cruised into the seventh and final inning. Eberhard had allowed only five Lion base runners (two on hits, three on walks) while the defense had played solid, errorless ball.

Warhill, however, staged a last ditch rally. Eberhard walked opposing pitcher Keely Rochard to start the frame. New Kent’s first error of the game, coming on a Hannah Smith grounder, allowed Smith to reach first, but a throw from first baseman Emily Angle to Madison Beasley at third easily erased Rochard for the first out.

The Lions’ Kasey Tomes singled, moving Smith to second before New Kent’s second error, this time on a Jewel Walters grounder, loaded the bases. But the defense responded, getting a force at the plate for the second out and ending the game on Angle’s snag of Jasmine Ortiz’s line drive down the first base line.

“I’m ecstatic,” O’Bier said concerning the stunning upset. “Win or lose, I’m very, very, very proud of the way we played today.”