New Kent Lady Trojans can Kettle Run Cougars; advance to Group 3A state semifinals

New Kent’s Abbie Kegley (left) and Libby Britt (right) both make their way to a pop up down the first base line during the second inning. Kegley was able to haul in the catch for an out.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Lady Trojans’ road to their second state title in three years kicked off Tuesday evening against the visiting Kettle Run Lady Cougars. And for the home team, the drive now continues to the state semifinals.

The Lady Trojans dominated on the diamond, emerging with a 6-0 victory and earning a bid to face Turner Ashby Friday morning at 10 a.m. at Monticello High School.

Scoring for the hosts started in the bottom of the second, as Kendall White crossed home plate after a sacrifice fly by Libby Britt. In the bottom of the third, Kenley Rowe touched the pentagon after Abbie Kegley’s single.

Kettle Run’s Aaliyah Alexander struggles on the mound early forced the Lady Cougars to opt for left-hander Hailey Pace. But the move didn’t reap success for the visitors, with Libby Britt connecting with a double. After Brooklyn Wiles substituted to pinch-run, Leah Rounds single brought home Kegley and Wiles, upping the advantage to 4-0 for New Kent.

In the bottom of the fourth, Hannah Tober’s blast off the outfield wall drove home the fifth run for the Lady Trojans. Kegley pushed Tober around the bases with her base hit, increasing the home team’s lead to 6-0.

Meanwhile, New Kent’s defense and pitching kept the Lady Cougars in check, yielding no runs on the scoreboard. The win was sealed in the top of the seventh with routine outs by the hosts, clinching their spot in the final four.

After the contest, New Kent Lady Trojans Head Coach Maria Bates spoke about her team’s stellar performance.

“Their record doesn’t matter at this point,” she said. “We had to make sure that they didn’t capitalize on any opportunities, and we played New Kent ball.

“These girls have worked for this,” Bates continued. “They are doing what they need to do, and this feels amazing. Even though we have a chip on our shoulder after falling short last year, they are motivated going into this weekend.”