Grafton hasn't had much luck against New Kent recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Clippers will head out on the road to challenge the Trojans at 4:30 p.m.
Grafton blew Smithfield out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday Smithfield got their revenge. The Clippers fell just short of the Packers by a score of 3-1.
Meanwhile, while New Kent put up plenty of runs on Friday, the same can't be said for Lafayette. The Trojans were the clear victors by a 20-0 margin over the Rams. Considering the Trojans have won eight matchups by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Abbie Kegley made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with five RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, New Kent got a massive performance out of Sydney Eubank, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI Eubank has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kendall White, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
New Kent hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
The win made it two in a row for New Kent and bumps their season record up to 8-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 1 runs in those games. As for Grafton, their loss dropped their record down to 3-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Grafton hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like New Kent struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Grafton suffered a grim 14-3 defeat to New Kent in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Clippers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
