New Kent has gone a perfect 10-0 against Bruton recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Trojans will challenge the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (New Kent has three straight wins, Bruton has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
New Kent had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt Tabb on Friday. The Trojans put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 8-1 victory. Considering the Trojans have won eight matchups by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Robert Matthew Gentry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
Michael Hetzel
| 05/02/25 vs Tabb | 3 |
| 04/30/25 vs York | 2 |
| 04/28/25 vs Grafton | 1 |
| 04/25/25 @ Lafayette | 2 |
| 04/23/25 vs Poquoson | 1 |
| + 6 more games |
At the plate, Michael Hetzel and Andrew Staskiel did most of the damage at the plate: Hetzel went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI, while Staskiel went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs. That's the most hits Hetzel has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Austin Uzzle, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: New Kent kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive contests.
Grafton hit Bruton with a six-run fifth inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers lost 12-1 to the Clippers.
Bruton saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jack Kelly, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
New Kent's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Bruton, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11.
Bruton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: New Kent hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. It's a different story for Bruton, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain New Kent's hitters?
Everything went New Kent's way against Bruton when the teams last played back in March, as New Kent made off with an 11-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
