Jamestown and Grafton’s baseball teams each opened their respective seasons in impressive fashion Thursday afternoon.
Both teams got excellent pitching efforts and put double digits on the scoreboard before both games ended via mercy rule.
While ace pitcher Matt Smith was dealing, Jamestown erupted for five runs in the both the fifth and sixth innings to earn a 15-2 victory over Tabb on the road. Smith pitched all six innings and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out 13 batters. Liam Lowery (3-4, 2B, RBI, 3 runs) led the Eagles with three hits while Griffin Colorado (2-4, 3 RBI) and Raj Das (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI) also had strong days at the plate.
Grafton’s bats also woke up to score a combined 10 runs in the fourth and fifth innings en route to earning a 10-0 six-inning shutout against Poquoson at home.
Sophomore Evan Sperling tossed all five innings on the mound while allowing just two hits and striking out six to earn the win.
Jordan Sprouse went 2-3 with 3 RBI at the plate while Lane Deaver and Dylan Bartells drove in two runs apiece. Nic Kurz (2-4) and Gray Harris (2-3) also recorded multi-hit games for Grafton, which will visit New Kent Friday.
Check out the rest of Thursday’s highlights below, including a big-time individual effort from Tabb High softball standout Kayla St. John.
BASEBALL
Hampton Roads Academy 14 Alliance Christian 13
Hampton Roads Academy gave up four runs in the seventh inning but managed to hold on and beat Alliance Christian 14-13 Thursday. Henry Hill led the Navigators with 4 RBIs and came on to close things on the mound in the final inning.
SOFTBALL
Tabb 10 Jamestown 5
It’s hard to have much more of an individual impact on a game’s outcome than Tabb’s Kayla St. John did Thursday. At the plate, St. John (3-4) finished with a double, triple and homerun – a single short of batting for the cycle – including two RBIs and two more runs-scored as the Tigers beat Jamestown 10-5 in both teams’ season opener. St. John also threw all seven innings to earn the pithing victory.
BOYS SOCCER
Jamestown 2 Frank W. Cox 1
Jamestown’s boys soccer team followed up a 1-0 loss to Group AAA power Kellam on Tuesday by defeating another tough AAA program, Frank W. Cox, 2-1 Thursday. Jeff Wolons scored both goals for the Eagles on assists from Cap League and Brandon Jordan.
GIRLS SOCCER
Jamestown 2 Courtland 1
Paige Majdic and Aaliyah Lyttle scored on assists from Shelby Foret and Marissa Segala as Jamestown edged Courtland on the road 2-1 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Tabb 9 Granby 1
Aly Harmatz, who was one of six Tabb players to score, finished with three goals as the Tigers cruised past Granby 9-1 Thursday. Leah Tyson added two goals for Tabb.
Hampton Roads Academy 3 Nansemond Suffolk Academy 0
Catie Slater scored two goals and Courtney Montgomery added a goal and an assist Hampton Roads Academy opened its season with a 3-0 shutout over Nansemond Suffolk Academy. Laura Killough chipped in with an assist an Kellyn DeChirico finished with 10 saves.
BOYS TENNIS
Walsingham Academy 8 New Kent 1
Singles: Hester (WA) d Baldwin 9-7; Sutton (WA) d Yorke 8-4; Boyd (WA) d Bronder 8-4;
Martinovic (WA) d Carter 8-5; Gutches (WA) d Polanco; Huffman (NK) d Sullivan 8-5
Doubles: Hester/Sutton (WA) d Baldwin/Bronder 8-6; Boyd/Martinovic (WA) d Yorke/Carter 8-2;
Gutches/Krass (WA) d Polanco/Huffman 8-3
GIRLS TENNIS
York 9 Bethel 0 (From Wednesday)
Teresa Alvarez, Gaby Tersigni, Ashley Gailey and Leah Reichle were all two-time winners as York’s girls tennis team opened its season by blanking Bethel 9-0.
Christine Garvey Memorial Soccer Tournament Wrap-Up
The 14th annual Christine Garvey Memorial Soccer Tournament concluded Thursday night. Six bracket winners were crowned Thursday despite weather earlier in the week that caused a few championship matches to be canceled.
Below are Thursday’s scores followed by the bracket winners.
Final Day Results:
Boys Varsity Matches:
Menchville 4 Poquoson 0
Gloucester 3 Woodside 0
Grafton 4 Denbigh 1
York 3 Kecoughtan 1
Girls Varsity Matches:
Grafton 4 Denbigh 0
York 4 Woodside 0
Kecoughtan 4 Poquoson 2
Menchville 2 Gloucester 1
Bracket Winners:
Boys Varsity Bracket A- Grafton High
Girls Varsity Bracket A- York High
Boys JV Bracket A- Grafton High
Boys JV Bracket B- Menchville High
Girls JV Bracket A- York High
Girls JV Bracket B- Menchville High
