Hanover softball survives showdown of local state champions

ROB WITHAM Special correspondent

Two defending state softball champions with similar recent histories met Monday night at Hanover.

New Kent and the Hawks finished as state runners-up in 2021 then took the final steps to state titles a spring ago. Both teams have just two seniors on their rosters. But for each squad, the experience comes where it matters most.

Reigning All-Metro player of the year and University of Virginia commit Julia Cuozzo struck out 14 New Kent batters, the final one with the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning, to preserve a 3-0 win for the defending Class 4 state champions over the reigning Class 3 titlists, improving Hanover to 9-0.

Trojans starter Morgan Berg battled inning for inning, fanning three as New Kent fell to 6-3.

“They’ve got a really talented team,” Hanover coach Tommie Evans said of New Kent. “It seems like we’ve had a difficult time putting the hammer down at the end. We’ll get a little lead, then just kind of hang out on it.”

New Kent almost took advantage of its ability to hang around, getting runners at second and third base with two outs in the seventh. But Cuozzo bore down on a night when many batters took her deep into the pitch count and struck out the final batter to get the victory.

Hanover took an early lead when leadoff hitter Kaileigh Byars slammed a home run to left-center to begin the home half of the first. Riding Cuozzo’s dominance in the early innings, the Hawks built their lead in the fourth.

Freshman Brie Wheeler began the frame with a double to the left-field corner. After Kaycee Doughty reached on an error, Mackenzie Ryerson bunted to move both runners into scoring position.

Olivia Gibson hit a seeing-eye single to left just past third baseman Kennedy Ziglar to bring home Wheeler. Byars followed with a solid single to center, scoring Doughty for the 3-0 advantage.

New Kent’s at-bats against Cuozzo improved throughout the contest, finally getting its first hit on a single by Mariah Leonard in the sixth. Leonard was sacrificed to second but was stranded there.

In the seventh inning with two outs, Hannah Perkins drew a walk, then Ziglar sent a hard single to right. Perkins beat the throw to third base, and Ziglar took advantage to race to second. All of a sudden, the Trojans had their best chance of the night.

But with the count 2-2, Cuozzo got a swinging strikeout to survive the Trojans’ threat and keep her Hawks unbeaten.

Though Hanover remained unbeaten, Evans noted the 2023 version of the Hawks still are a work in progress.

“There’s always work that needs to be done,” Evans said. “I almost feel like we’re one step behind where we were (at this time) last year on the chemistry part, but that’s just from my perspective.”

Hanover had to come from behind to best an improved Deep Run team 4-3 just before spring break, then earned wins over Glen Allen and rival Atlee entering Monday’s game.

Cuozzo’s presence in the circle, and timely hitting up and down the lineup, have helped keep the Hawks stay undefeated.

“She’s on pace to have a better year this year, which is kind of scary, you know,” Evans said. “She has a good eye on where she’s at, and what she can and can’t do.”

With just over a month until the postseason, both Hanover in Class 4 and New Kent in Class 3 are on course to be among the state’s elite once again.