The Nansemond River High School softball team ended its season with a Memorial Day loss to Kempsville High School.

A year removed from making it to the state tournament, Nansemond River took a 4-0 first round Class 5 Region A loss to Kempsville High School. It wasn’t one of the better performances from the Lady Warriors, who hadn’t been shut out all season. Kempsville came into the game with a top-three seeding in the region.

Kempsville went up 1-0 in the first inning, and the score remained unchanged for most of the game. A big fifth inning by Kempsville swung momentum into their favor as they scored three runs. Neither team hit well, as Nansemond River had one hit and Kempsville had four as a team. Taylor Cherry and Er’ron Burton shared pitching duties for Nansemond River. Cherry took the loss after allowing four hits and four runs.

Coach Gabe Rogers felt good about his team going into the matchup. They knew Kempsville was going to be tough. Nansemond River was the seventh seed in the region but felt their Southeastern District schedule prepared them well for what they could possibly see in the postseason.

“I don’t think we quite played up to our potential,” Roger said. “I don’t think we matched the intensity that Kempsville came out with. I felt we could have done much better had we played good softball.”

Rogers said he had explained to his team all season that if you have letdowns, it can cost the team the season. Unfortunately, the team didn’t play its best game of the season on Monday, and it cost them the season.

Overall, Rogers is proud of what the Lady Warriors were able to accomplish this season. They finished fourth in the district.

“I was proud of what we could accomplish this year as a young team,” he said. “There were times we showed our potential, and there were other times we showed our youth.”

Nansemond River had only three seniors on the team this season, and they contributed a lot to the team success. They have been a part of the program since JV and have grown as players throughout their careers.

The Lady Warriors will return a talented young bunch next year who will have some good experience under their belts.

Kempsville 4, Nansemond River 0

KHS 1 0 0 0 3 0 0—4

NRHS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0—0

KHS: Hits 4—Settle 2, Pittman, Guckin; Runs 4—Settle, Pittman, Palmer-Scott, Guckin; RBI 4—Settle 3, Guckin

NRHS: Hits 1—Jones