PARKVILLE, Mo. — After missing the final week of the regular season, Matt Cisco came back and immediately slotted right back into an important spot in the lineup.
Platte County senior Brennan McLaughlin walks off the mound after finishing off a 2-0 win over St. Pius X in a Class 5 District 8 semifinal Thursday at Creekside Baseball Park in Parkville.
Platte County’s junior left fielder then came up at a pivotal point of Thursday’s highly competitive Class 5 District 8 semifinal and delivered. His opposite-field RBI single provided the insurance run in what need up a 2-0 victory over third-seeded St. Pius X at Creekside Baseball Park.
“Fastballs really. I just find fastballs. Go hunt,” said Cisco, who went 1-for-3. “I think it was a dagger.”
Platte County (23-12) earned a berth in the Class 5 District 8 championship game for the fourth time in five seasons, looking to advance back to the playoffs in defense of last year’s state championship. The Pirates host — but will play as the visitor — top-seeded Kearney (25-10) on Saturday at Platte County High School.
Both teams in the title game used their No. 1 pitching option in Thursday’s concurrent semifinals — Kearney senior Cale Davis going six innings in a 4-2 win over Smithville and Platte County senior Brennan McLaughlin locking down St. Pius X. He struck out nine in a shutout effort that required just 81 pitches.
Kearney won the only matchup between the two teams in a pitcher’s duel between Davis and McLaughlin — a result that left Platte County with the No. 2 seed in districts.
Platte County sophomore Beckett Hall fields a ground ball while playing shortstop in a Class 5 District 8 semifinal against St. Pius X on Thursday at Creekside Baseball Park in Parkville.
“Same thing: play defense; play offense, pitch. That’s all we have to do,” Cisco said.
St. Pius X (20-8) threatened against McLaughlin early. Back-to-back two-out singles plus a passed ball put runners at second and third in the top of the first inning, but he came back to strike out sophomore shortstop Tavian Ladenthin to strand two in scoring position and avoid the early deficit.
Notably, McLaughlin threw back-to-back pitches to the backstop with Ladenthin at the plate, but the scarce foul territory and padded backstop prevented St. Pius X freshman first baseman Logan Lanier from coming home.
“I’m glad we’re not in Platte (County), but I mean they had the same stuff, too,” Cisco said. “Brennan’s gonna throw it every time. He always has good outings. I can’t remember a time he’s had a bad outing.”
McLaughlin allowed only three hits and a walk total with three of those runners reaching in the first two innings, and Platte County produced just enough offense.
Platte County junior right fielder Hank Fowler hits a ball against St. Pius X in Thursday’s Class 5 District 8 semifinal at Creekside Baseball Park in Parkville.
In the second inning, both teams lost a runner on the basepaths in what ended up as scarce opportunities to create runs. McLaughlin walked junior right fielder Eric Billington with one out in the top half of the frame, but senior left fielder Brenden Cirlincuina’s sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a double play.
McLaughlin throw out Cirlincuina at first, and Platte County senior Andrew Edsall whipped a throw across the diamond to sophomore third baseman Nolan Sipes to cut down Billington bizarrely trying to advance two bases on the play.
Sipes reached on an error in the second but ended up picked off, but Platte County scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the third after loading the bases with no outs — not without controversy. The inning started with an infield single for junior right fielder Hank Fowler, and senior Owen Bane reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt while the field umpire ruled Fowler safe on a potential force play at second.
Platte County sophomore shortstop Beckett Hall, moved over from second with McLaughlin on the mound, then added a bunt single. McLaughlin scored Fowler with a sacrifice fly, but the Pirates settled for a 1-0 lead against St. Pius X senior ace Henry Bertoncin, who went all six innings and struck out seven while scattering four hits and a walk plus a hit by pitch.
Staked to the lead, McLaughlin took a line drive off his hip in the bottom of the third, but Sipes collected the ball and threw out the runner on the play.
Platte County junior catcher Tate Archer hits a ball against St. Pius X in Thursday’s Class 5 District 8 semifinal at Creekside Baseball Park in Parkville.
McLaughlin stayed in the game, gave up a double to Ladenthein, who then ended up thrown out at third trying to steal when a pitch got away — but not too far away — from junior catcher Tate Archer. McLaughlin retired the final nine hitters he faced, including striking out the side in the fifth.
“He’d be fine. He’s going to play — no matter what,” Cisco said.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bane slashed a single to right field, and Bertoncin hit Hall with a pitch on a two-strike count. A balk advanced the runners, and Cisco followed with his RBI single to give Platte County the 2-0 lead. The Pirates again saw a possible big inning limited to just one run, but McLaughlin didn’t need any more
Platte County likely turns to some combination of senior Zach Brown and junior Evan Magnuson against Kearney on Saturday. The winner advances to host either Summit Christian or William Chrisman in a best-of-three state quarterfinal series next weekend.
Platte County 15, East (Kansas City) 0, 3 innings
The Pirates were an easy winner in Tuesday’s first-round matchup at Creekside, piling up 12 runs in a walkoff third inning once the mercy rule came into effect.
Cisco contributed an RBI double, while McLaughlin finished 3-for-3 with three triples, an RBI and three runs scored. Edsall drove in a pair and scored twice.
Platte County senior Lucas Dillingham pitched a perfect three innings, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced.
