Rain nixed a pair of opportunities at redemption in Suburban Conference White Division play, and now, the final runway to the postseason looks incredibly short.
Platte County’s weather-shortened week did include a 9-0 win over Truman on Monday in Independence after bolting to an early lead on senior shortstop Bryli Seifert’s 11th home run of the season. The Pirates improved to 5-3 in conference play but saw any faint hopes of earning a share of the conference title washed away with matchups against Grain Valley and Fort Osage canceled with no makeup date planned.
With six losses in the last 11 games overall, Platte County (15-7) received a jolt of energy in the top of the first inning against Truman after junior second baseman Kinleigh Howren and senior left fielder Lillian Talbot led off with back-to-back singles. Seifert followed with a three-run blast to left field, adding to her single-season home run record. The Pirates scored four in the inning, plating the final run after senior pitcher Reagan Ball, freshman third baseman Caroline Reynolds and sophomore catcher Eva Bane loaded the bases with one out on three straight singles.
Platte County went up 4-0 on junior right fielder Brynna Peterson’s sacrifice fly.
The early run support proved more than enough for Ball, who pitched a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts and no walks. Reynolds finished 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the fourth after Ball led off the inning with a triple.
Seifert went 2-for-3 and walked twice, finishing with four RBIs after an RBI groundout in the second increased Platte County’s lead to 5-0. Reynolds’ run-scoring single produced the sixth run, and the Pirates added three in the sixth while benefitting from a two-run error after sophomore first baseman Gracelyn Shippee scored Seifert with an RBI single.
Seifert walked to open the inning.
Platte County’s three-game losing skid in conference play to Grain Valley, Fort Osage and Belton now sits as the big blemish with Class 4 District 8 play on the horizon. The Pirates appear set to have the No. 1 seed with hopes of earning the program’s first playoff berth since 2022.
Kearney has beat Platte County in each of the past four Class 4 District 8 championship games.
Before the postseason starts, Platte County can avenge the other White Division loss when hosting Belton on Monday. Only four games remain on the regular season schedule.
Platte County 11, Smith-Cotton 2
In the second half of a doubleheader played Saturday in Sedalia, the Pirates overcame an early two-run deficit.
Platte County took the lead in the top of the third and then broke the game open with a five-run fifth. Shippee finished 3-for-3 with three doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs in addition to a walk. She accounted for half of the Pirates’ six extra-base hits.
Talbot pitched all seven innings, striking out just one. Three of the five hits she allowed were in the bottom of the first, and back-to-back RBI doubles staked Smith-Cotton to the 2-0 lead.
Peterson’s RBI single tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the second, but Platte County also stranded the bases loaded. The Pirates took the lead for good when Seifert and Shippee opened the third with back-to-back doubles.
Smith-Cotton stayed within one run until the fifth.
Seifert led off the top of the inning with another hit — this time a single. Shippee doubled again, and Ball and Bane added RBI single. Smith-Cotton also committed a pair of errors. The Tigers finished with six errors overall, leading to eight unearned runs total.
Chillicothe 5, Platte County 0
The Hornets won a rematch and avenged their only loss on the season in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Platte County won the first meeting 4-2 in the season-opening Greater Kansas City Suburban Tournament, but Chillicothe has now won 20 straight since then, scoring scoring five against Ball on eight hits. Only four of the runs were earned.
Talbot’s two-out single in the bottom of the third ended up Platte County’s only hit Seifert and Reynolds walked once each, but the Pirates never moved a runner past first base.
