Forced into an uncomfortable situation, Platte County provided an immediate response and came away with a 7-5 win over Fort Osage on Thursday at home.
Platte County senior second baseman Marlee Snyder-Richardson hits a ball against Fort Osage on Thursday at Platte County High School.
Platte County junior pitcher Reagan Ball and senior second baseman Marlee Snyder-Richardson hit back-to-back run-scoring singles in the bottom of the sixth to break the tie. The Pirates gave up leads of 4-0 and 5-1 but showed resolve, especially coming off a deflating Suburban Conference White Division loss to Belton three days earlier.
Improving to 15-7 overall, Platte County continues to hold realistic hopes of a strong postseason run but have shown inconsistencies but might benefit from repeated tests like the most recent one.
“I think we thrive under pressure, and honestly, these tighter games are where we really show the kind of team we are and we get closer together,” said Ball, who went 4-four-4 with four singles and a pair of RBIs while earning the win. “I think these tight situations really help us.”
Platte County went up 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Ball led off with a single. The Pirates put in senior Evie Thrasher, part of a deep outfield rotation, as a courtesy runner, and she stole second and went to third on a groundout. Pirates junior center fielder then plated Thrasher with a single to right field.
Platte County junior Lillian Talbot hits a ball against Fort Osage on Thursday at Platte County High School.
The seemingly safe lead then ended up threatened in the next half inning.
Ball’s throwing error trying to start a double play at seance base put two runners in scoring position, and Fort Osage senior Kailey Alexander followed with a two-run single. After a walk, the Indians’ tied the score on senior Haylee Wait’s two-run triple to right field.
Platte County didn’t wait long to respond. Lillian Talbot, a junior left fielder recently back from a head injury, led off with a single in the sixth. However, Ball’s go-ahead RBI single came with two outs, but she also advanced to second on an error.
Snyder-Richardson followed with a well-placed popup down the left-field line that allowed Thrasher, again running for the pitcher, to score.
“Honestly, I just love to help wherever I can, and it just feels good to be able to do something for my team,” Ball said.
Platte County junior shortstop Bryli Seifert makes a throw to first against Fort Osage on Thursday at Platte County High School.
Ball threw all seven innings and scattered nine hits and a walk, while charged with just two earned runs due to the error. She opened with a 1-2-3 first, and Platte County quickly gave her a lead. Kinleigh Howren, the sophomore third baseman, led off the bottom half of the inning with a double, and Talbot singled her home. The Pirates put two on with no outs after junior two-time all-state shortstop Bryli Seifert followed with a single.
Ball’s RBI single two batters later put Platte County up 2-0, and after Snyder-Richardson walked, the Pirates added a third run on Bullano’s groundout to shortsop.
The lead held until the third when Seifert led off with a single, and Fort Osage junior pitcher Isabelle Adams hit Platte County freshman designated hitter Gracelynn Shippee with a pitch. Ball followed with an RBI single, but the Pirate ended up stranding the bases loaded.
Fort Osage closed the gap with a run in the fifth with a bunt single and sacrifice bunt that led to a two-out RBI single in an otherwise slow start on offense against Ball.
“It’s definitely frustrating, but not only the team, but I work best under pressure,” she said. “I have my team behind me. I just feel like I can work through it very easily — not very easily, but pretty good.”
Platte County senior catcher Gwen Duncan makes a throw to first against Fort Osage on Thursday at Platte County High School.
Platte County improved to 10-1 in conference play with three games left this week — two against Grain Valley (22-6) around a home game against William Chrisman. Grain Valley is unbeaten in the White Division, meaning the Pirates need to win both to guarantee a share of the title but otherwise would need help.
Belton 4, Platte County 3
Belton scored four times in the top of the first and held on late in Monday’s White Division matchup at Platte County High School.
Platte County entered the week having played just once in the past seven days, an 18-0 win in three innings the prior Monday over William Chrisman. The Pirates then saw weather and circumstances force postponement and cancelation of games against North Platte and Park Hill the next two days.
Belton recorded five of the eight hits against Ball in the first inning plus a walk to take the 4-0 lead. Platte County then stranded two in the bottom of the first before pulling one run back in the fourth on senior catcher Gwen Duncan’s groundout to plate Snyder-Richardson, who reached on a leadoff single and moved to second on Bullano’s walk.
Shippee’s two-run single in the third came with no outs, and she went to second on a throw home trying to cut down Seifert. Shippee ended up thrown out at third trying to advance on a grounder, and Platte County didn’t score again. Belton ended up stranding a single runner in the fifth, sixth and seventh while protecting the one-run lead.
