Platte County celebrates senior night with all 7 members of class contributing to win

The plan called for all seven seniors to start, but the tension became an added element of intrigue on a celebratory Friday night.

Platte County pulled away late for a 6-1 victory over Central (St. Joseph) and did so while utilizing nearly the entire roster. The Pirates opened pregame with senior night festivities and ultimately needed clutch performances from two of the lesser-known members from the accomplished class to avoid an upset loss.

Coming off a one-run loss to Staley a night earlier that ended a seven-game winning streak, Platte County took the lead for the first time on Drew Boyer’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to back the career-best start from right-handed pitcher JP Wormington. Each of the seniors made at least a small contribution from pitchers Brayden Carter and Isaiah Smith starting as position players to four-year starter Devin Wassmann’s RBI double in the bottom of the first to Brian Chandler’s heads-up baserunning to add a run in the sixth to Tyler Stearns catching a combined five-hitter.

“I love these guys with everything I’ve got. It’s one of the best teams I’ve ever played with so it’s fantastic just being a part of this team,” said Carter, the lefty senior ace who started at second base and took his second career at-bat in the bottom of the first.

Winners in eight of the past nine, Platte County (11-9) didn’t necessarily enjoy the desired start.

Wormington, who went four innings with two strikeouts and a walk, hit Central sophomore Matthew Massey leadoff hitter Samuel Massey with the first pitch of the game. He went to second on a passed ball and went to third on a groundout, and the Indians took a 1-0 lead after senior Brock Williamson’s infield single off the glove of diving Platte County sophomore third baseman Brennan McLaughlin.

Central put two runners on with two outs after an error, but Wormington stranded both.

“JP had not gotten a lot of opportunity to pitch yet, so we wanted to give him the start,” Platte County coach John Sipes said. “We didn’t know what we were going to get because he’s been throwing bullpens, but a bullpen is a lot different than a game situation. After that first hitter, he came back and settled back down.

“(The quick run) is not something you can worry about, but it’s definitely the start we were envisioning.”

Wormington retired 10 of the final 12 batters he faced, and the comeback effort quickly followed Central’s top of the first.

Platte County junior designated hitter Liam Blacklock reached to start the bottom half of the frame, also on a hit by pitch. That brought up Carter, who kept his season batting average at 1.000 after punching a pitch into center field for a bloop single.

Carter exited the game in favor of junior starter Tyler Stambersky as teammates greeted him with smiles and high fives.

“It was great,” Carter said. “The pressure was a little (more) on than usual, but I just had to try to live up to the reputation.”

The runners both moved up on steals without a throw, but Platte County junior Dayton Doll hit into a tough luck double play with a line drive to Massey at second base. He threw in behind Blacklock at third for the second out.

However, Chandler walked, and Wassmann blasted a double over the right fielder’s head.

Stambersky scored easily, but Central cut down Chandler at the plate to keep the score at 1-1 and end the inning. Platte County also saw the third inning end with Doll caught stealing second, and the Indians also threw out junior Bronson Ryan, pinch-running for Boyer after his go-ahead single in the fifth, at home trying to stretch the 2-1 lead.

“That was kind of my fault,” Sipes said. “I was being a little too aggressive in those situations, trying to get the ball rolling, get the excitement and energy up. They made plays on us, and I’m a firm believer you’ve got to make the defense get you out. I think I got two guys thrown out at the plate, but that’s part of the game.”

Platte County sophomore Rocco Marriott, who went into right field for Smith, easily legged out an infield single to start the fifth. He stole second and went to third on a groundout from Stearns, the every day catcher enjoying a breakout healthy season after missing all of last spring due to injury.

Boyer, who has shared starting duties all year in left field, came up and poked a well-placed single to center field for one of the biggest hits of his career. Marriott scored standing up to put the Pirates ahead for good at 2-1.

“(I) was just so happy just to see him get a little hit,” Carter said. “He just finds those little gaps every single at-bat. He can get unlucky sometimes just with those lucky catches, but he finds the gaps almost every single time.”

After a strikeout, Stambersky came up and beat out an infield single, and Sipes sent Ryan to the plate behind him.

Williamson, playing first base for Central, alertly turned and threw home in enough time to record the inning’s final out and keep the deficit at one run. Platte County sophomore Brooks Hall, who came on in relief of Wormington, worked in and out of trouble in his three scoreless innings. The Indians came up with a walk and a single in the top of the sixth and put the tying run at third with two outs.

Central sophomore Emerson Berry pulled a ground ball deep into the hole, and Doll ranged to his right to field, initially bobbled but recovered to execute a jump throw that recorded the out and kept Platte County ahead. The inning started with McLaughlin making a tough play routine to record an out on another well-placed grounder that did not leave the infield. The Pirates were strong on defense throughout with Smith cleanly fielding a soft fly ball to right field to end the first on a rare defensive chance, and Boyer dove to make a highlight-reel catch for the second out in the second — a play that came right in front of a single.

“Just the pitchers trusting the defense,” Carter said. “(Doll’s) the guy to make the play nine times out of 10. It was a little scary, but he’s there.”

Platte County carried the momentum into the sixth.

Doll singled to center field and went to second on an error when Massey over ran the play while charging in to scoop the ball.

Chandler singled him home two pitches later, and Wassmann walked. Platte County went in front 4-1 when McLaughlin came up with yet another hustle infield single. Williamson laid on the ground after the safe call, and Chandler hustled home from second ahead of a late throw. The Pirates made it a six-run inning when McLaughlin scored on a wild pitch, and Ryan came up with a two-out RBI single to plate Marriott for the second time in as many innings.

Hall worked around two more runners in the seventh and finished the game with his only strikeout. He allowed three walks and three hits but none went for extra bases in his second appearance of a busy week.

“I love it because when (the other pitchers) get the opportunity they pounce on it and give everything they’ve got,” Carter said. “I admire it so much.”

Platte County has come all the way back from a 3-8 start and hopes to begin another long winning streak as the postseason approaches. The Pirates have started to show the potential to make another run with this senior class a limited part of the run to the 2022 Class 5 state championship.

Staley 3, Platte County 2

The Pirates’ seven-game winning streak came to an end on a cold and windy evening Thursday at North Kansas City District Activities Complex

For the first time, Platte County didn’t come on top when using the combination of Smith as starter and Carter as closer with McLaughlin the middle reliever. Carter went the final 2 2/3 innings scoreless and scattered three hits and a walk.

However, Staley came back from an early deficit with two runs against Smith (one strikeout, four hits allowed and no walks while facing nine batters) in in the bottom of the second and then struck for one against McLaughlin in the next inning to go up 3-1. The Falcons worked three walks on McLaughlin, who didn’t allow a hit and struck out one.

After falling behind for the first time, Platte County stranded a pair of runners in the top of the third and brought the tying run to the plate in the fifth after Blacklock was hit by a pitch with one out. The Pirates closed within 3-2 in the sixth when Doll led off with a walk and scored on McLaughlin’s two-out double. He ended up stranded in scoring position.

Platte County again put the go-ahead run at the plate after Boyer walked with one out, and junior courtesy runner Patrick McCool ended up at third on a throwing error. He couldn’t score on Blacklock’s shallow fly ball to center field, and Stambersky grounded out to end the game.

With just three hits total, Platte County put up the lowest run total since a 3-1 loss to Kearney on March 22.

The first run came in the top of the second after Chandler singled to center in the leadoff spot. Wassmann reached behind him on a fielder’s choice to put two on with none out, but the Pirates didn’t score until Stearns walked with two outs to load the based.

A balk brought Chandler home to put Platte County up 1-0.

The lead didn’t last after Staley’s leadoff triple against Smith in the bottom of the second. The tying run scored when Doll tried to cut the lead runner down at home on a ground ball to shortstop. A two-out single put the Falcons up 2-1, and they did not relinquish the lead.

McLaughlin retired the final batter of the second inning but issued a leadoff walk to start the third. A stolen base and a wild pitch moved that runner to third, and a groundout again produced a run.

Two more walks, the second with one out in the fourth, chased McLaughlin, and Carter came on and eventually worked out of a bases loaded jam. He went on to strand two in each of his two full innings.

Platte County 10, Belton 2

The seventh consecutive win in Platte County’s streak came in a Suburban Conference White matchup Wednesday at Platte County High School after the teams opted to swap home dates at the last minute.

Blacklock collected three hits and scored twice, as did Doll, while Chandler went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Platte County collected 10 hits total, but McLaughlin’s two-run, pinch-hit double ended up being the only one to go for extra bases.

Belton trailed 2-0 and cut that in half with a single run against Marriott in the top of the fourth.

Platte County broke the game open with three in the fifth and five more in the sixth. The fifth started with three straight singles for junior Brady Davis, receiving a start at third base with a rare spot in the lineup, Blacklock and Stambersky to score the first two. Doll reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and third and came home on Chandler’s sacrifice fly to right field.

McLaughlin came to the plate in the sixth with two on after Hall, who started in right field and came on in relief to pitch, led off with a hit by pitch and Boyer drew a one-out walk. McLaughlin’s double to left scored both to make it 7-1, and Blacklock added an RBI single to increase the lead to seven.

Chandler came through with a two-out, two-run single for Platte County’s final runs.

Marriott started went 3 1/3 innings and struck out five, while walking two and allowing only one hit. He exited after 46 pitches, and Hall turned in 2 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks.

Owen Rawlings, a junior, pitched the seventh and gave up four hits but limited the damage to just one run.

Platte County took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with Wassmann singling and scoring on junior reserve catcher Dalton Carlson’s groundout. The lead doubled in the third when Stambersky singled, Doll walked and Chandler delivered an RBI single.

With the win, Platte County improved to 4-0 in conference play, having won the first matchup of each two-game season series.

Platte County 9,Blue Springs 4

The Pirates never trailed after scoring the first seven runs of Monday’s nonconference matchup at Blue Springs High School.

Stambersky (three), Wassmann (three), Stearns (three), Blacklock, Doll, McLaughlin and Chandler all ended up with multi-hit games for Platte County. The momentum built early with the first of Stambersky’s three singles in the first. After Doll walked, Marriott’s groundout and Wassmann’s two-out double put the Pirates up 2-0.

McLaughlin followed with an infield single, and Chandler and Stearns came up with back-to-back RBI singles for Platte County, which batted around in the first.

Up 4-0 going to the top of the second, Platte County went back to work with three straight singles — one each for Blacklock, Stambersky and Doll, who put down a bunt for a hit. A throwing error on the pitcher after fielding Doll’s attempted sacrifice increased the lead to five, and Marriott again came up with an RBI groundout.

Wassmann put Platte County up 7-0 with an RBI single.

Again using the plan of Smith, McLaughlin and Carter the rest of the way, Platte County allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the seventh. Smith recorded five outs, while McLaughlin threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings with just one strikeout and two walks. Carter allowed four of Blue Springs’ six hits and walked one but worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh to finish off the win.

“I really like (the setup); it’s one of the best ones we’ve got,” Carter said. “It just keeps hitters so off balance.”

Platte County had just scored in the top of the seventh when Stearns doubled with one out, and Boyer, serving as courtesy runner, stole third and came home on a wild pitch. The Pirates’ were up 9-2 at that point after holding a 7-2 advantage from the second until the top of the fifth when Blacklock delivered a two-out RBI single to score Hall, who ran for Stearns after his one-out single.