Platte County closes GKC Invitational with victory to place 7th out of 27 teams

Platte County went into the season with a lineup almost evenly split between experienced seniors and breakout candidates with one goal in mind: return to competition for championships. The Pirates took a positive opening step, placing seventh out of 27 teams in the season-opening Greater Kansas City Suburban Invitational.

Over two days, Platte County went 3-2, sweeping two Pool H play games in blowout fashion Friday morning at Adair Park in Independence, then returning Saturday and closing Gold Bracket play with a victory. The winners of each pool played for the overall championship, putting the Pirates in an elite eight-team field on Day 2.

All games were played with a 90-minute team limit to support a packed rolling schedule.

In the finale, Platte County senior catcher Morgan Shields dropped a single into right field in the bottom of the sixth for a walkoff 6-5 victory with two outs and extra innings looming. The Pirates overcame a pair of errors to lift sophomore starter Danica Salisbury to a victory after she allowed only one earned run in six innings, striking out four with no walks.

Platte County seniors Anna Crowell and Kallie Hitzelberger and Salisbury had two hits apiece and combined to drive in four runs. Crowell scored three times, helping the Pirates overcome a 4-0 deficit after the top of the second with all four runs unearned to that point.

Crowell started the bottom of the second with a one-out double and scored two pitches later after stealing third when Hitzelberger singled to center.

Lee’s Summit would go back in front 5-1 in the top of the third but had only one runner the rest of the way against Salisbury. The lead mostly slipped away in the bottom of the fourth when freshman first baseman Allison Riggs led off with a double, and Salisbury and Crowell followed with RBI singles.

Suddenly within 5-3, Hitzelberger walked, and Crowell scored after taking third without a throw and coming home on a wild pitch. A Lee’s Summit error and a walk for senior third baseman Emma Reed loaded the bases, only for the Pirates to strand the bases loaded while still down a run.

The tying run came home in the fifth when Crowell reached first on a fielder’s choice and then went to second on an error with two outs. Hitzelberger then doubled her home with two outs. Salisbury then retired the side in the sixth on just four pitches to set up the walkoff.

Reed walked on four pitches, and junior Haley Schank came in to sacrifice her to second. A groundout from senior second baseman Avery Webster, who moves into the middle of the infield after three years as a starting outfielder, moved the potential winning run to third with a groundout to first base.

Shields then hit a 1-0 pitch to right field to put an end to a long two days.

The results were encouraging with five seniors leading a roster intent on moving past last year’s 13-14 season that ended with a loss to eventual state champion Kearney in the Class 4 District 8 championship game. Salisbury takes over as the unquestioned No. 1 after serving in that role for most of her freshman season, and Hitzelberger transitioning into the full-time right field duties. The Pirates also have freshmen shortstop Brylie Seifert and Riggs as first-year starters, while junior Haley Schank, sophomores Evie Thrasher Marlee Snyder-Richardson and freshman Reagan Ball are competing for playing time on a small but talented varsity roster.

Platte County’s home schedule opens Tuesday against Liberty.

Grain Valley 9, Platte County 1

The defending Suburban Conference White Division champions dominated the first matchup of the season between the two teams in the consolation semifinals Saturday

Platte County managed just five hits in five innings, and Webster’s RBI double in the top of the second to score Seifert, who led off with a walk, only briefly cut the deficit to 2-1. Seifert started and ended up tagged with nine runs — eight earned — in four innings, allowing the Pirates not to show the No. 1 to a team they will play twice in the regular season when more will be at stake.

This also allowed a lineup shuffle for Platte County with Salisbury playing first base and Riggs shifting to third. In addition, the Pirates put sophomore Marlee Snyder-Richardson in right field, while Reed moved from third to second and Webster went to shortstop with Seifert on the mound.

Webster went 3-for-3, while Crowell singled twice. Seifert and Salisbury walked two times apiece, but Platte County stranded the bases loaded in the first and the fifth and had runner in four of the five innings.

Lee’s Summit West 5, Platte County 3

The Titans struck for five runs in the first two innings of Saturday’s bracket play opener, taking advantage of three walks with Salisbury fighting a seemingly tight strike zone.

Salisbury walked the first two batters in the bottom of the first, and Lee’s Summit West then plated three with back-to-back one-out doubles. In the second, a two-out walk led to two more runs after the Titans produced back-to-back run-scoring hits.

Platte County’s comeback attempt started in the third when Thrasher led off with a slap single to third base, and Webster immediately followed with a ball blasted to center field that resulted in an RBI triple. Webster scored on a sacrifice bunt from Shields to close the Pirates within 5-2.

Salisbury singled with two outs, but the courtesy runner ended up stranded. Platte County left two more in the fourth when Hitzelberger led off with a walk and Reed singled with one out. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and were in scoring position only for the next two batters to strike out.

Crowell saved two runs in the bottom of the fourth when she made a diving catch in shallow center field after Lee’s Summit West produced a pair of two-out hits to put two in scoring position.

Platte County didn’t make enough of additional runners in the final two innings.

Shields, Riggs and Salisbury all walked to begin the fifth, but the only run came on Crowell’s sacrifice fly. After Lee’s Summit when down in order for the first time, Reed led off the sixth with a double but ended up thrown out at third trying to steal right before Thrasher walked. A scoring opportunity never materialized, and time ran out with one out in the bottom of the sixth, sending the Pirates into the consolation half of the bracket.

Platte County 12, Lafayette (St. Joseph) 2, five innings

The Pirates punched a ticket into the Gold Bracket with a walkoff, run-rule victory late Friday morning at Truman High School in Independence after forecasted high temperatures pushed up the pool play game times and forced some action to high school host sites.

Scoring in each of the final four innings, Platte County pounded out 13 hits, drew three walks and took advantage of four errors. Riggs went 3-for-3 with three singles, two runs and two RBIs, while Webster and Crowell drove in two apiece. Webster doubled and singled, scoring twice, while Crowell also had a double for her only hit.

Platte County stranded two and saw a bases-loaded-with-no-outs situation lead to no runs in the first. The inning ended when Shields tried to tag up on a pop out behind third base but ended up out at home on the back half of a double play.

Seifert struck out two in a 1-2-3 top of the second, and Platte County struck for four in the second time at-bat. Webster’s two-run triple with one out made it 3-0, and she scored on Riggs’ two-out single. Crowell’s two-RBI double in the third made it 6-0, and both of Lafayette’s runs in the top of the fourth were unearned due to an error.

In the bottom of the frame, Webster led off with a double before stealing third and coming home on a passed ball. Shields then tripled and scored on a passed ball, and Riggs, Reed and Seifert all singled in succession, stretching the lead to 9-2 before an error plated a 10th run.

To invoke the 10-run rule, Platte County needed two-out hits from Riggs to score Snyder-Richardson and Reed, a double to center to bring home the winning run. Snyder-Richardson had led off the inning being hit by a pitch but was stuck at third with two outs.

Seifert received her first career start struck out eight and walked none while allowing only three hits.

Platte County 10, Truman 3

Crowell and Shields each tripled during an eight-run inning that keyed a victory in Friday’s opener.

Playing as the home team on Truman’s field, Platte County led just 2-1 after the Patriots scored their first run in the top of the third. Shields reached on an error, and Riggs walked to start the bottom half of the frame. The big inning started with consecutive one-out RBI singles for Reed, Hitzelberger and Seifert. After a groundout and with the score still at 5-1, Crowell tripled home two and then scored on Shields’ triple after Webster walked.

Up 10-1, Platte County allowed two unearned runs in the fourth, and time expired in the bottom of the inning.

Ball pitched 3 2/3 innings and mostly worked around five walks and three hits, while striking out four in her debut. Platte County staked her to a quick 2-0 lead in the first when Webster walked, stole two bases and came home on a bunt single for Shields. She scored on Riggs’ groundout.