Platte County enters postseason on 3-game skid still planning for success

The challenge suddenly looks daunting.

After a regular season full of ups and down, Platte County goes into the Class 4 District 8 tournament on a three-game losing skid, still having yet to fully recapture the form that helped deliver back-to-back deep playoff runs. To make another, the Pirates will likely have to avenge earlier losses and manufacture the winning streak so far elusive to the Pirates.

Platte County (11-13) earned the No. 3 seed but actually ended the regular season Thursday with a loss to fourth-seeded Belton (14-12), which won two of three meetings between the two teams this season. The latest — a 2-0, three-hit shutout at Belton on Thursday — gave Belton a sweep of the Suburban Conference White Division matchups and left Platte County alone in third place in the final league standings.

However, the district bracket came out prior to the game, meaning the result did not factor into the seeding.

Platte County hoped to earn the conference split and gain some sibilance of momentum but instead gave up single runs in the second and fourth despite freshman starter Danica Salisbury allowing only two hits and three walks, while striking out five in a complete game. Belton made the most of a double and a walk in the second and a walk and sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Platte County’s typically steady bats went silent with only three hits total. Platte County junior outfielder Avery Webster also walked to leadoff the game and eventually stole second but ended up stranded after three consecutive strikeouts behind her ended the inning.

Platte County didn’t have another runner until the top of the third inning when Webster and junior catcher Morgan Shields contributed back-to-back two-out singles. In the top of the fourth, junior Emma Reed singled with two outs, and senior shortstop Demi Riechers followed with a walk. Both innings ended up with runners stranded in scoring position.

Belton worked around runners most of the night with Platte County unable to take advantage of walks in the fifth and seventh.

Platte County’s postseason starts Tuesday with a 5 p.m. first round game against Winnetonka (9-8). The winner advances to Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. semifinal against either second-seeded Smithville (16-14) or St. Teresa’s Academy (3-21). Platte County lost its only matchup this season with Smithville and also dropped the regular season meeting with top-seeded Kearney (20-8).

The Class 4 District 8 championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday. All games are scheduled to be played at Excelsior Springs High School.

Platte County enters as the two-time defending champion having made the Class 4 state semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. The Pirates used lengthy win streaks in each of those campaigns to finish with third-place trophies and then beefed up their schedule this season, a contributing factor to some of the inconsistency. They have two three-game win streaks this season, the most recent ending and leading up to the current skid.

Liberty North 8, Platte County 5

The Pirates lost an early lead, nearly forged a comeback but ended up with a loss to a top Class 5 team Tuesday in potentially the final home game of the season at Platte County High School.

Morgan Shields went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while Reed (3-for-4) and senior first baseman TK Lawson drove in a pair of runs apiece. Platte County started fast with singles from Morgan Shields and senior third baseman Mackenzie Shields, and Reed and Riechers came up with back-to-back two-out RBI singles to put the Pirates up 2-0 after the first inning.

Platte County then tried to protect the lead while using all three pitchers, first junior starter Hitzelberger (3 2/3 innings) then Salisbury (two innings) and Mackenzie Shields (1 1/3 innings) in relief. Liberty North managed only three hits and three walks off of Hitzelberger and closed within 2-1 with a single tally in the top of the third.

The trouble for Platte County started in the top of the fifth.

Salisbury came into a two-out bases loaded situation in the fourth after Liberty North put runners on with a walk, infield single and an error. She worked out of it with Riechers snagging a line drive seemingly headed for center field. Salisbury then ran into trouble after a walk and hit by pitch with one out in the fifth ahead of a double steal, but the Eagles actually took the lead on a groundout that brought both runner home.

Reed threw over from second base to Lawson for the second out, but Liberty North’s runner at second never stopped and scored on the play. Salisbury then walked two more and allowed a two-out, two-run double.

Suddenly down 5-2, Platte County came right back with senior Ava Carter drawing a walk to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Morgan Shields and Mackenzie Shields then loaded the bases with singles, and Lawson blasted the next pitch the opposite way to right field. The Pirates nearly took the lead on the swing, but instead of a go-ahead grand slam, the ball hit the base of the fence and went for a two-run double.

Platte County tied the score 5-5 when Reed followed with a run-scoring line drive single that went off the Liberty North shortstop’s glove. Riechers and Reynolds walked to load the bases, but Pirates junior outfielder Anna Crowell popped out to end the threat.

Liberty North answered with three in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of Salisbury’s third and fourth walks to score the go-ahead run. Mackenzie Shields came on with two outs and two runners on and allowed the first to score on a passed ball before giving up an RBI single for the game’s final run.

Platte County brought the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with Reed singling and Riechers reaching on an error — both with two outs — but senior outfielder Abby Reynolds grounded out to end the threat.

Grain Valley 4, Platte County 3

The Pirates took a three-run lead into the bottom of the sixth in what ended up a frustrating finish to Monday’s White Division matchup in Grain Valley against the eventual unbeaten conference champions.

Grain Valley scored four in the inning — two unearned — on four singles and one of two Platte County errors. Salisbury worked around the final runner and finished with seven hits and one walk allowed while striking out one after taking a shutout into the sixth inning.

Platte County also produced seven hits — all singles — including a pair for Salisbury, and the Pirates managed single tallies in the fourth, fifth and sixth. This came after Grain Valley won the first matchup between the two teams 10-0 in five innings earlier this season.

In the fourth, Lawson led off with a walk, and Salisbury followed with a single. Reynolds sacrificed the two runners into scoring position, and freshman courtesy runner Evie Thrasher came home one batter later on Reed’s sacrifice fly to center. The Pirates then stranded the final runner but left with a 1-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 inning for Salisbury on the mound in the bottom of the fourth, Webster walked and Morgan Shields singled to start the fifth. Riechers’ sacrifice bunt again produced another threatening situation that ended with a sacrifice fly from Mackenzie Shields and a fly out.

Platte County produced three hits in the fifth, starting with Salisbury’s leadoff single. Pirates sophomore courtesy runner Addy Schlake advanced to second on Reynolds’ sacrifice bunt then scored on back-to-back singles from Reed and Carter, but the Pirates would strand the bases loaded after Webster reached on a fielder’s choice with no runners advancing ahead of a popout and lineup.

Grain Valley went into the decisive bottom of the sixth with only three hits then came up with four. In the seventh, Mackenzie Shields led off with a single, and Reynolds walked with two outs. Platte County couldn’t come up with a potential game-tying or go-ahead hit.