Platte County goes extra distance to survive 3-game quarterfinal series, advance back to state

Platte County’s coaches and players went into the reformatted Class 5 state quarterfinals with multiple plans in place but ended up completely off script. There were no scenarios where three juniors were all put into unique pitching circumstances. Brooks Hall threw in all three games over two days for the Pirates, and Zach Brown provided a career-high six innings, while Rocco Marriott made his season debut on the mound with the Pirates facing elimination.

In addition to managing pitch count limits, Platte County’s potent offense also struggled against Webb City in a new best-of-three series format Friday and Saturday at Webb City High School. All three games were decided by one run with the first and third requiring extra innings and putting strategic stress on both coaching staffs.

Platte County lost the opener on Friday night in anti-climactic fashion but found a way to take both halves of Saturday’s doubleheader, overcoming a late deficit in the second game to come up with a 6-5 walkoff victory in the bottom of the ninth to earn the program’s second trip to the Class 5 state semifinals in the past four seasons. Webb City took a two-run lead in the top half of the frame and quickly recorded two outs before the Pirates loaded the bases and secured the win on junior pitcher/third baseman Brennan McLaughlin’s bases-clearing double that one-hopped the center field wall.

What looked improbable at multiple points over a long weekend trip became reality when Platte County senior shortstop Dayton Doll crossed home plate with the winning run. The Pirates now have a chance to seek the third state championship in program history and add to 2022’s Class 5 title.

Webb City (20-15) built a 3-0 lead in Game 3 and appeared set to spring an upset.

Platte County closed the gap on junior designated hitter Andrew Edsall’s two-out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth and then pulled even in the sixth on McLaughlin’s two-run double to score senior second baseman Liam Blacklock and Doll. At second with no outs, McLaughlin moved to third with one out, and the Pirates loaded the bases on a walk for Edsall and a fielder’s choice from Hall.

With the game tied 3-3 and in a pivotal spot, Platte County coach John Sipes opted to pinch-hit senior Taylor Stambersky, an all-state infielder not currently able to play in the field and limited at the plate due to a knee injury that has essentially ended his season. He grounded back to the pitcher in what resulted in an inning-ending double play.

Webb City didn’t have a runner in the seventh or eighth inning but finally broke through against Brown, who turned in six pivotal innings of relief with five strikeouts. He issued a leadoff walk to start the ninth, and a passed ball moved the runner to second. His final strikeout came on his 75th pitch and led Marriott, a starting centerfielder, to take over on the mound.

Marriott returned the most innings from last year for Platte County’s mostly inexperienced staff but had opted not to pitch as a junior to protect his arm while pursuing college offers as a quarterback. However, he went to the coaches Saturday morning and offered his services, if needed.

Platte County intentionally walked the first two batters Marriott faced, and Webb City took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly and then added a run on a single. He then walked the bases loaded again and went 3-0 on the next batter before inducing an inning-ending groundout to McLaughlin at third base. The Pirates came up to bat needing at least two runs but managed three.

Webb City junior reliever Chayse Denton quickly recorded two outs to push Platte County’s season to the brink. However, the Pirates stayed alive on senior leftfielder Bronson Ryan’s infield single before Blacklock, back in the starting lineup due to Stambersky’s injury, and Doll both worked walks.

Denton then put McLaughlin in an 0-2 hole before the third-year starter blasted a deep shot to center field that just missed a home run but also fortunately didn’t bounce over the fence. Instead, Ryan, Blacklock and Doll all easily scored to deliver the win and put the Pirates into Friday’s 1 p.m. state semifinal against Rockwood Summit (27-7) at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark.

Vianney (38-1) and Marshfield (26-11) play on the opposite side of the bracket with the winners advancing to Saturday’s 1 p.m. championship game and the losers playing for third at 10 a.m.

The two remaining games come after facing the new three-game series format added to the Class 5 and 6 state quarterfinals prior to this season. Due to pitch limits, there were many considerations just to try and sweep the first two games, much less to end up playing a third and having to navigate six combined extra innings.

Platte County (28-8) went into Friday’s opener hoping to keep all pitchers used at 30 or under to keep them fully available for Saturday. However, controversy ended up scrapping those ideas after less than two innings in what ended up an eventful 4-3 win for Webb City in 11 innings.

Coming off a near no-hitter in the Class 5 District 8 championship game victory, McLaughlin started and recorded five outs and had two strikes on Webb City junior Karsen Myers when he hit 30 pitches. The Cardinals immediately protested and insisted that he was coming out after 31 pitches, making him ineligible to throw the following day.

The umpires stopped the game, and a lengthy delay ensued while they talked to both coaching staffs — and a Missouri State High School Activities Association representative. None of the three members of the crew were keeping a count, and so rules dictated that the home team’s scorebook would be used.

Sipes then decided to keep McLaughlin in the game. He hit Myers with a pitch but then worked out of the inning before allowing a pair of singles to start the third and exiting with Platte County ahead 3-0. Brown came on and threw just 10 pitches, recording two quick outs before giving up a two-out single that scored Webb City’s first run and then stranding two to keep the Pirates in front.

Platte County scored all three runs in the top of the first inning.

Blacklock led off with a single, and McLaughlin singled with one out. Marriott quickly added an RBI double, and the Pirates went up 3-0 thanks to a wild pitch and Edsall’s two-out RBI single.

Platte County only had one hit total in the next 10 innings but still led 3-1 going to the bottom of the seventh after sophomore Evan Magnuson threw 2 1/3 innings without allowing a runner in relief of Brown. Hall worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth with both of his strikeouts and then came back out for the seventh with a chance to close out the win.

Instead, Hall hit Myers with a pitch and then issued a two-out walk.

Webb City ended up down to a final strike, but senior Andrew Young hit a two-run triple to right field to forge a 3-3 tie. Platte County reentered McLaughlin, who hit the next two batters to load the bases and then needed to induce a lineout to center to extend the game into extra innings. The Cardinals stranded a runner in scoring position in the eighth, ninth and 10th but continued to tax the opposing pitchers.

McLaughlin pitched the eighth and ninth and added a leadoff single in the top of the ninth for Platte County’s final hit. He ended up stranded at second base after Marriott’s sacrifice bunt moved him up with one out.

In the 10th, Platte County went to senior Wes Chiddix and ended up pushing him past 30 pitches in one-plus innings of relief. He worked around a pair of walks in the 10th, but after the Pirates went down in order in the 11th, Webb City finally produced the one needed run. The Cardinals started with a single, and Young moved to third on a stolen base and a passed ball.

Chiddix walked the next two batters — the second an intentional one — to load the bases, and a passed ball allowed the winning run to score.

Needing to win two games Saturday, Platte County started Magnuson in Game 2, and he allowed three runs — two earned — in 4 1/3 innings while striking out two. Webb City took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first without a hit while playing as the visiting team, making the most of a walk, hit by pitch and an error. The Pirates came back with three in the bottom of the second, which started with a walk for Edsall and a bunt single for Hall.

Platte County loaded the bases when Gold reach on a fielder’s choice bunt, and with one out, Edsall came home on a wild pitch and Hall scored on a groundout before an error put the Pirates up 3-1.

Webb City never came back to tie the game and went down three runs after Doll’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. The Cardinals did chase Magnuson with one out in the fifth after he allowed a leadoff double and an RBI single before loading the bases. Hall came on and limited the damage to a sacrifice fly.

Still up 4-3, Hall threw the final 2 2/3 innings and stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh to close out the win. He threw only 37 pitches, and after staying under 30 in Game 1, he still had 68 pitches in the third game.

Hall started and lasted into the third inning before exiting with Platte County down 2-0, and Brown allowed one unearned in the fourth but ultimately going six innings on just 75 pitches. The Pirates then staged two comebacks in the only one of eight state quarterfinal series across the state to go three games with the two teams playing 27 total innings, essentially the equivalent of three full games.