Platte County pulls away from Kearney, heads back to playoffs

Despite missed opportunities early, Platte County still delivered the first blow then provided the big response necessary when challenged late. Now, the Pirates have officially reentered the playoffs with a chance to defend last season’s state title.

Platte County never trailed and pulled away late for a 7-3 victory over rival Kearney in Saturday’s Class 5 District 8 championship game at Platte County High School, avenging a previous loss this season to the bracket’s top seed. The Pirates advance to host Summit Christian (26-4) in this weekend’s best-of-three quarterfinal series — a new format used for a second straight series.

This marks the third playoff berth for Platte County (24-12) with the previous two ending with Class 5 state titles in 2022 and 2025.

“Next step, we’ve got to get through (quarters). We’ve got to win that first,” said Platte County senior pitcher Zach Brown, who earned the win and just missed a complete game with an efficient start.

Platte County senior shortstop Brennan McLaughlin delivered a two-run single in a three-run top of the fifth to stake the Pirates, playing as the visiting team on their home field as the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The advantage increased to 7-2 in the seventh with sophomore third baseman Nolan Sipes capping a four-run rally with a single that scored two more.

In between, Kearney managed the first two runs scored against Platte County during the current six-game winning streak. The Pirates had recorded four straight shutouts since a 3-1 win over Benton on the afternoon of May 9 two weeks earlier.

Kearney scored one run in each of the final three innings, chasing Brown after six-plus innings after putting the first three runners on in the bottom of the seventh.

Platte County brought on senior Trent Belcher, who retired the next three hitters starting with a strikeout. He eventually stranded two runners and never let the potential tying run come to the plate.

Brown finished with three strikeouts, while scattering six hits, three batters hit by pitch and a walk in the biggest start of his career.

“I was a little nervous, but I knew I had to go out and try my butt off,” Brown said. “I had a job to do. Nerves were beside the point.”

Kearney and Platte County both used and burnt up the pitch counts of their aces in semifinal wins with McLaughlin throwing an 81-pitch shutout in a 2-0 win over St. Pius X while Bulldogs senior Cale Davis did enough to preserve a 4-2 victory over Smithville. The Pirates created more scoring opportunities, especially early but didn’t take control until the fifth in what became an increasingly tight matchup.

Platte County put at least one runner on every inning but wasted chances in the first three.

Kearney senior starter Owen McDaniel hit Platte County sophomore second baseman Beckett Hall with the second pitch of the game, but he ended up caught stealing just before McLaughlin tripled to center field. He ended up stranded.

Platte County then hit into double plays in the second and third innings before Kearney picked off junior pinch-runner Gaven Vest to end the fourth and nullify senior designated hitter Ian Gold’s single.

However, Brown threw three perfect innings to start and worked around Kearney’s leadoff single in the fourth, including a double play of his own but on a unique play. Platte County senior right fielder Owen Bane ran down a line drive off the bat of junior Grant Boger in the gap and then threw behind the runner at first caught too far off the base thinking the ball might drop for an extra-base hit.

Platte County then took the initial lead after senior first baseman Andrew Edsall — one of three returning all-state players on the roster — led off the fifth with a double. Bane and sophomore center fielder Ben Burnich followed with one out singles to load the bases. Burnich’s came on a bunt and became crucial when Edsall came home on a wild pitch just before Hall struck out.

With two runners in scoring position, Platte County junior left fielder Matt Cisco worked a walk to load the bases back up, and McLaughlin singled to score Bane and Burnich on the next pitch, giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead.

Kearney’s run in the fifth came on a bases-loaded walk with the benefit of just one hit, and Brown needed a line out to third base to strand three runners. The Bulldogs then closed within 3-2 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly but saw the threat end when the umpires ruled the runner on second didn’t tag up before going to third, resulting in the third out.

That ended up being the final out Brown recorded in an efficient start that saw him throw fewer than six pitches in two innings.

“My goal was to stay antsy, stay ready; don’t be content with what you’re doing,” Brown said. “Always go out there and be aggressive and get ahead of the hitters. That’s what I was doing every single time. That’s what I was trying to do.”

Platte County then produced five singles in the four-run seventh, the first three from Burnich, Hall and Cisco. Burnich came home on a Cisco’s grounder through the hole into left field to increase the lead to 4-2, and the Pirates made Kearney pay after the ensuing decision to intentionally walk McLaughlin and load the bases.

Gold’s dribbler to third base became an RBI infield single, and Sipes put another hit between shortstop and third base to score Platte County’s final two runs.

Despite some nervy moments in the final half finning, Kearney couldn’t mount the big rally needed to possibly extend or win the game. Bane recorded another highlight reel defensive play to end the game, making a diving catch to prevent the Bulldogs from drawing closer and having the potential tying run at the plate.

Platte County can line up the pitching staff for the two guaranteed games against Summit Christian — the first scheduled for Friday night and the second on Saturday morning. The decisive third would be played immediately following second, if necessary.

Last season, Platte County overcame a pitch count controversy and played 27 total innings over three games, winning the final two to beat Webb City and advance to the state semifinals. The Pirates went on to defeat Rockwood Summit and top-ranked Vianney to win the Class 5 title.

Platte County returned just two position player starters in McLaughlin and Edsall in what ended up a complete rebuild after the early graduation of seniors Rocco Marriott and Brooks Hall — both spring enrollees at UCF to being their Division I football careers. McLaughlin, Brown and junior Evan Magnuson, another all-stater, were the top returning pitchers on the staff, while Belcher, Bane, junior Brock Dye and senior Lucas Dillingham have also been key contributors on the staff.

McLaughlin looks like the likely starter for Platte County against Summit Christian, which advanced to the playoffs for the 11th time since 2011. The 2025 Class 5 player of the year and a two-time all-state pick, he leads the Pirates with five wins, a 0.74 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings of work.