Platte County shows off offense to close regular season with back-to-back wins

After a lengthy win streak came to an end, Platte County powered through the disappointment. The Pirates used home runs from seniors Emma Reed and Avery Webster, sophomore Danica Salisbury and freshman Bryli Seifert to down Class 5 Liberty North 7-4 on Tuesday night in Liberty then piled up runs late in an 11-2 home victory over Belton on Thursday.

The results came after Platte County lost 5-3 to Grain Valley on Monday night at Platte County High School, continuing a streak of frustrating results for the Pirates against the only opponent they haven’t been able to solve since moving up to the Suburban Conference White Division last year.

On Thursday, Platte County (17-7) celebrated senior night for Reed, Webster, Morgan Shields, Kallie Hitzelberger and Anna Crowell and closed the regular season with a comfortable win. The Pirates finished White Division play with a 6-2 record and both losses came to Grain Valley, the undefeated champion.

Belton actually held a 2-0 lead through 4 1/2 innings despite collecting only two hits against Salisbury, now pitching the majority of innings in her second year as Platte County’s top starter.

Platte County finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning with a pair of runs to tie the score, then pulled away with nine in the sixth. Platte County stranded single runners in the first, second and fourth but had only a single from Crowell going into its half of the fifth inning. She then walked to open that frame, and sophomore left fielder Evie Thrasher, Webster and Shields followed with back-to-back-back singles, the second scoring Crowell to cut the deficit in half and the third tying the score.

Belton then ended the inning on back-to-back groundouts, but Salisbury retired the next three batters on just 11 pitches, recording two of her five strikeouts.

Platte County sent 12 to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, seven straight reaching with two outs. Salisbury led off with a walk, and Crowell singled with one out, but Belton appeared set to work out of a jam after inducing a fielder’s choice groundout from freshman first baseman Allie Riggs.

The big hit came from Thrasher, who drove home Crowell with a single to left field. A throwing error then allowed both Riggs and Thrasher to score on the play.

Platte County suddenly led 5-2, and a Belton error allowed Webster to reach base and advance to second. Shields singled her home, and after Reed doubled to center to put two runners in scoring position, Seifert tripled both home to make it 8-2. Belton allowed three more unearned runs when Salisbury collected an RBI single and scored on Hitzelberger’s triple to right field. She scored on a passed ball ahead of Crowell’s inning-ending groundout.

Salisbury struck out two more in the seventh then worked around a two-out walk — her fifth of the game. Belton loaded the bases against her in the fourth with two walks and a single then scored both of its runs on a two-out single, meaning both of the visiting Pirates’ hits against her came in the frame. She had been perfect through three innings.

Platte County’s five seniors combined to go 8-for-18 with two walks, six runs scored and four RBIs in the final home game of their careers.

Now, Platte County goes into Class 4 District 8 play having won eight of the past nine and with the No. 2 seed, being placed behind No. 1 seed Kearney (21-5) despite topping the defending state champions 8-7 in 11 innings to start the current stretch of success. The Pirates open against Winnetonka (9-10) in the first round on Thursday in Excelsior Springs with the winner advancing to Saturday’s semifinal.

Platte County looks to advance to the state playoffs for the fourth time in five years after losing to Kearney’s in last year’s title game, but the District 8 champion will be on the road for the state quarterfinals.

Platte County 7, Liberty 4

Two days earlier, the Pirates put on a power display in Liberty with four of their 10 home runs on the season.

Seifert hit her team-leading fifth in the top of the first to stake Platte County to a two-run lead, and Salisbury led off the fourth with her first to make it 3-0. Seed’s solo shot — her second of the season — came in the fifth to answer two runs from Liberty North, and Webster’s first came in the top of the sixth to cap a three-run inning that broke a 4-4 tie.

Platte County finished with 12 hits, which also included doubles for Riggs and Shields.

Salisbury earned the win, striking out two while allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk. Liberty North scored two in the fourth and two in the fifth but went down in order in the final two innings. The Eagles never led.

Platte County’s first inning started with back-to-back outs before Reed singled and scored on Seifert’s blast to center field that came on a 3-0 count. After Platte County couldn’t score off of Shields’ one-out double in the third, Salisbury, who finished 3-for-3, went to the opposite field for her home run in the fourth.

Liberty North close within 3-2 in the bottom of the inning, and Reed’s solo home run came on the first pitch she saw with one out in the fifth. She finished 2-for-4, while Seifert went 2-for-3 for a walk. Seifert and Salisbury followed Reed’s home run with back-to-back singles, but a double play ended the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, Liberty North hit a two-run home run to tie the score and appeared set to take the lead after Salisbury issued a one-out walk and a double to put two in scoring position. She then worked around out of the jam with a flout and groundout. That allowed Platte County to take the lead back in the sixth when Crowell reached on an error when her groundball went through the second baseman and into right field. She scored from second on Riggs’ go-ahead RBI double. She was caught stealing third, but Webster hit a 3-1 pitch over the right field fence to make it 7-4.

Grain Valley 5, Platte County 3

A late comeback from the Pirates came up short after they stranded two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday at Platte County High School.

Platte County had scored just a single run in the third on seven hits through the first six innings, but down by four and with only three outs left, Thrasher, Webster, Shields and Reed started the seventh with four straight singles. Reed drove in a pair on hers and advanced to second with Shields moving to third on a throw home trying to cut down the second runner.

Suddenly within 5-3, Platte County’s threat fizzled on a popout, strikeout and groundout.

Grain Valley escaped and locked up a second straight unbeaten run through White Division play. The Eagles broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth with four runs against Salisbury, who allowed 11 hits and two walks but just four earned runs while striking out five.

After falling behind 1-0 on a two-out Grain Valley single in the third, Platte County answered right back after Webster doubled with two out, and Shields, who finished 3-for-4, drove her home with a single. Webster, Salisbury and Thrasher all collected two hits apiece. Thrasher had reached ahead of Webster but was thrown out at second before Webster’s hit.

Platte County couldn’t take advantage of a Grain Valley error in the first or a leadoff single from Salisbury in the second. The Pirates also wasted Salisbury’s leadoff double in the fourth and stranded Webster (hit by pitch) and Shields (one-out single) in the fifth. The sixth provided the best opportunity thanks to Seifert’s leadoff double, but after two strikeouts and a walk for Crowell, Riggs flew out to left field.

For the second straight season, Platte County finished 6-2 in White Division play with all four losses coming to Grain Valley. The Pirates had competed in the Blue Division for all of their previous season in the Suburban Conference.