During an opening surge to the season, Platte County continues to show the ability to win in any scenario. The Pirates opened this past week with a 3-2 win over Belton in a pitcher’s dual, pulled away on the road at Park Hill for a 15-4 victory Tuesday and then piled up offense early in a 16-3 romp on the road against William Chrisman on Wednesday.
Platte County senior outfielder Brock Fowler swings at a pitch against Belton on Monday at Platte County High School.
The latter two ended in five innings due to the run rule. Platte County has now won five straight, a stark contrast from last season when the Pirates started 3-8 before identifying a winning identity that helped advance them back to Class 5 District 8 title game.
“Winning’s top priority — no matter score or anything,” said Platte County junior Brooks Hall, who threw three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the win over Belton and added an RBI double at the plate.
A second-year contributor, Hall struggled with command on the mound at times as a sophomore, but he limited Belton to two hits and two walks.
Platte County then turned to junior Andrew Edsall, who ran into some trouble in the seventh inning, before sophomore Evan Magnuson allowed one of two inherited runners to score and recorded the final out to earn the save with the potential tying and go-ahead runners on base. Edsall ended up charged with both runs also struck out five, while walking two and allowing three hits.
Despite the two-run seventh for Belton, Platte County (6-1) found a way to earn a win in the Suburban Conference White Division opener in adverse circumstances.
Platte County junior Andrew Edsall delivers a pitch against Belton on Monday at Platte County High School.
“It really showed we can come together as a team and get the job done, even when situations like that happen,” Hall said.
Platte County came into the season with a large group of returning starters but question marks on the pitching staff. The offense has put up double-digit runs in four of the first seven games but needed single runs in the third, fourth and sixth to build the 3-0 lead against Belton.
Hall worked around runners in each of his three innings, which included a hit batter in the second.
Platte County then gave him a 1-0 lead in the third with a two-out rally that started with a single from senior second baseman Taylor Stambersky and continued with a walk for senior shortstop Dayton Doll — two of three returning all-state infielders on the roster. Stambersky went to second on a wild pitch and stole third then came home on a passed ball.
In the fourth, Hall doubled to left after senior right fielder Brock Fowler singled to put two runners in scoring position, and he scored on another passed ball to double the advantage to 2-0.
Platte County senior second baseman Tyler Stambersky runs to third base against Belton on Monday at Platte County High School.
After going hitless with runner’s in scoring position in three consecutive innings, Platte County broke through again in the sixth on another single for Fowler, who advanced to second on an error after the left fielder misplayed the hit. Bronson Ryan, a senior left fielder, singled him home two batters later with one out.
The run became even more important in the next half inning.
Edsall issued a one-out walk and then allowed back-to-back two-out singles with Belton closing the gap to 3-1. Platte County went to Magnuson, who have up a third straight hit before inducing a fielder’s choice groundout to Doll to end the threat.
Platte County 15, Park Hill 4, 5 innings
The Pirates broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the third Tuesday at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, and junior third baseman Brennan McLaughlin nearly hit for the cycle, scored four runs and drove in six more and earned the win as the starting pitcher.
Platte County took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with Stambersky leading off with a single, and two batters later, McLaughlin launched a home run to straight away center field. He also pitched the first three innings and struck out three while allowing four hits and a walk that led to two runs in second — only one earned.
After working around a pair of hits in the first, McLaughlin allowed a pair of singles — the second scoring a pair with one out — after the second inning started with a runner reaching on an error.
Platte County junior third baseman Brennan McLaughlin swings at a pitch against Belton on Monday at Platte County High School.
The lead didn’t last after Stambersky, who finished 2-for-3 with a walk, led off the third with a triple. After Doll walked, McLaughlin doubled to center field to score two more, and he came home on a balk after Platte County junior centerfielder Rocco Marriott moved him up a base with a bunt single. The Pirates then blew the game open with four in the fourth and six more in the fifth.
Ryan started the fourth with a double to left field, and Platte County senior designated hitter Liam Blacklock followed with a bunt single.
Park Hill made a pitching change and immediately saw the deficit increase to 6-2 when Ryan came home on a wild pitch. After a strikeout and with Blacklock at third, Stambersky and Doll both walked to load the bases. McLaughlin scored one with a fielder’s choice, and the Trojans loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Marriott after the pitcher fell behind 3-0.
Fowler walked to force Doll home, and McLaughlin increased Platte County’s lead to 9-2 on a passed ball.
All six of the runs for Platte County in the fifth came with two outs after Park Hill threw out Blacklock trying to steal following a leadoff walk and junior catcher Ian Gold grounded out to third. An error extended the inning, and Doll tripled home Stambersky to start a stretch of six straight hits that included an RBI singles for McLaughlin and Fowler plus a two-run double for Ryan.
Platte County senior shortstop Dayton Doll prepares to make a throw to first base against Belton on Monday at Platte County High School.
Marriott, who also singled during the stretch, scored on a balk before Hall singled to put two on base for Ryan.
Platte County senior pitcher Poul Gratereaux-Baez, a transfer helping to fill out a staff currently with only one of the top four from last season in innings pitched, gave up a hit and walked four in the bottom of the fifth. Park Hill scored a pair but needed two more to extend the game. Gratereaux-Baez induced a flout to center field with the bases loaded to end the game.
Platte County 16, William Chrisman 3, 5 innings
Stambersky and Doll collected four hits apiece, and the Pirates scored three more runs in four of five innings in a dominant display Wednesday in Independence.
In the top of the fifth, Stambersky, Doll and senior Brady Davis, playing a lot of third base when McLaughlin, loaded the bases with consecutive singles. Edsall scored two with a one-out double, and Davis came home an error. The Pirates increased their lead to 16-1 when senior outfielder Patrick McCool followed with an RBI single, and Blacklock plated the final run on a fielder’s choice.
Platte County seniors Wes Chiddix and Owen Rawlings combined to strike out six and allow only three hits, but five walks and an error helped lead to three unearned runs.
William Chrisman put up two in the bottom of the fifth after Rawlings allowed three walks and a single. A strong defensive play helped cut down an initial runner at the plate, but two came home on a two-out error. He came back to induce a game-ending groundout to complete his 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Platte County senior outfielder Bronson Ryan swings at a pitch against Belton on Monday at Platte County High School.
Chiddix threw 2 2/3 innings and struck out five while allowing only one hit and two walks.
Platte County spotted Chiddix a three-run lead in the top of the first after Stambersky led off with a single and Doll put two in scoring position with a double. McLaughlin brought one home with a single to left field, and Hall drove in two with a one-out double. The Pirates added four in the second when Doll hit a grand slam inside-the-park home run.
McCool led off with a single before Platte County freshman catcher Boston Wasserman was hit by a pitch with one out. Stambersky followed with a bunt single, and Doll drove a 1-0 pitch to right field and cleared the bases.
William Chrisman closed within 7-1 after manufacturing a run in the bottom of the second against Chiddix without a hit. A dropped third strike and a pair of walks loaded the bases before a passed ball allowed a runner to score.
Platte County stranded two runners in the third but scored four more in the fourth with the top of the lineup again starting the rally. Stambersky doubled to right field, and all singled him home. After a fielder’s choice, the next four batters reached base for the Pirates — RBI singles for Fowler and Ryan sandwiched around a walk for Hall, who later came home on a passed ball to increase the lead to 11-1 and put the run rule in play.
McLaughlin and Davis both scored twice for Platte County, and McCool went 2-for-2 with a walk. The Pirates play Ruskin at home Monday before a tough stretch of three road games at Liberty North (7-3) on Wednesday, Staley (10-0) on Thursday and Smithville (6-1) next week.
