Rain washed out the second day of the Monarch Invitational over the weekend in Papillion, Nebraska, leaving Platte County with a split of two Friday games and a 7-8 record after another busy up-and-down week. The Pirates entered on a two-game losing skid and hoped to start building some momentum toward another postseason push.
Platte County senior second baseman Ava Carter makes a throw against Grain Valley on Tuesday at Platte County High School.
Instead, Platte County topped Papillion La Vista 6-2 then lost to Millard South 7-1 but wanting more opportunities the next day only for the weather to intervene.
In the first pool game, Platte County junior left fielder Avery Webster singled twice and scored twice, while junior catcher Morgan Shields drove in a pair. The Pirates went up 1-0 in the top of the first when Webster, senior shortstop Demi Riechers and senior third baseman Mackenzie Shields all singled with the last one scoring the initial run.
The bottom of the second was more productive for Platte County, starting with a single for senior centerfielder Abby Reynolds and senior second baseman Ava Carter reaching on an error. Webster made it 2-0 with a run-scoring single, while Morgan Shields drove in Carter with a fielder’s choice. The Pirates went up 4-0 when Riechers drove in Webster with a sacrifice fly.
Platte County provided a five-run cushion when an error allowed Carter to score in the fourth.
The only runs for Papillion-La Vista came in the fourth and were unearned thanks to an error. Platte County started freshman pitcher Danica Salisbury, who threw a six-inning complete game allowing six hits and one walk while striking out two.
Platte County junior Anna Crowell swings at a pitch against Grain Valley on Thursday at Platte County High School.
The last run for Platte County came in the sixth on Morgan Shields’ two-out RBI single to score junior right fielder Anna Crowell, who led off the inning with a single.
Platte County junior Kallie Hitzelberger, last season’s No. 1 in a second straight run to the Class 4 semifinals, started the second game and allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. Salisbury came on in relief and allowed only one hit over 2 2/3 innings, marking a third straight appearances without allowing an unearned run. In addition to the two Monarch Invitational appearances, she started the week with a stellar performance in a Suburban Conference White Division win Monday against Raytown.
However, Platte County managed just two hits, a double for junior infielder Emma Reed that scored Reynolds after she walked in the top of the fifth and a single for senior first baseman TK Lawson.
Belton 8, Platte County 5
Platte County fell behind early, rallied back twice but never led in a frustrating loss Thursday at Platte County High School, marking a second straight loss in White Division play.
Mackenzie Shields started on the mound and allowed six runs, four earned, in four innings of work, walking four, striking out two and allowing four walks and eight hits. She left with Platte County down 6-4, and Hitzelberger allowed two more in the top of the fifth, finishing with three innings pitched with one strikeout while allowing three hits and two walks.
Platte County senior shortstop Demi Riechers catches a popup against Grain Valley on Tuesday at Platte County High School.
In the bottom of the sixth and down 8-4, Platte County threatened to draw closer.
Salisbury, Reynolds and Carter all singled to load the bases, and Webster walked to drive in a run and close the deficit to three. Platte County then stranded the bases loaded with the potential go-ahead run at the plate, and Belton worked around Lawson’s two-out single in the seventh to close out the win.
Belton led 3-0 after the top of the first with help from three walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball from Mackenzie Shields, but Platte County immediately tied the score.
Webster led off the bottom of the first with a walk and went to second on a fielder’s choice. She scored on Riechers’ dropped-in single, and Lawson leveled it at 3-3 with a double to centerfield. Belton induced an inning-ending double play to avoid further damage then tallied one in the top of the second.
Platte County again tied the score in the bottom half of the inning with Reynolds walking, going to second on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on Carter’s single up the middle. Belton took the lead for good with two in the fourth.
Platte County dropped to 2-2 in White Division play and does not have another conference game until hosting William Chrisman on Tuesday, September 27.
Grain Valley 10, Platte County 0, 5 innings
The Pirates managed just four hits and dropped a White Division game for the first time this season.
Grain Valley scored six in the top of the third and four more in the fourth Tuesday at Platte County High School and went on to the run-rule victory. Mackenzie Shields went 3-for-3 with three singles for Platte County, while Reynolds added a single, two walks and a stolen base. Morgan Shields also walked twice, but the Pirates stranded 10 runners total.
Platte County junior outfielder Avery Webster runs to first against Grain Valley on Tuesday at Platte County High School.
In the top of the first, Grain Valley went down in order against Hitzelberger, and Platte County put Morgan Shields on with a one-out walk and Mackenzie Shields with a two-out single. The exact same combination of runners reached by the same method in the third, as well, but also ended up stranded again.
In the bottom of the fourth while down 10-0, Platte County drew three walks but left the bases loaded. The Pirates also put two on in the fifth with no outs — a walk for Riechers and a single for Mackenzie Shields — and loaded the bases on a walk for Reynolds with a chance to extend the game but couldn’t plate a runner with two outs.
Grain Valley’s first six batters were retired, but the six-run third included an unearned run thanks to an error against Hitzelberger, who went 2 1/3 innings with one strikeout while allowing five hits and a walk. Mackenzie Shields threw the final 2 2/3 innings and yielded seven hits and two walks but just four runs, while striking out one.
Platte County 18, Raytown 1, 5 innings
The Pirates belted out 17 hits and scored in every inning of a White Division game Monday at Raytown High School.
Webster, Morgan Shields, Mackenzie Shields, Lawson, sophomore Addy Schlake and arter all had at least two hits for Platte County. Mackenzie Shields had three singles and scored three runs, while driving in four. Lawson added three RBIs with help from a ground-rule double, while Salisbury and Webster also knocked in two apiece.
Salisbury started and allowed only two hits, two walks and an unearned run while striking out eight in a complete game.
Platte County immediately backed her with two runs in the first on Morgan Shields’ one-out triple, an RBI single for Mackenzie Shields and Lawson’s double. The Pirates then scored six apiece in each of the next two innings to take a 12-0 lead. The top of the second included RBI singles for Webster and Mackenzie Shields and then a run on a passed ball with the bases loaded before Lawson singled home two more to amok it 7-0.
After Raytown got a run back in the bottom of the second, Webster again hit a run-scoring single, and Mackenzie Shields scored two more with another single ahead of Schlake’s RBI double to left. The final two runs in the inning came on a throwing error from the shortstop.
In the fifth, Salisbury backed her own cause with a double to centerfield to score Schlake after she hit her second double of the game. The final two runs were also a result of errors.
