Robertson’s game-ending grand slam caps Platte County’s blowout of Grain Valley

Any hit would do, but Dylan Robertson sought out a fastball and didn’t miss.

Platte County’s senior first baseman launched a game-ending grand slam to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning to finish off the Pirates’ 14-1 run-rule victory over Suburban Conference White Division rival Grain Valley in style. He came up with the bases loaded and two outs, needing to find a way to score just one runner Friday evening at Platte County High School.

Instead, Platte County seniors Dylan Zimmerman and James Schwieder and sophomore Dayton Doll trotted home first and then greeted Robertson at home plate to celebrate an important win.

“I was sitting fastball,” said Roberts, who went 3-for-4, finished a triple shy of the cycle and scored twice and drove in four — all on his first career grand slam. “Late in the game, you’ve just got to be aggressive, put something in play. Obviously, run-rule was in play so gotta do something to get the team across, go home early.”

Platte County increased the current winning streak to four, further putting in the rearview an unexpected 0-4 start to the season.

Doll went 3-for-3 with a double, scored three and drove in three, while Schwieder also ended up with three runs, while walking twice and adding an RBI single in the six-run fifth. The Pirates finished with 13 hits and five walks and made the most of three Grain Valley errors.

Platte County junior lefty Brayden Carter and senior reliever Aidan Norris combined to scatter six hits and only one walk while striking out four. Norris came on in relief with two outs in the fourth and delivered 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work with his lone strikeout ending a 1-2-3 fifth that set up the walkoff victory.

“One-hundred percent the best game we’ve played all year long,” Platte County coach John Sipes said. “We didn’t have a single error. I think we only had one walk, which was huge. We had 13 hits. All aspects of the game we nailed today.”

In what set up as a critical matchup in the conference race, Platte County scored in four of five innings and had three or more in three of those. After Carter worked around a one-out double in the top of the first, the Pirates struck early with Doll hitting a one-out single to right field and going to third after the right fielder misplayed the ball. He scored on senior right fielder Dayne Wimberly’s groundout to make it a 1-0 lead.

Grain Valley’s problems on defense continued in the second.

Platte County senior third baseman Jordy Hedrick and senior catcher Cameron Dean opened the second with back-to-back singles. Hedrick reached third on the front end of a double-steal attempt and came home on Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly, which represented the second out.

To restart the rally, Platte County senior shortstop Nick Baker singled, and Schwieder, recently moved into the leadoff spot at designated hitter after a fast start to the season, drew a walk on a full count. Doll followed with a single to left field to increase the Pirates’ lead to 3-0.

“I don’t want to jinx him, but there’s no such thing as a sophomore slump with him,” Sipes said. “He picked up exactly where he left off last year. He’s come with a little more pop. He’s driving the ball to right-center; he’s staying on the ball; he’s pulling it. He’s just doing it all for us on offense.”

Schwieder and Doll moved up a base on a wild pitch and both scored on a throwing error from the Grain Valley second baseman that allowed Wimberly to reach. Robertson then reached on another throwing error, but the Pirates’ lead remained at 5-0 after stranding two.

Grain Valley came back for the lone run against Carter with a two-out rally off senior Avery Garmon’s second double and an RIB single from junior Brody Baker. Carter walked the next batter but then retired the next three in a row before exiting with nobody on and two outs in the fourth.

“He’s no longer a secret anymore,” Sipes said. “They make an adjustment so we just have to make an adjustment to their adjustment. But he comes in and just throws strikes, just does his deal. As long as he does that, we’ve always got a chance to win.”

Platte County scored three more in the fourth with Doll’s double over the center field’s head bringing home Baker and Schwieder, who started the Fram with a single and a walk. Doll ended up thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple, but Robertson restarted the inning with a two-out double to right field, and after junior center fielder Devin Wassmann walked, Robertson eventually scored after taking both of the extra bases on wild pitches.

However, Platte County still only led 8-1 going to the bottom of the fifth after Norris’ quick 1-2-3 in the top half. The Pirates quickly loaded the bases with Hedrick (walk), Dean (single) and Zimmerman (single). Baker’s sacrifice fly and an RBI single to center from Schwieder made it 10-1.

Doll walked to load the bases, but Grain Valley nearly extended the game after Wimberly went down on strikes for the second out.

Instead, Grain Valley sophomore reliever Aaron Barr started with a ball to Robertson and then caught too much of the plate with the fastball Robertson sought.

“The sun kind of blocked that for me,” Robertson said, “but it was a well-hit baseball. Gotta put the ball in play, I guess. Do what I do best.”

Platte County improved to 8-6 overall and showed what makes the defending Class 5 state champions dangerous despite the slow start. The Pirates have now run off three straight White Division victories with an inexperienced pitching rotation starting to take shape around a deep and talented lineup.

Having led in nearly every game this season, spotty defense and some growing pains for the pitching staff led to some difficult losses.

“Grain Valley’s always a big game for us,” Robertson said. “It’s a game we always want to win; it’s one we look forward to all year. This was definitely a turnaround for us. The team’s working good together; pitching’s getting back in line. We’ve been hitting good all year, but everything had to come together today, and we did that.”

Platte County 7, William Chrisman 6

The Pirates entered off of an important comeback in White Division play Wednesday at Platte County High School.

William Chrisman did not trail until the final batter, losing leads of 2-0, 5-1 and 6-4 in the process. With one out in the seventh, Platte County loaded the bases on singles from Wimberly and Robertson and a walk from Robertson. Hedrick ended up with the walkoff RBI with a groundball to shortstop with the throw home not in enough time to beat Wimberly to the plate.

Platte County went into the bottom of the sixth down 6-4 but managed to the score with some clutch hitting. With one out, Dean singled, and Baker walked to put two on base and force William Chrisman to take out junior starter Cooper Hudson, who struck out 10 but walked four. Norris, courtesy-running for Dean, and Baker pulled off a double steal, and a groundout from junior third baseman Brian Chandler closed the deficit to one run.

Schwieder followed with a single to plate the tying run for Platte County.

William Chrisman forced the Pirates to use four pitchers but couldn’t score against Doll, who threw the final 1 2/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts to earn the win. The Bears scored a potential insurance run in the top of the sixth against senior reliever Tyler Erickson, who worked 2 1/3 innings. He exited after allowing a single and an RBI double and then recording an out a fly ball to left fielder.

Doll came in and worked around the runner in scoring position and then navigated a runner who reached on a leadoff error in the seventh to set up Platte County’s walkoff win.

Wimberly went 2-for-2 with two walks for Platte County, while Wassmann added an RBI triple and Hedrick doubled and scored twice. However, William Chrisman took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first against Pirates junior starter Ethan Veach, who walked four and struck out two in his only inning.

Platte County pulled within 2-1 when Hedrick doubled and scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the second, but William Chrisman answered with two more in the third against Zimmerman, who then worked around a runner on second and no outs to keep the Pirates within 4-1. He went two innings and struck out two, while walking one and allowing three hits.

Wimberly led off Platte County’s half of the fourth with a walk and scored on Wassmann’s triple. An error scored him, and Hedrick eventually came around on Baker’s fielder’s choice after Dean singled. The Pirates were within 5-4 at that point but continued to trail until the seventh.

Platte County 12, Raytown 2, 5 innings

The Pirates didn’t trail in Monday’s conference win at Platte County High School with Wimberly hitting a two-run home run and Zimmerman adding a double and three RBIs.

After going ahead 3-0 in the first, Platte County ended up using 13 hitters and spread the offense around, scoring three more in the second, one in the third and five in the fifth. This ended up being the first of three straight walkoff wins, all in unique circumstances. This one closed with senior infielder Andrew Habel singling home Zimmerman with the winning run, two batters after he hit a two-run double to center field.

The five-run inning started with Wassmann walking. Tyler Stearns, a junior reserve catcher, followed with a triple before scoring on Baker’s single on an 0-2 count. Raytown wouldn’t record an out in the inning with Norris being hit by a pitch ahead of Zimmerman’s double and then a walk from junior Zane Miller.

Platte County’s first inning included an RBI double from Doll. In the second, Wimberly hit a one-out two-run bomb to right field, and Robertson added a run-scoring triple.