Three pitchers combine on no-hitter in enjoyable senior night victory for Platte County

For the first few innings, Platte County didn’t create the offense needed to allow for the full levity that comes with a senior night blowout.

The win always remains the priority, and William Chrisman provided a stern challenge in the early proceedings of Monday’s Suburban Conference White Division matchup. However, Platte County seniors Owen Rawlings and Poul Gratereaux-Baez combined for 4 1/3 innings of nearly flawless relief to finish off a combined no-hitter that started with sophomore Evan Magnuson in a 9-0 victory at Platte County High School. The Pirates scored five times in the bottom of the sixth to pull away.

Platte County honored 10 total seniors after the game, all with significant roles in helping already pile up 20 wins this season with the Class 5 District 8 tournament approaching. The group includes pitchers like Wes Chiddix, Rawlings and Gratereaux-Baez; all-state hitters Dayton Doll and Taylor Stambersky; outfielders Bronson Ryan, Patrick McCool, Brock Fowler plus current infield starters Brady Davis and Liam Blacklock.

With a lead established, Chiddix even received his first at-bats of the season, singling in the second time up and nearly plating a walkoff run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

“(This) means everything,” said Doll, who finished 1-for-4 and started the five-run sixth with a two-run single before scoring Platte County’s ninth run on a single from junior catcher Ian Gold. “Everyone coming together and playing as one, it’s always good to have that.”

Platte County’s senior class includes Doll as the only four-year starter, first-year transfers in Fowler and Gratereaux-Baez and all of the contributors in between. The depth of experience continues to come in handy with Stambersky having only made a few brief appearances in recent weeks and not playing a full game since April 23 due to an undisclosed injury. The Pirates now enter the final week of the regular season with a 20-6 record, as winners in 11 of the last 13 while Davis and Blacklock have stepped into more prominent roles.

Against William Chrisman, Blacklock hit leadoff and went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI while playing second base, while Davis started at third base and scored a run on Doll’s sixth inning single after being hit by a pitch.

“I like how all of us are comfortable with each other,” Doll said.

Continuing a late-season surge, Gold went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and his double scored junior first baseman Brooks Hall from first to help stretch the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Hall walked to start the inning, and Blacklock came up with an RBI single to plate Gold with two outs.

The four runs ended up more than enough for the combination of Magnuson, Rawlings and Gratereaux-Baez.

One of the clear members of the expected pitching staff for the postseason, Magnuson struck out four and walked only one in 2 2/3 innings before giving way to Rawlings with two outs in the third. He inherited a pair of runners and needed just two pitches to induce a groundout to Davis, who stepped on third base for a fielder’s choice that keep the game scoreless.

Rawlings then turned in perhaps the best performance of his career, working around one walk in each of the next two innings and leaving one runner on base after he issued another free pass with two outs in the sixth.

Gratereaux-Baez walked the first batter he faced then recorded the first of his three strikeouts to end the threat. He stranded two more in the seventh after a second walk and hitting a batter.

Rawlings finished with one strikeout.

“Evan, Owen, Poul, they all pitched really good,” Doll said.

Platte County only had one hit in the first two innings — a single from Gold — only to have the courtesy runner immediately picked off. The Pirates then broke through thanks to a pair of errors with Doll scoring the first run with a groundout before an RBI double from junior Brennan McLaughlin to score Blacklock.

Serving as designated hitter on senior night, McLaughlin also holds the spot of No. 1 starting pitcher and plays third base and shortstop in wake of Stambersky’s recent injury.

Platte County’s four-run sixth started with Ryan and Davis both hit by a pitch before Blacklock walked to load the bases. Doll followed with his single, and Fowler walked with two outs to again load the bases. Hall was hit by a pitch to increase the lead to 7-0, and Gold capped his big day with a two-run single to put the Pirates on the brink of a run-rule victory.

William Chrisman managed to throw Hall out trying to score on Chiddix’s single to extend the game to the seventh.

Platte County 12, Fort Osage 2, 5 innings

The Pirates moved closer to an outright conference championship with Friday’s big win Independence.

Doll went 3-for-4, including a pair of doubles, with four RBIs to help Platte County build a 12-0 lead after the top of the fifth. The Pirates’ string of 11 consecutive scoreless innings from the pitching staff ended in the bottom of the inning, but Hall stranded a pair of runners and recorded the final two outs after coming on in relief of Chiddix, charged with both runs but striking out two in an inning of work.

McLaughlin struck out three and walked one in two innings before junior Zach Brown allowed just one hit in a 1 1/3 innings of effective relief.

Platte County backed the pitching with runs in four of the five times at bat. The Pirates led 1-0 after one inning without a hit after Blacklock and McLaughlin both walked and then pulled off a double steal with two outs. Blacklock came home on the play after the catcher threw down to second with a chance to get McLaughlin for the final out.

Blacklock and Doll came up with two-out, run-scoring hits in the second to increase the lead to 3-0.

Doll had a second RBI single in the fourth, and McCool came home with Platte County’s fifth run after an error on a pickoff attempt. The Pirates put the run-rule into play with seven more in the fifth. The inning started with walks for junior Andrew Edsall and Hall before freshman catcher Boston Wasserman loaded the bases with a line drive single to left field that forced the runners to hold after advancing just one base.

McCool’s fielder’s choice resulted in the first out but also scored a run, and after Blacklock walked again, Doll hit a two-run double to centerfield.

Ryan walked with the bases loaded to increase the lead to 9-0, and Fowler’s sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 10. In what ended up an important at-bat after Fort Osage scored twice late, Hall hit a two-run single to cap Platte County’s scoring. The Pirates finished with nine hits but also took advantage of three errors.