Platte County capped a perfect week with a 14-4 victory in a road game at Oak Grove on Thursday. The Pirates improved to 5-2 and were set to put a three-game winning streak on the line the next night at Raymore-Peculiar but inclement weather and field conditions led to a postponement.
Platte County junior Mackenzie Shields makes contact in an at-bat against Park Hill on Monday at Park Hill High School in Kansas City.
However, Platte County continued to show off a potentially high-powered offense despite replacing six seniors from last year’s lineup, totaling double-digit runs for the third straight time during the winning streak. After one bad inning, the Pirates pulled away late from Oak Grove with multiple runs in five of seven innings.
Platte County junior center fielder Abby Reynolds led the way, going 2-for-3 with two walks and scoring four runs to go with an RBI. Pirates junior shortstop Demi Riechers drove in a team-high with one of two doubles for Platte County, while juniors Mackenzie Shields and TK Lawson added two RBIs apiece for the Pirates.
Holding a 5-4 lead, Platte County plated a pair in the top of the fourth when sophomore Anna Crowell and Webster scored on a two-out error. The 7-4 lead increased to 9-4 in the sixth on Riechers’ two-run single to score Reynolds and sophomore courtesy runner Morgan Shields. Mackenzie Shields followed with a sacrifice fly, and another error put the Panthers down 11-4.
Platte County’s top of the seventh included an RBI singles for Mackenzie Shields and sophomore Kallie Hitzelberger to increased the lead to 14-4. In between, Pirates junior Jules Knudsen scored a wild pitch.
Hitzelberger, who pitched the final four innings in relief, worked around a two-out single in the seventh. She earned the win, allowing just the one hit and striking out two.
Mackenzie Shields started for Platte County and gave up four runs in the bottom of the second, finishing with three innings pitched, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out one. The Pirates staked her to a 5-0 lead that they never lost.
Platte County sophomore Kallie Hitzelberger delivers a pitch against Park Hill on Monday at Park Hill High School in Kansas City.
Platte County scored three in the first with sophomore outfielder Avery Webster leading off with a bunt single, advancing to second on a passed ball and stealing third before scoring on Reynolds’ single to right field. Pirates senior catcher Ali Gill then scored her with a single, and Riechers added a one-out RBI double to left.
In the second, Lawson provided a two-run, two-out single to plate Crowell and Reynolds.
Platte County 10, Park Hill 6
A pair of big innings powered the Pirates to a victory Monday at Park Hill High School. The two teams collected 14 hits apiece.
Webster went 3-for-4 with a walk for Platte County out of the leadoff spot, scoring once and driving in one. Lawson, Gill, Mackenzie Shields and Riechers each put up two hits with Shields hitting a home run and riving in two. Riechers and Lawson each added a double and two RBIs.
Mackenzie Shields, Riechers and Crowell scored two runs apiece.
Platte County never trailed after going up 4-0 in the top of the second. Gill led off with a single, and Crowell came in as the courtesy runner. Helmer singled home Crowell with one out, Riechers line a two-run double to left and Webster capped the frame with a single to score her.
Park Hill scored one run in the second third and fifth with three in the fourth but never caught up. Helmer went four innings, allowing five runs but only two earned on nine hits and a walk, while Hitzelberger surrendered the run in the fifth inning and finished with three innings of relief. She allowed five hits and a walk and collected the Pirates’ only strikeout.
Platte County answered Park Hill’s first run with Mackenzie Shields’ RBI groundout to plate Crowell, again courtesy running for Gill after her single. Park Hill closed within 5-2 but then gave up four more runs in the top of the fourth. Reynolds scored Riechers with a bases-loaded single, and Lawson plated two with a double to center. Reynolds later scored on a passed ball to make it 9-2 for the Pirates.
Park Hill closed within 9-6 after the fifth, but Platte County added an insurance run on Mackenzie Shields’ solo home run to left, her first of the season.
