Linley Weicken continues to see more time on the mound, and the Platte County senior delivered a big performance in the Pirates final home game of the season.
With help from Janessa Barmann’s sacrifice fly, Platte County scored a 1-0 win against Winnetonka on Monday, Sept. 28 at Platte County High School. Weicken did the rest, striking out just one but walking none in a five-hit shutout.
Mallory Stoner, a Class 3 all-state selection at pitcher during Platte County’s state runner-up last season, has played more at first base. Weicken has been forced into a more prominent role for the
Pirates, who improved to 11-9 (5-2 Suburban Conference Blue Division). The Pirates were slated to play at Kearney on Tuesday, Sept. 29, but the result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
Two of Platte County’s final three games in the regular season come against Blue Division teams with wins against them this season, also playing at Belton on Tuesday, Oct. 6 in the finale.
Avoiding an upset vs. Winnetonka, Brittany Whitt doubled in the fifth inning and moved to third, allowing Barmann to drive her home with the only run. Lindsey Bogart also doubled, and Alexis Ray provided two hits from her leadoff spot for Platte County.
Winnetonka stranded all five of its runners against Weicken, who limited all five hits to singles.
Lee’s Summit West 5, Platte County 1
Stoner struck out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with the Titans escaping Platte County High School with a win Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Lee’s Summit West scored three times in the top of the seventh with help from a critical throwing error in an attempted rundown. Bobbi Bodenhamer’s single over a drawn-in infield with one out scored the Titans’ first run of the inning but then became caught in a rundown.
However, an errant throw allowed a second run to score on the play, and Bodenhamer went to second and later scored to put the Titans up 5-1.
Platte County closed within 2-1 with a single run in the bottom of the fifth after Tori Farr led off with a walk. Ashley Hopper scored her two batters later with a squeeze bunt, and Weicken, the starter, kept the deficit at one run by working around Kirsten Wageman’s leadoff double to the wall in the sixth.
Farr ended up reaching with another walk in the seventh, and Stoner came to the plate as the tying run but couldn’t collect a needed seventh hit against Lee’s Summit West starter Jordan Webber, who walked three and struck out five in a complete game. Weicken struck out three and allowed 11 hits.
Mid-Buchanan Tournament
North Platte swept its four games Saturday, Sept. 26 at Heritage Park in St. Joseph, Mo. with Victoria Haugsness pitching the whole way.
The Panthers needed tight wins against St. Joseph Benton and Jefferson to survive. Benton scored three in the fourth inning against Haugsness, who hit three batters and didn’t record a strikeout in North Platte’s 5-3 win. However, she provided a pair of hits and two RBIs to go with catcher Martina Williams’ two-run double in the six-inning win (time limit).
Haugsness also homered and drove in all three runs in the 3-1 win against Jefferson.
In the tournament opener, Kaycee Hodgson had a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Gracie Roach drove in another on two hits in a 5-1 win against St. Joseph Lafayette. Haugsness threw a two-hitter in an 8-1 win against Lafayette County. She also collected a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in three.
Callie Pataluna, later a defensive star in the win against Benton, had two hits and three RBIs in the win against the Huskers, who allowed six runs in the second inning.
Plattsburg 5, North Platte 1
The Panthers were unable to keep their perfect record in KCI Conference play alive Tuesday, Sept. 22 against Plattsburg. Haugsness struck out nine but allowed seven hits. The Tigers gave up 10 hits but limited North Platte to just one run.
North Platte 9, East Buchanan 0
The Panthers recovered quickly from their first league loss and downed the Bulldogs on Thursday, Sept. 24.
North Platte (20-2, 4-1 KCI) benefited from Williams’ three doubles and four RBIs, while Roach drove in a pair on two hits. Haugsness struck out 10 in a one-hit shutout. The Panthers’ final two KCI games come against Lawson (Tuesday, Sept. 29 — result not available at The Citizen’s deadline) and Hamilton (Thursday, Oct. 1).
Currently, North Platte, Lathrop, Hamilton and Plattsburg all have one league loss and remain in contention for at least a share of the KCI title.
North Platte 2, DeKalb 0
Alley Rickel went 3-for-3 with two doubles, and Roach and McKenna Fulton drove in a run apiece in a two-run fourth for the Panthers on Monday, Sept. 28 in DeKalb, Mo. The runs held up in the nonconference game, which ended up North Platte’s 20th win on the season.
Haugsness earned the win with the shutout, dropping DeKalb to 16-6 on the season.
Lawson 12, West Platte 2, 6 innings
The Bluejays remained winless and dropped to 0-5 in KCI Conference play last week.
Against Lawson on Tuesday, Sept. 22, West Platte scored once in each of the first two innings but trailed 7-2 after two and never led. The Cardinals scored in five of six innings on only six hits. Lea Moose doubled and drove in a run for West Platte, and Kaitlin Larison tripled.
West Platte lost 14-7 on Plattsburg on Thursday, Sept. 24 but no stats were available.