A good bounce-back year for North Platte ended with an upset loss in the Class 1 District 14 tournament on Thursday, Oct. 17 at Dean Park.
The host Panthers were the top-seed in the tournament but lost 11-4 to No. 5 seeded North Andrew in the semifinals of the district tournaments.
North Andrew then lost in the district finals to DeKalb.
The Panthers finished the season with a 9-11 record, coming after securing only one win the previous season.
On paper the Panthers were favored by not only the ranking, but a 12-2 run-rule win against North Andrew on Sept. 24.
North Platte led 4-2 but gave up three runs in each of the final three innings to fall.
The Cardinals (9-12) went up 1-0 in the first, but two runs in the bottom of the first gave North Platte the first of its two leads.
Gracie Ramsey tripled to open the bottom of the first and Jaylin Burgess followed with a triple to tie the game. Burgess scored on Ryann Smith’s single.
North Platte left the bases loaded.
North Andrew tied the game in the top of the third but two more runs in the bottom half of the inning gave North Platte the lead back.
Scarlett Sluganz had a two-run double to score Smith and Jordyn Smith making it 4-2.
Three extra base hits by North Andrew gave the Cardinals the lead for good, 5-4.
Jordyn Smith had three hits for North Platte, while Ramsey and Olivia Rodgers had two each.
Due to four errors, only five of North Andrew’s 11 runs were earned.
Mid-Buchanan 5, West Platte 2
The Dragons rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Bluejays in a Class 2 District 15 Tournament held at Benner Park in Weston.
The win was the second this season for Mid-Buchanan against West Platte after beating them 8-3 on Oct. 8.
The Bluejays (11-12) held the lead in that game as well, scoring in the first inning.
This time around, on Thursday Oct. 17, the Bluejays went up 1-0 against Mid-Buchanan.
Melanie Waters and Hailey Shepardson had one-out singles and Karah Dunham walked to load the bases. A ground ball by Laura Hill brought home a run, but that was it.
The Bluejays got another run in the fourth inning when courtesy runner Ally Santo scored on a double steal with two outs. West Platte drew three walks and had a single but only one run.
That opened the door for a rally by Mid-Buchanan.
Lainey Pearson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game.
Rylan Hines had an RBI single for the go-ahead run the next inning, while an error brought home another run. Libby Bally’s RBI double in the sixth inning accounted for the final runs for the Dragons (11-11).
Shepardson had three hits, while Waters and Alyssa Stewart had two hits for West Platte.
Dunham struck out nine and gave up three earned runs in the loss.
Other games
East Buchanan 4, North Platte 0
The KCI Conference slate wrapped up for the Panthers with a loss at Dean Park on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
The Lady Bulldogs got a run in the first inning and then three more in the fourth inning to pick up the win.
Erin McPike tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out 14 for East Buchanan.
She aided her cause with a sac fly in the first inning and scored on a passed ball in the third inning. Madi Jessen had a two-run triple to make it 4-0.
North Platte had two runners on in the fifth inning thanks to an error and a walk, but left two on base.
Jordyn Smith had a single in the second inning and Scarlett Sluganz singled in the seventh. An error later in the inning put two runners on the final inning, but a sac bunt and strikeout ended the game.