Coming off its best season since 2014, the West Platte softball team (2-0) started the fall where it left off last year with a pair of electrifying offensive outings.
The first inning of 2022 for the Lady Blue Jays was an outpour of runs, with 10, when they had six hits in a 14-0 win over St. Pius X on August 30. Two of the opening three West Platte batters were walked, along with an Emma Downing single, and the Lady Blue Jays scored two runs on a passed ball before a Madisyn Matlick RBI single gave West Platte a 3-0 lead.
The West Platte outfield plays rock, paper, scissors in between innings of the Lady Blue Jays comfortable 14-0 season opening win over St. Pius X on Aug. 30.
Emily VanNatta sent Matlick home with a double, then Addie Hughes – who subbed in as a courtesy runner for VanNatta – collected a run on a Warrior error. Laura Hill and Matlick made another trip to the batter’s box and added a pair of RBI singles and West Platte led 10-0 after one frame.
The Lady Blue Jays added more runs to the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning, being ignited with an RBI single by Sam Baker. West Platte added two more runs on the next two batters after a sacrifice fly by Hill and another St. Pius error; then Hughes gave the Lady Blue Jays their 14th run of the day with a single.
VanNatta and Hill shared the pitcher’s mound and combined for five strikeouts while only allowing three hits. With so many walks across the board for West Platte, Matlick was the only batter with more than one hit – with two – along with two RBIs.
In the second game of the fall, West Platte doubled its opponents score in a 12-6 victory over St. Michael (1-5) on September 5. The Lady Guardians put up a fight early, scoring the first run of the game in the top of the second inning and tying the Lady Blue Jays at 5-5 in the top of the third inning.
From that point on, West Platte rattled off eight straight runs until St. Michael scored one more in the final inning but it was too little, too late. In the bottom of the third inning, three of the opening four West Platte batters were walked and the following four batters made contact to send four Lady Blue Jays across home plate.
Sophie Grier doubled, followed by a pair of singles by Matlick and VanNatta, then Colby Shepardson had a sacrifice fly to total up the four runs in the inning. West Platte added three more runs in the ensuing inning with a pair of RBIs from Matlick and Downing.
Grier struck out four batters in three innings and VanNatte struck out three batters in four innings. West Platte will head to East Buchanan (2-3) on September 8.