The North Platte softball team was in a high-scoring, unforgettable postseason thriller against Lathrop when the Panthers erased a nine-run deficit in the final two innings, but Lathrop prevailed 19-17.
North Platte’s Olivia Rogers ended with 3 hits and 1 RBI on Oct. 14.
North Platte trailed Lathrop 12-5 after the fourth inning and the Mules extended their lead to 16-7 following the fifth inning. With two innings remaining in the second round of the Class 2 District 7 Tournament, the Panthers’ offense stepped up.
The three seed began to chip at the deficit with four runs in the top of the sixth inning and trailed 16-11 entering the final inning. The Panthers’ offense erupted for six more runs to take a 17-16 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning.
“These ladies left it all on the field,” North Platte head coach Farrah Seckel said. “The offense never quit and was able to score 17 runs on probably the best pitcher in the conference and district.”
North Platte was unable to pull off the epic comeback when Lathrop’s Kaitlyn Morgan ended the game with a walk off 2-run home run. The Panthers ended with 19 hits in the contest, but it wasn’t enough to move on to the next round of districts.
“I am so proud of their Titan effort. Losses like this are always hard, but I’m glad they will be able to rest easy with no regrets at the end of their season,” Seckel said.
The Panthers fell behind 2-0 early and took a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning before giving up 10 runs in the bottom of the inning. Scarlett Slugantz and Courtney Dehn shared the mound as both Panthers pitched three innings each.
Carly Hinton’s strong offensive performance was a huge factor when the junior ended with a team-high 5 hits and 6 RBIs. Olivia Rogers ended with 3 hits and 1 RBI, while four Panthers finished with 2 hits.
This fall was a step in the right direction for North Platte, who hasn’t finished a season with a postseason victory or double digit wins since 2017. The Panthers ended the 2021 season with 19 wins and nine losses, their best record since finishing 25-3 in 2015, and North Platte will say goodbye to four seniors.