North Platte won its second KCI Conference game last week, the most in a season for the Panthers since going 2-10 in 2012.
In the second meeting of the season with East Buchanan, the Panthers earned a season split with a 3-2 win Tuesday, April 19 at Dean Park in Dearborn, Mo. Bryntin Crockett scored twice despite not recording a hit, and Garrett Lamar and Aron Burke drove in a run apiece.
Andrew Roberts, a senior, allowed two runs (one earned) while throwing a one-hitter. He also walked one, and North Platte committed the game’s only error behind him.
North Platte entered a scheduled Tuesday, April 26 matchup at West Platte with its first of four chances to surpass the two-win total of 2012, but the game ended up postponed due to inclement field conditions after heavy rains pelted the area. The Panthers have only beaten one of their remaining four KCI opponents on the schedule — Plattsburg, which hosts North Platte on Monday, May 2.
Lawson 8, North Platte 0
The Panthers were shut out in KCI play two days later at Dean Park in Dearborn, Mo.
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first, North Platte managed only two hits off of Lawson starter Damien Sapp, singles for Remington Wilson and Aron Burke. The Panthers committed four errors, which helped lead to two unearned runs.
Crockett and Burke combined to walk seven in six-plus innings of combined work.
Lawson 10, West Platte 5, 9 innings
The Bluejays scored five in the bottom of the first but were shut out for the final eight innings Tuesday, April 19 in Weston, Mo.
All five of the runs came against Tyler Dunn with two outs. Peyton Morris started the effort with a solo home run for the first of two hits Dunn allowed in his 2/3 inning of work. Brett Shepardson walked ahead of McKaulley Stephenson’s single, and Mitch Mopping and Michael Devers followed with walks.
Jack Summers and Kyle Tabaka added a run-scoring single each off of reliever Max Ross.
The cushion didn’t end up being enough despite having Stephenson on the mound. West Platte’s senior ace ended up lasting only five-plus innings, charged with three runs.
Lawson struck for one in the fifth and then four in the sixth to tie the score against Stephenson and Shepardson, who pitched the remainder. The Cardinals tallied 12 hits and eight walks, eventually plating give in the top of the ninth to take the lead.
Stephenson struck out 11 but walked five.
West Platte ended up with just two more hits in the final eight innings, singles for Summers and Morris. Ross walked just one and struck out five.