For the first time since 2018, the North Platte baseball team (1-1) avoided an 0-2 start after defeating Pattonsburg (1-1) on March 27.
On the day of the game, the location got changed from North Platte to Pattonsburg but the Panthers didn’t let that faze them, winning 11-1. North Platte was considered the home team, fielding first and batting second, and a 3-run home run by Kaden Mullendore ended the scoreless game.
The senior connected with the ball over the left field fence to send Benjamin Jaycox and Wesley Meadows home in the bottom of the third inning. Creek Johnson was walked with the bases loaded to make the score 4-0 before the inning ended.
In the ensuing inning, Ryan York singled on a pop fly to right field to send Meadows – who was one of four Panthers walked in the inning – across home plate. Pattonsburg struck out the final two North Platte batters to prevent any more runs in the inning.
Pattonsburg had two of its four hits in the top of the fifth inning, including an RBI single to score its only run of the day. On the next Pattonsburg at-bat, Mullendrore fielded a batted ball and turned a double play to second base, forcing three outs.
With two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the fifth inning, Chance Garber connected with a line drive double to left field, scoring one run. York scored two more runs with a 2-RBI double two pitches later.
North Platte extended the lead to 10-1 on a Pattonsburg error before its third out happened on a strikeout. Colton Kirkham had an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the margin double digits, ending the game with a mercy rule.
York went three-for-four with a game-high four RBIs and Mullendore added one hit and three RBIs. John Winkler had six strikeouts in three innings, while Johnson and Mullendore combined for three strikeouts in two innings.
North Platte lost its season opener to Platte Valley (2-1) – the reigning Class 1 State Finalist – on March 20. The Panthers were defeated 14-3 and fell behind 6-0 through three innings.
Johnson had an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning, but Platte Valley erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the inning. North Platte’s final two runs of the game were walked in with the bases loaded in the final inning.
Johnson had two of the Panthers’ four hits on the day and he struck out two batters on the mound, while Kirkham had five strikeouts. North Platte will host Lawson (3-1) on March 30 and will look to beat the Cardinals for the first time in more than a decade and a half.