Brody Hufft helped Park Hill South win the Laker Wood Bat Tournament on April 1 and go .500 in the Jays’ Baseball Classic on April 8.
The Park Hill South baseball team (11-6) has shined in a pair of tournaments, winning the Laker Wood Bat Tournament on April 1, and going 2-2 in the Jays’ Baseball Classic on April 8.
Coming off only its second loss in its opening seven contests – a 9-5 defeat to Lee’s Summit North (6-7) on March 29 – Park Hill South headed to Camdenton High School for a weekend long, Laker Wood Bat Tournament and won all four games. The first two weren’t too competitive, with the Panthers beating Camdenton (11-2) 10-2 and coming out on top 13-3 against Battle with Columbia Independent (6-9) on March 31.
In the championship game, Park Hill South matched up with East Carter (4-9) on April 1. The Panthers were in control early – scoring all seven of their runs in the first four innings and not allowing any in that time frame – but gave up one run each in the last three innings before closing out the contest.
Park Hill South erupted for 10 hits, led by Bryan Wilhoite who went 2-for-3 from the batter’s box. Aaron Boutz, T.J. Parker, Aidan Bui and Collin Morris ended with one hit and one RBI.
Park Hill South lost two in a row after winning the tournament, falling short against Liberty (7-8) and Fort Osage (5-7), both of which were on the road. The Panthers lost 6-1 on April 3 and 11-5 on April 4.
Park Hill South bounced back and won its first true road game of the spring on April 5, a 4-3 win over Lee’s Summit (5-9). After that, the Panthers split four games at Jefferson City High School in the Jays’ Baseball Classic.
Starting strong, Park Hill South beat Blair Oaks (6-8) on April 6. Quinton Chindamo pitched for just over five innings and didn’t give up a single run while striking out six batters, while Morris and Bui both went 3-for-4 on offense in the 5-2 win.
Park Hill South had a tough pair of games on April 7, being outscored 20-3 by Gateway Legacy Christian Academy and Lee’s Summit. The Panthers ended the tournament on a high note, coming out with a 12-1 victory over Kirksville (3-10) on April 8.
The Panthers went up 3-0 after one inning, extended that lead to 5-1 after three innings and erupted for seven more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the contest ended in only five innings due to a mercy rule. Evan Demint and Bryce Aldridge impressed on the mound as the Panther defense only allowed one run on five total hits.
Four of the Panthers’ next five games will be at home, with the sole away one being at Platte County (8-6) – the reigning Class 5 State Champions – on April 18. Park Hill South will host Rockhurst (6-6) on April 12.