Park Hill softball showing progress, still looks to snap Gold Division skid

Park Hill recovered to win two games after a disappointing start to the Winnetonka-Park Hill South Tournament over the week. After losing 15-0 to Staley in just three innings, the Trojans knocked off Fort Osage on Friday, Sept. 8 and then shut out Winnetonka on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Staley scored five runs in each inning and hit three home runs in the first game.

Park Hill quickly rebounded against Fort Osage with a walkoff win. The Trojans didn’t lead until scoring three in the bottom of the seventh to overcome a 7-5 deficit.

Miranda LaMunyon hit a two-run single to tie it 7-7, and an error allowed the winning run to come home.

Park Hill scored at least one run in each of the last five innings, and Katie Wood’s RBI triple followed by Jessie Binckley’s single made it 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth. Wood went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

In the opener Saturday, Sept. 9, Park Hill grabbed a 4-1 lead with four runs in the bottom of the second against Oak Park. The big inning included a three-run, bases-loaded triple for Alexa Lashbrook.

Oak Park scored six in the top of the fourth and led 8-4 going to the bottom of the fifth. Park Hill answered with back-to-back doubles from Wood and Samantha Bertoncino plus an RBI single for LaMunyon to make it 8-6, but Oak Park added two more in the sixth for a 10-6 win.

In the finale, Park Hill scored in four of five innings to take an 11-0 win over Winnetonka.

Peyton Morehouse started and allowed just four hits while driving in two runs. Lashbrook and Day also had two RBIs apiece, while Lashbrook and Kirsten Waldon scored two runs each.

Morehouse struck out six and walked just one.

OTHER GAMES

Lee’s Summit 13, Park Hill 10

The Trojans never led Monday, Sept. 11 at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo., remaining winless in the Suburban Conference Gold Division despite improved play.

Lee’s Summit scored three in the first, four in the second and five in the third to help nullify two big innings for Park Hill, which dropped to 7-9 and 0-5 in league play. Morehouse had an RBI triple and Day scored her with a double in a three-run second that closed the Trojans within 7-5.

Down 13-5, Park Hill struck for five more in the fifth on an RBI single for Chloe Strickland, a two-run double for Morehouse and a two-run double for Wood. The Trojans brought the potential tying run to the plate in both the fifth and seventh but didn’t score again.

Lee’s Summit North 8, Park Hill 2

The Trojans led early and briefly tied the score once Thursday, Sept. 7 in Lee’s Summit, Mo. but came up short of a Gold Division win.

In the top of the third, Lashbrook led off with a single for Park Hill and came around to score on a passed ball with one out. Lee’s Summit North came back with two in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t hold the lead in the top of the fourth.

Peyton Morehouse reached on an error to start the inning and moved to second on Day’s sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Bertoncino doubled Morehouse home to tie the score.

Park Hill, which only had three hits, left Bertoncino stranded.

Morehouse ended up taking the loss, allowing eight runs in a seven innings. Lee’s Summit North scored three in each of the final two innings to pull away for the win.

Park Hill 15, North Kansas City 0, 3 innings

The Trojans were dominant in a second straight win recorded Tuesday, Sept. 5 at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo.

Kaylyn Jones threw a quick no-hitter, working around a one-out walk in the first that represented North Kansas City’s only runner. Park Hill scored eight runs in the bottom of the first, starting with Morehouse’s two-run triple. The Trojans added seven more in the second, taking advantage of five walks and two errors.