The Pirates lost a core group of seniors from last fall, but they were still able to repeat with a third-place finish in the Class 4 State Tournament when the Platte County softball team fell to Washington 10-0 and defeated Incarnate Word Academy 12-4 on Oct. 29.
After falling to Washington, the Pirates were set to take on the Red Knights of St. Louis for a chance for third place in Class 4. An Avery Webster RBI single in the bottom of the first inning gave Platte County a 1-0 lead, but Incarnate answered with two runs of its own.
Trailing 2-1, the Pirates had a monster of a second inning when they scored six runs on five hits, highlighted by a two-run home run from Takayla Lawson, to regain the lead and momentum. Platte County didn’t stop after taking a 7-2 lead as it continued to score runs in the third inning.
“We talked to them about playing their game this go-around and to have fun,” Platte County head coach Callie Peoples said. “We knew it was our last game no matter what, so you might as well play it the way we want to play.”
In the ensuing inning, six Platte County batters were walked and three Pirates had a hit to extend their lead 12-2. Lawson had two more RBIs in the inning with a double as the junior finished the contest with two hits and four RBIs.
The Red Knights scored one run in the top of the fourth inning and seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deficit. In the Pirates’ seventh trip to state since 2007, Platte County took home a third place plaque for the third time in program history.
Platte County junior Takayla Lawson hit a home run in the second inning of the Pirates Class 4 3rd Place Game against Incarnate Ward Academy on Oct. 29, in Springfield, Missouri. The Pirates defeated the Red Knights 12-4 after falling to Washington, 10--0.
“The first game didn’t go the way we wanted it to, so I think it is really important that we got to come out here and have this game to redeem ourselves. Only two teams get to end their season on a win, so I think it’s nice to end on a high note with a win like that,” Peoples said.
The Pirates made a state appearance last fall but couldn’t compete in the third-place game because of COVID-19. Platte County can credit some of its success this season to the three 2021 seniors: Chloe Helmer, Koree Church and Allison Gill.
“It feels so much better to actually get to play the third place game this year,” Allison Gill said. “This group of girls is so awesome and we always have such a fun time together, so I’m glad we were awarded with this.”
In the 12-4 victory, six different Pirates had a hit as they finished with eight total. Shields matched Lawson’s team-high in hits with two of her own, while Anna Crowell and Emma Reed both had two RBIs.
The Pirates opened the tournament with the eventual state champion Washington (32-5) and lost 10-0. The Blue Jays entered the day with 18 consecutive wins and had a pitcher who struck out 15 Pirate batters.
“I don’t think the score tells the story of the game, since it was tight until the last couple of innings. I think the girls were a little nervous being at state and didn’t get going as earlier as we wanted to,” Peoples said.
The Pirates were unable to get on the scoreboard, but only trailed 1-0 after the fourth inning. The Blue Jays’ offense erupted in the next two innings when the Pirates had two errors and gave up nine runs.
Platte County only had one hit in the contest when Gill doubled in the second inning, but the Pirates were unable to build off the seniors’ hit to score any runs. The scoreless loss was only the second time all season that Platte County was shut out.
“I don’t think we’ve seen anything like their pitcher this year, she was pretty impressive. She really works that rise ball and knows how to work the plate, so I was pretty hyped when I got a hit off of her,” Gill said.
Kallie Hitzelberger started both of the state contests on the mound and struck out a pair of batters in five innings before Mackenzie Shields took over midway through the final inning against Washington. In the third place game, the sophomore pitched the entire contest and only allowed three hits, while striking out three batters.
“She is getting the experience of a lifetime right now; getting to pitch in a state game as a sophomore is huge. She will be able to build off this into her junior and senior year and she worked really hard today,” Peoples said.