Platte County picked up five wins in a row and took first place in the Ozark Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15 in Ozark, Mo.
Emma Koeneke pitched a complete-game shutout against Nixa to lead the Pirates to a 6-0 win in the championship.
The right-hander struck out 12 and steady-stream off offense helped her pick up the shutout win.
Paige Rocha opened the scoring in the first with a single, scoring Halle Magee for a 1-0 lead after the first. Koeneke popped a third-inning homer off Nixa pitcher Morgan Jones in the second for a 2-0 lead.
Rocha drove home Taylor Farr for her second RBI of the game with a single in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. Koeneke slugged her second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot scoring Janessa Barmann for a 5-0 lead.
The Pirates’ final run came when Grace Heater scored Rocha on a double in the seventh.
Koeneke buzzed through the seventh with a pair of strikeouts before getting a fly out to clinch the championship. At the plate,
Koeneke went 2-for-3 with two home runs and 3 RBI at the plate and gave up only four hits on the mound.
Platte County 8, Monett 1
The Pirates used a five-run sixth to blast into the championship game of the Ozark tournament with an over Monett, the defending Class 3 champions.
Emma Koeneke hit a home run in the second inning and Madison Carter scored on an error in the fifth inning.
The Pirates quickly added to its lead in the next frame when Grace Heater hit a home run off Cubs starting pitcher Caitlyn Calhoun. Taylor Farr doubled home Janessa Barmann for a 4-0 lead.
Then, Stephanie Carroll scored Farr on a sacrifice fly for the second out. Paige Rocha followed with a two-run double for a 7-0 lead.
The Pirates added an insurance run in the seventh when Carter singled home Farr for an 8-0 lead. The lone run for Monett came on a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh.
Platte County 8,
Republic 2
The Pirates kept their offense rolling in their triumph over Republic in their final game of opening-round play at the Ozark Tournament on Friday, Sept. 14.
Stephanie Carroll tripled home Halle Magee, who reached on an error, in the first for a quick 1-0 Pirates lead. Paige Rocha drove home Carroll to make it 2-0.
Rocha scored the Pirates third run on an error by the Tigers. Shayla Kohler also scored on an error off the bat of Taylor Farr for a 4-0 lead. Emma Koeneke singled home Gracie Erickson for the final tally in a five-run first by the Pirates.
Koeneke, stepped in the circle and only surrendered a pair of runs across seven frames with seven strikeouts.
The Tigers made a dent in their deficit when AJ Fenske singled home Megan Weis in the first.
Kohler opened the scoring in the second by driving home Magee with an RBI groundout for a 6-1 lead. Then, Janessa Barmann drove home Carroll and Erickson with a two-run single giving the Pirates an 8-1 lead.
Koeneke kept the Tigers off the board until the sixth when they scored the game’s final tally on an error.
Carroll and Magee added a pair of hits and Barmann drove in a pair leading the Pirates offensive charge.
Platte County 17,
Willow Springs 4
The Pirates needed just four inning to run-rule Willow Springs on Friday, Sept. 14.
Platte County opened with a pair of runs in the first inning when Shayla Kohler singled home Halle Magee for a quick 1-0 lead. Gracie Erickson followed up with a single of her own, scoring Kohler for a 2-0 Pirates lead.
Emily Fair doubled home Sydney Miller trimming the Pirates’ lead to 2-1 after an inning.
The Pirates put the game away with a five-run second. Janessa Barmann homered off Bears starting pitcher Emily Scarbrough. Koeneke scored on an error by Scarbrough and Kohler drove home her second run when she singled in a run for a 5-1 lead. Erickson followed with a fielder’s choice scoring and Rocha scored on an error to make it 7-1.
Emma Koeneke socked a three-run homer off in the third. The Pirates added four more runs in the third pushing their lead to 14-1.
The Pirates added three more in the fourth with RBIs by Kohler, Erickson and Grace Heater.
Kohler led the way offensively going 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Erickson and Koeneke added 3 RBI each.
Platte County 13, Rolla 1
Platte County scored early and often in the 13-1 run-rule victory over Rolla in first game of the Ozark Tournament on Friday, Sept. 14.
The Pirates opened the scoring in the first when Paige Rocha had an RBI single and Shayla Kohler followed with a two-run single. Hayden Humes made it 4-0 with her RBI hit in the first inning.
Erickson kept the Bulldogs off the board for four innings, before giving way to Chloe Helmer, who finished off the victory with a scoreless inning recording two punchouts.
The Pirates added a single run in the third before breaking the game open with an eight-run fourth.
Kohler started the scoring with a two-run single scoring Rocha and Madison Carter giving the Pirates a 7-0 lead. Kohler scored on a double-steal with Erickson pushing the lead to 8-0, before Erickson scored on a passed ball giving the Pirates a 9-0 lead in the fourth.
Ana Cesaro singled home Grace Heater and Taylor Farr to make it 11-0. Then Magee tripled home Cesaro. Rocha capped off the scoring for the Pirates doubling home Magee and finishing her day 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Kohler who went 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs.
OTHER GAMES
Platte County 8,
Kearney 6
The Pirates used a five-run seventh to pull away from Kearney in Suburban Conference Blue Division game on Thursday, Sept. 14 at Kearney High School in Kearney, Mo.
Trailing 6-3 opening the seventh, after a four-run sixth by the Bulldogs, Paige Rocha started the inning with a home run off of Bulldogs starting pitcher Jeniyah Smith closing their deficit to 6-4. Shayla Kohler then singled before Gracie Erickson drove her in with a home run of her own, tying the game 6-6.
Katie Blodgett replaced Smith in the circle for the Bulldogs. Grace Heater singled with one out, before Blodgett whiffed a batter for the second out. Emma Koeneke slugged a two-run homer giving the Pirates an 8-6 lead.
Koeneke, standing in the circle made the Pirates lead stand up after yielding only a single to the Bulldogs’ Sierra Culver in the seventh. Koeneke went three innings with 2 strikeouts.
The Pirates were led offensively by Rocha who went 4-for-4 and Erickson who went 3-for-4.
Platte County 7,
Smithville 1
The Pirates used a four-run third inning to blast past the Warriors in Suburban Conference Blue Division play on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at Smithville High School in Smithville, Mo.
The Pirates opened the scoring when Paige Rocha doubled home Madison Carter and Halle Magee, off Warriors starting pitcher Karington Kadel. The scoring didn’t stop there as Stephanie Carroll scored on a bunt by Shayla Kohler, pushing the Pirates ahead 3-0. Rocha, standing on third base, scored on a double-steal with Kohler, when she crossed the plate giving the Pirates a 4-0 lead.
Pirates starting pitcher Emma Koeneke blanked the Warriors over the next two innings, before the Warriors struck for a run in the fifth.
Koeneke went seven innings, yielding six hits with seven strikeouts in a complete game win.
The Pirates put the game out of reach in the sixth when Carter doubled home two, pushing the lead to 6-1. Magee followed with a double of her own for the final run.