Platte County scored 10 unanswered after allowing the first run in a Blue Division matchup Tuesday, April 25 in Kansas City, Mo.
Winnetonka put up four unearned in an adventurous bottom of the seventh but couldn’t overcome three big innings allowed. The Griffins scored one in the bottom of the first on Platte County starter Blake Conner, but they scattered just six more hits in five scoreless innings against him and reliever Ethan Esdohr, who pitched three innings.
Platte County took the lead in the top of the third with the first of three three-run innings.
Austin Gammill, Esdohr and Dillon Doll hit three straight one-out singles, and after Doll’s RBI hit tied the score, Max Hunter singled home Esdohr with the go-ahead run. Doll scored on a throwing error after he stole third base.
Mitchell hit his fourth home run of the season in the top of the third — a solo shot — to make it 4-1, and Platte County added three in the fifth on an RBI single for Gammill and sacrifice flies for Esdohr and Doll.
The lead expanded to 10-1 in the top of the seventh on an Esdohr single, another sacrifice fly for Doll and an RBI fielder’s choice. Doll went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, while Esdohr was 2-for-3 hitting behind Austin Gammill, who had four hits in four trips to the plate.
A Platte County error led to four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but sophomore pitcher Glen Gammill recorded a strikeout to end his only inning of work.