EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – It’s the end of an era for the Platte County softball team (19-8) who now has to say goodbye to five seniors who made a huge impact on the program after losing to Kearney (25-5) in the Class 4 District 8 Championship.
Emma Reed, Anna Crowell, Avery Webster, Morgan Shields and Morgan Hitzelberger have done a lot for Platte County in their four years there, including back-to-back district titles and third place finishes at state in 2020 and 2021. In their time in high school, the Lady Pirates posted a 74-34 record.
This was the second straight season Platte County met Kearney in the district championship, being on the losing side both times. The No. 1 seed never trailed in the 10-3 win at Excelsior Springs High School on Oct. 16.
Kearney went up 1-0 in the first inning and Platte County tied the game in the top of the second inning with an RBI double by Hitzelberger. The Lady Bulldogs responded with three runs in back-to-back innings and put the game away with a 2-run outing in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 9-2.
Reed had an RBI double to send Shields home in the top of the third and Hitzelberger had an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning for Platte County’s other two runs. Hitzelberger and Webster both had two hits in their final high school game.
Platte County had a dominant outing in the postseason ahead of the championship loss. The Lady Pirates had a pair of 10-0 victories over Winnetonka (11-11) and Smithville (10-7), deservingly so as the No. 2 seed.