Platte County and Park Hill were matched up as potential opponents in the bracket portion of a season-opening tournament.
Both teams split two pool games over the weekend at Adair Park in Independence, Mo. to finish as runner-up. They were slated for doubleheaders on Wednesday, Aug. 23 with two wins or two losses matching them in either semifinals or consolation semifinals.
Platte County (1-1) played two high-scoring games while debuting a new freshman crop.
In the opener, Holden ended up with a walkoff victory in a back-and-forth game.
Platte County scored in each of the first two innings but fell behind after allowing five runs in a disastrous fourth inning. Pirates coach Rob Davenport started freshman Emma Koeneke but went to sophomore Gracie Erickson with a 5-4 lead.
Erickson ended up allowing five runs — none earned — in the fourth with Holden going ahead 9-5.
Platte County came back with two runs in the fifth on freshman Maddie Carter’s RBI groundout and Taylor Farr’s single. The Pirates then tied the score in the sixth with the time limit approaching. Janessa Barmann doubled in Paige Rocha, and Grace Heater followed with a run-scoring single.
With no outs, Platte County ended up stranding the bases loaded without taking the lead.
Holden scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a single and two errors. The Pirates ended up allowing eight unearned runs thanks to seven total errors.
Rocha went 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. She singled and scored in a two-run first and hit a three-run home run in the second to put Platte County up 5-1.
Platte County came back to score in all four innings of an 11-5 win over William Chrisman to wrap up second in Pool C.
In the bottom of the first, Platte County used a pair of errors to score four runs and take a 4-0 lead. Rocha singled and scored on an error, while Erickson added an RBI single to make it 2-0. Shayla Kohler’s sacrifice fly and an error plated the final two runs.
Rocha again went 2-for-2 with two walks, scoring twice and driving in one. Koeneke drove in three, hitting a two-run home run to left field in a four-run second.
Erickson started for Platte County and gave up five runs — four earned — in three innings. William Chrisman closed within 8-5 with a five-run third, but the Pirates answered back with two in the bottom of the frame on the same wild pitch.
Rocha had a bases loaded walk to round out the scoring in the fourth.
Park Hill finished second in Pool G. Coming off back-to-back four-win seasons, the Trojans were shut out in Game 1 but came back with a 6-3 victory over Winnetonka.
Peyton Morehouse, a junior, earned the victory against Winnetonka, allowing just four hits but walking five. She struck out eight.
Park Hill produced a run in the first inning after Kristen Waldon led off with a single and eventually scored on a passed ball. The Trojans also stranded two, and Winnetonka tied the score with a run in the bottom of the second when Morehouse walked four but stranded the bases loaded.
In the third, Park Hill went up for good on back-to-back doubles for Katie Wood and Alexa Lashbrook and RBI groundout for Jessie Binckley. The Trojans added three in the fourth of what ended up a five-inning game.
Platte County was scheduled for a bracket game with rival Kearney, while Park Hill drew Belton in the opening round. Both games were slated to start at 4 p.m. with the winners advancing to a 5:45 p.m. semifinal and the losers dropping into a consolation semi at the same time.
Place games are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24.