Alex Rodriguez’s double in the bottom of the sixth inning gave Park Hill South a walkoff to finish the Northland Tournament.
The Panthers fell behind early but rallied back for a run-rule shortened 11-1 victory in the seventh-place game Thursday, April 20 at Park Hill South High School in Kansas City, Mo. There were 16 teams total in the tournament, which featured three pool play games and then placement matchups.
Park Hill South won its opener but dropped two straight, making the seventh-place game with the best run differential of teams that went 1-2 in pool play.
The last of teams at 2-1, St. Pius X jumped to a 1-0 lead after just one batter. A leadoff single resulted in a run on another two-out single against Park Hill South started Jake Evans, who went on to a complete game after allowing only six hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Park Hill South’s offense started up in the third with three runs, and the Panthers scored in each of the final four innings.
Andrew Aswegan’s two-out triple resulted in an unearned run when St. Pius X committed a costly error. Dominic Scudiero also had an RBI triple and scored on Jake Kline’s groundout in the initial big inning.
Park Hill South added five in the fourth with Malik Stevenson singling in a pair. Three of the five runs in the inning were unearned due to an error.
Billy Eggers tripled and scored on Evans’ sac fly in the fifth, and the first five batters reached in the bottom of the sixth. Alec Ommen led off with a single, stole second and scored on Kline’s single. Blaaze Booth walked and scored two batters later on Rodriguez’s double.
Staley 5, Park Hill South 1
The Falcons took an early lead and never trailed in their pool finale Wednesday, April 19 at Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo.
Park Hill South senior starter Ryan Hagen allowed three runs in the first and eventually gave up all five in his six innings of work, despite allowing just five hits and striking out two. Two of the runs Staley scored were unearned due to two errors in a lengthy first inning.
Park Hill South closed within 3-1 in the bottom of the second. Evans hit a one-out double and scored one batter later on Jackson Dixon’s double, but the Panthers couldn’t take advantage of a one-out error, stranding Dixon and Rodriguez in scoring position.
In the final five innings, Park Hill South only had two hits and a walk.
Platte County 5, Park Hill South 1
The Panthers suffered another late-inning collapse in their second pool play game.
Stevenson’s one-out triple in the bottom of the first Tuesday, April 18 at Park Hill South High School led to Park Hill South’s only run. He scored on Aswegan’s sacrifice fly, but the Panthers rarely threatened again against four Platte County pitchers.
Park Hill South left the bases loaded in the third and put two on with two outs in the seventh but didn’t score. Platte County scored three in the sixth and two in the seventh, first chasing starter Collin Brougham and then adding runs against relievers Chase Putnam and Rodriguez.