On a windy Saturday full of rivalry baseball, Park Hill (6-14) and Park Hill South (14-11) combined for 24 runs when the Trojans and Panthers split the doubleheader at Park Hill High School on April 23.
Unless they meet again in the postseason, Park Hill will have bragging rights over its top nemesis as the Trojans have won two of the three matchups against Park Hill South this spring. After taking down the Panthers 3-1 on April 11, the Trojans converted on nine hits to take down Park Hill South 10-7 in the first of two games at home.
The Trojans scored at least one run in each of the first five innings, including three runs in the second and third innings. The Panthers started to chip at the deficit in the top of the third inning when they trailed 5-0.
After a Trojan error and a walk, Bryan Wilhoite and A.J. Rodriguez were on base when Wilhoite stole home when Aidan Simpson was at bat. Park Hill had another error in the inning and an RBI single by Trey Weith made the score 5-3.
The first three Park Hill batters – Garrison Mertz, Dayton Howard and Jase Johnson – had base hits in the bottom of the third inning to extend the lead to 8-3. Both teams added two runs apiece in the following two innings and Park Hill South had one last chance when it took the plate trailing 10-5 in the top of the seventh inning.
Simpson opened up the inning with a ground ball hit to center field and Dylan Graebener was walked in the ensuing at bat. Eventually Simpson stole home and Graebener crossed home plate, but the Panthers were unable to add any more runs.
Chris Kemp pitched for five innings as the Trojan finished with six strikeouts and Brayden Resch had two strikeouts in two innings. Johnson was the only Park Hill player with multiple hits as he finished with two hits and two RBIs.
For Park Hill South, Will Andrews and Luke Fricker shared the mound as they both struck out two Park Hill batters. Simpson and Weith had two hits apiece, while Weith led the team with three RBIs.
In the second matchup of the day, it was scoreless until the seventh inning when the Hills erupted for a combined six hits and seven runs. Park Hill South was up to bat first when Collin Morris singled. The next two Park Hill South batters got out, but the bases became loaded when Jake Daneff walked two Panthers.
Graebener came up clutch with a triple and Park Hill South broke the seven-inning drought and took a 3-0 lead. The Panthers added one more run when Simpson had an RBI single.
Park Hill refused to go down without a fight when Luke Moore and Howard singled to get in scoring position when Jackson Kline stepped up to the plate. Kline tripled and three Trojans crossed home plate, making the score 4-3 with one out.
Park Hill South second baseman Dylan Graebener, above left, attempts to tag Park Hill’s Jackson Kline, above right, in the first of two matchups on April 23.
Mertz and Michael Vance were the next two batters and both grounded out and Park Hill South survived. The Trojans had 10 hits, led by Moore with four hits, and the Panthers had six hits from six separate players.
Hayden Klein was on the bump for five innings for Park Hill South when he struck out five batters. For Park Hill, Daneff had seven strikeouts in six innings and Johnson had one strikeout in one inning.
Park Hill will enter the final pool of games with three consecutive home contests, beginning with a matchup with Blue Springs (12-14) on April 29. Park Hill South will be on the road when it takes on St. Joseph’s Central (8-10) on April 29.