West Platte senior pitcher McKaulley Stephenson made a big difference in turning around a losing streak with a win at Heritage Park in Gower, Mo.
The Bluejays’ ace allowed just two runs — both unearned — in a 13-2 win for West Platte against East Buchanan on Thursday, April 14. The win moved West Platte to 3-2 in KCI conference play entering a Tuesday, April 19 matchup at Lawson.
The result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
Entering the matchup with East Buchanan, West Platte had lost two straight, including a loss to Mid-Buchanan with Stephenson on the mound. He struck out 10 and allowed only two hits in one walk in his next game, allowing the two runs in the fourth inning.
West Platte senior catcher Peyton Morris collected four RBIs in the win, part of a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with both of his hits going for doubles. Stephenson added three RBIS to his own effort including a double of his own.
West Platte took control with a seven-run outburst in the third inning. The Bluejays added two more in the fourth ahead of the Bulldogs’ lone runs and four in the fifth before Stephenson shut the door and invoked the run rule.
North Platte Round Robin
North Platte went 1-1 on Saturday, April 16 at Dean Park in Dearborn, Mo., losing to Mid-Buchanan in the defacto title game.
Meeting for the second time of the week, Mid-Buchanan scored three in the bottom of the first and went on to win 5-0 — a much closer result than the Dragons’ blowout win in KCI play four days earlier. Bryntin Crockett started and allowed all five runs on seven hits and six walks.
North Platte managed just two hits, singles for Mark Fisher and Aron Burke.
In the opener, North Platte plated six runs in the bottom of the second to overcome an early deficit and beat Northeast Nodaway 6-3. The Blue Jays scored one run in each of the first two innings off of starter Andrew Roberts, who allowed 11 hits. However, the senior right hander allowed only one more run and struck out nine to earn the win.
Remington Wilson went 3-for-3 with a double and drove in one and scored one, while Halen Knapp ended up 2-for-3 with a run in the six-run second inning. Wilson and Tony Martin collected the lone RBIs for North Platte.
Lathrop 10, North Platte 0, 6 innings
The Panthers were blanked for the third time this season Thursday, April 14 in Lathrop, Mo. North Platte was scheduled to return to KCI play on Tuesday, April 19 vs. East Buchanan, but the result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
North Platte recorded just three hits — one each for Blake Toliver, Oliver and Wilson. Toliver took the loss on the mound, giving up eight runs — three earned — over five innings of work. The Mules led 5-0 after the first and never looked back, taking full advantage of five North Platte errors.
Lathrop 11, West Platte 1
The Bluejays fell behind by two in the first inning and didn’t recover Tuesday, April 12 in Weston, Mo.
Lathrop built a 5-0 lead after the top of the fourth. West Platte answered with its lone run in the bottom of the frame on Morris’ solo home run, one of just three hits for the Bluejays.
After closing within 4-1, West Platte allowed four runs in the fifth and one each in the sixth and seventh.
Brett Shepardson started and allowed eight runs (five earned) in five innings. Lathrop collected 12 of its 13 hits and a pair of walks off the senior right-hander.
Mid-Buchanan 22, North Platte 4, 5 innings
The Panthers’ three-game winning streak came to a crashing end Tuesday, April 12 at Dean Park in Dearborn, Mo.
Mid-Buchanan led 2-1 after the first inning but went for the first of two 10-run innings in the second. Knapp started and allowed 12 runs, seven earned, and didn’t survive the second inning after walking seven. Jacob Stubbs allowed 10 runs, zero earned, in the next 2 1/3 innings.
North Platte committed four errors
Wilson had an RBI double for North Platte, which also scored a pair of runs in the third and one in the fourth. Knapp scored twice from the leadoff spot, but the Panthers managed only six hits.