Park Hill South muscled up for a win in the Northland Invitational on Monday, April 16.
The Panthers had six extra-base hits and made them count in a 6-2 win against St. Pius X at Park Hill South High School. Billy Eggers opened the scoring for Park Hill South after a two-out triple in the bottom of the first inning. He scored on an infield single from Stephen Personelli, the first of two runs driven in by the Panthers first baseman.
The run in the first inning paved the way for the game’s first six runs before the Warriors mounted a seventh — inning comeback, loading the bases with no outs but only cashing in two runs in the frame.
Dylan Hufft led off the third inning with a triple and scored on a Xavier Hammond’s sacrifice fly. Kriss Davis hit the Panthers third triple of the game one frame later but was stranded after a flyout ended the inning.
CODY THORN/Citizen photo
Park Hill South pitcher Alex Rodriguez throws a pitch home against St. Pius X during a game on Monday, April 17, at Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo.
The fifth inning Park Hill South finally put up a crooked number with a three spot. Hammond collected his second RBI with a run-scoring groundout. Malik Stevenson collected the Panthers first of two RBI-doubles in the inning after the first two batters reached base with singles to set the table. Personelli drove in his second run with a double two batters later.
The Panthers added another insurance run ion the sixth after a one-out walk from Dominic Scudiero. He stole second and reached third on a groundout. Hufft then collected an RBI with a two-out single.
Platte County 2, Oak Park 0
The Pirates scored two runs in the first inning and that was all the offense needed to pick up a win on Monday, April 16, in the opening round of the Northland Tournament.
The top of the first started with a double by Colby Sneed and Kobe Cummings reached on an error to two runners in scoring position.
Max Hunter, running for Sneed, scored on an error on the pitcher for the first run of the game.
Cummings went to third on the same play and then scored on Christian Grissell’s sac fly.
The Pirates had runners on the corners in the second but didn’t score and in the third loaded the bases, but came up empty there too.
The Pirates had only three hits in the victory — three less than the Northmen.
Three pitchers combined for the shutout for the Pirates. Ethan Esdohr started and went three, while Nolan Saale and Glen Gammill each threw two scoreless innings in relief.
Blue Springs South 11 Platte County 5
The Jaguars scored five runs in the fourth and fifth innings to rally for a victory against the Pirates on Friday, April 13, in Blue Springs, Mo.
Platte County actually took a 3-0 lead against Blue Springs South early.
Colby Sneed had a sac fly in the second inning for the Pirates. Trent Reuckert had an RBI single and Chase James had a sac fly in the third for Platte County.
The Jaguars tied the game on a wild pitch and then went up on Will Heller’s two-run single to make it 5-3. Heller then scored on a wild pitch.
The Pirates pulled within two runs in the top of the fifth when Nolan Saale had an RBI single.
Blue Springs South went up 11-4 after the fifth inning, the big blow a three-run homer by Quinton Weld.
Christian Grissell’s RBI single in the sixth accounted for the final run for the Pirates and the game.
Each team had 10 hits, with James, Rueckert and Dalton Riechers all had two hits each for the Pirates.
Staley 13, Park Hill 0
The Trojans managed just one hit in a shutout loss to Staley in the opening game of the Northland Invitational on Monday, April 16 at Staley High School. The Falcons, ranked No. 2 in the latest Class 5 Missouri High School baseball Coaches Association poll, jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning and scored in all five frames to take the win.
The defending champions of the event ended the mercy-rule with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning to put Park Hill in a hole in the first of their pool play matchups before place games scheduled for Friday, April 20.
Liberty 14
Park Hill South 4
The Blue Jays walked off an inning early with a walk-off hit by pitch in a Suburban Conference Red Division matchup on Thursday, April 12 at Liberty High School.
Park Hill South struck first with a two-spot in the top of the third inning, but the home side immediately responded with four runs to take the lead.
The Panthers tallied just three hits in the contest and had nine strikeouts.
Malik Stevenson and Billy Eggers marked the only RBIs for Park Hill South who dropped the contest to the No. 7 team in the latest Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 5 poll.
Lee’s Summit North 13 Park Hill 3
The Broncos scored the first six runs to set the stage for a Suburban Gold Division victory on Friday, April 13, in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Lee’s Summit North scored two runs in the first and then added four more in the second to take a 6-0 lead.
Park Hill broke the shutout with two runs in the third inning behind three hits. Tavion Josenberger and Liam Henry singled to put runners on the corner. Zayne Morrow singled in a run and Grant Mertz grounded out to make it 6-2.
Down 9-2, the Trojans scored their final run in the fifth inning when Mertz reached safely on a dropped third strike and Morrow — who tripled — scored.
A four-run bottom of the fifth helped Lee’s Summit North end the game early on a run-rule.
Morrow was 3-for-3 for the Trojans, who had eight hits.
Belton 5
Platte County 2
The visiting Pirates posted a Suburban Conference victory against the home Pirates in a Blue Division contest on Thursday, April 12.
Belton scored a pair of runs on Kody Burch’s single in the first, but Platte County cut the deficit in half in the second on Chase James’ single.
Belton scored the next three runs to extend its lead. Three singles in the fifth led to Ezekiel Henson’s RBI base hit. Joe Bionda and Zach Pratt had RBI doubles in the sixth.
Ethan Esdohr hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh, but Platte County couldn’t pull any closer.
Platte County were limited to five hits — two by James — against Burch. Platte County used five pitchers in the loss, two of which pitched scoreless innings of relief — Nolan Saale, 1 2/3 and Trent Rueckert, 2.
Platte County 17
Raytown South 0
The Pirates pounded out 15 hits and scored a season-high 10 runs in an inning in a five-inning victory on Wednesday, April 11, at home.
On the mound, Platte County gave up only one hit to the Cardinals.
Platte County went up 2-0 in the first and then scored 10 runs in the second to blow the game open. Colby Sneed had a pair of RBI singles in the frame, while Blake Minyard doubled to bring home two runs.
Ethan Esdohr, Trent Rueckert, Kobe Cummings, Dalton Riechers and Christian Grissell also had RBI in the frame. Two of the final three runs of the game came on bases loaded walks to Rueckert and Devin Kunkel.
Grissell drove in three runs, while Rueckert, Minyard and Riechers all had two RBI.
Esdohr, Grissell and Hunter Cox all pitched for the Pirates, striking out a combined five batters.
Park Hill 10, Ray-Pec 7
A seven-run top of the seventh lifted the Trojans to a come from behind victory on Wednesday, April 11, in Raymore, Mo.
The Trojans sent 17 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh, trailing 7-3 when the frame started.
Park Hill’s first batter grounded out, but Riley Putnam singled and moved up when Joe Daneff was hit by a pitch.
Another ground ball led to the second out, putting the Panthers one win away from the win, but the Trojans rallied from there. Tavion Josenberger singled to bring home Putnam and Liam Henry doubled to bring home to runs, making it 7-6.
Zayne Morrow was intentionally walked, which was followed by walks to Grant Mertz and Ryan Lack, the last which brought home the tying run. Corey Bradford walked to force in the go-ahead run and Putnam singled for the second time in the frame – this one brought home two runs to make it 10-7.
The first two batters for Ray-Pec in the bottom of the seventh walked, but Brent Balusek retired the final three in order to pick up the save.
Park Hill hit a pair of home runs in the victory. Morrow hit a solo run home run in the first and Ryan Lack smacked a two-run homer in the fourth.
Chandler Ashby started for Park Hill, giving up three runs in five innings. Mertz threw one inning of relief and earned the win thanks to the rally