West Platte brought home the championship of the West Platte Invitational — held on its new softball field — with a dominating 8-2 victory over the North Kansas City Hornets at West Platte High School on Saturday, Sept. 22 in Weston, Mo.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, the Bluejays struck for four in the third off Hornets starting pitcher America Gonzalez.
Hailey Shepardson opened the third with a walk then Lea Moose doubled moving Shepardson to third. Bluejays hurler Karah Dunham helped her own cause when she knocked home Shepardson and Moose with a two-run double off for a 2-1 Bluejays lead.
Lindsey Goodwin drove in Melanie Waters with a grounder, after Waters reached with a single for a 3-1 Bluejays advantage. Taylor McNair, who also reached on a single, scored when Melanie Chambers popped a run-scoring single for a 4-1 Bluejays lead.
The Bluejays scored three more in the fourth when Goodwin doubled home Shepardson and Moose for a 6-1 lead. Chambers followed with a run scoring single plating McNair for a 7-1 Bluejays lead after four. Goodwin singled home Lydia Davis for the last Bluejays run in the fifth capping her 2-for-4 day with 4 RBIs for an 8-1 Bluejays lead.
CODY THORN/Citizen photo
West Platte pitcher Karah Dunham throws a pitch to a St. Pius X batter during a game on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the West Platte Invitational.
Shepardson and Dunham also added a pair of RBIs.
Dunham surrendered another run in the fifth, but she had enough left in the tank for the complete. She struck out five and gave up one earned run in five innings of work.
West Platte 6, St. Pius X 4
The Bluejays bounced back from a loss with a 6-4 win over the St. Pius X Warriors.
West Platte jumped ahead 2-0 in the second when Lea Moose hit a grounder off Warriors starting pitcher Katelyn Garcia that allowed Mallory Chambers and Josie Sweeden to cross the plate.
The Warriors responded with four runs in the third, thanks to a pair of Bluejays errors behind hurler Karah Dunham (who threw five innings and allowed only one earned run) to seize a 4-2 lead.
The Bluejays answered with four runs of their own in the third when Hailey Shepardson doubled home Chambers and Ashley Goodwin with two outs for a 6-4 Bluejays lead.
Dunham, who struck out five, kept the Warriors scoreless over the final two frames, for the complete game.
Raytown South 7, West Platte 6
Up 1-0 early, the Bluejays gave up seven unanswered runs and were unable to come back in the first game played on the new softball field at Benner Park.
The Cardinals got three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead, all coming on Jesseniah Cox’s home run. Morgan Johnson had a two-single and two runs scored on errors for Raytown South in the third inning, making it 7-1.
Ashley Goodwin had a two-run single and Lea Moose added an RBI double in the four-run fourth inning for West Platte. Another run scored on an error, cutting the deficit to 7-5. Lindesy Goodwin scored Taylor McNair, who reached on an error, in the top of fifth to make it a one-run game. Two runners were on base when the Cardinals escaped the scoring threat.
Other games
Mid-Buchanan 9, North Platte 1
The Panthers surrendered three first inning runs and never recovered in a 9-1 conference loss to the Mid-Buchanan Dragons on Thursday, Sept. 20 at North Platte High School.
The Dragons capitalized with three first inning runs with the help of a pair of Panthers errors for a 3-0 lead after an inning.
The Panthers tallied their only run in the third when Gracie Ramsey stole home.
Brittnie Deppen went 2-for-3 and Ramsey tripled for the Panthers offense. Ryann Smith was touched up for 16 hits in defeat after surrendering nine runs — five of which were earned.
Hamilton 10, West Platte 0
The Bluejays were unable to overcome defensive mistakes in their 10-0 run-rule defeat to the Hamilton Hornets in conference play on Thursday, Sept. 20 at J.C. Penney High School in Hamilton, Mo.
Julia Kanoy singled with two outs off Bluejays’ hurler Karah Dunham and then on an error hit for a 1-0 lead and the Hornets never looked back.
Kanoy, on the mound, threw a complete-game one-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Mallory Chambers picked up the Bluejays only hit.
DeKalb 6, West Platte 5
The Bluejays were unable to score in the late innings in a 6-5 loss to the DeKalb Tigers on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at DeKalb High School in DeKalb, Mo.
A leadoff walk and an error allowed the Tigers to score the go-ahead run.
West Platte’s Karah Dunham went six innings and gave up only one earned run.
Tigers’ relief pitcher Ash Crockett kept the Bluejays hitless in the seventh, recording two punchouts in the frame, to secure the victory.
Hailey Shepardson paced the Bluejays’ offense with two-run double in the first.
West Platte 14, Stewartsville 5
The Bluejays tallied runs in each of the first six frames in a 14-5 bludgeoning of the Cardinals on Monday, Sept. 17 at Stewartsville High School in Stewartsville, Mo.
Karah Dunahm — who threw seven innings and didn’t give up an earned run while fanning five, benefited from the outsburst in the circle keeping the Cardinals in check after surrendering four runs over the first two frames.
Melanie Waters went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI, while Lindsey Goodwin went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI for West Platte.