Park Hill hit double-digit wins on the season during a successful trip to the Lady Pirate Fall Classic over the weekend in Branson, Mo. Having won just four games in both 2015 and 2016, the Trojans have rebounded behind an experienced roster finally seeing success.
In the two-day tournament, Park Hill (10-13) won twice on Friday, Sept. 15.
A five-inning 8-3 victory over McDonald County included three frames with multiple runs scored. Kali Day, Katie Wood, Samantha Bertoncino, Miranda LaMunyon, Josie Heckman and Chloe Strickland all had singles in the top of the second for the Trojans with LaMunyon’s scoring one and Strickland’s scoring two more with two outs.
Heckman singled in Kirsten Waldon in Park Hill’s half of the fourth to complete a string of three straight singles, and Strickland plated two with a double to make it 6-1. The Trojans increased the lead to 8-1 in the fifth on LaMunyon’s two-run single with two outs.
Peyton Morehouse started and earned the win for Park Hill, allowing two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Kaylyn Jones threw a two-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Lebanon to cap the day. She struck out nine and walked one, needing just 69 pitches to go six innings.
Park Hill’s offense again supplied big innings, scoring four in the bottom of the second and three in the fourth.
Strickland capped the second with a three-run double with two outs to make it 4-0, and she added a two-run triple in the fourth. Bertoncino and Waldon both went 2-for-3 with two runs scored each.
Park Hill would go 1-2 on Saturday, Sept. 16, starting with a 3-0 loss to West Plains.
Morehouse started, and the Zizzers put up three unearned runs in the third. Park Hill managed just four hits total, including a double for Shelby Sanders.
Park Hill’s 9-0 shutout of Cassville in the middle game included a four-inning shutout for Sanders on the mound. She struck out five and didn’t walk any while allowing four hits.
Playing just four innings, Park Hill scored at least two in three of them.
Morehouse provided a two-run double in a four-run first, while LaMunyon and Heckman hit back-to-back doubles in the third. Heckman went 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBIs, including a two-run double for the Trojans in the fourth to make it 9-0.
Park Hill closed with a 4-2 loss against a Suburban Conference Gold Division foe.
Lee’s Summit broke a 1-1 tie with three in the fifth and then held the Trojans to one final run in the sixth inning. Morehouse allowed just one earned run despite not recording a strikeout.
Park Hill managed eight hits, but they were all singles. The Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single from Morehouse.
In the seventh, Morehouse, Wood, Bertoncino and Waldon all had singles to make it 4-2 with the bases loaded. LaMunyon lined out and Heckman grounded out with the potential go-ahead run at first base.
Blue Springs 6, Park Hill 1
The Trojans were unable to end their Gold Division skid, falling behind early Thursday, Sept. 14 at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo.
Blue Springs scored one run in each of the first three innings off of Jones, and the Wildcats were up 5-0 before Park Hill scored. In the bottom of the fifth, Bertoncino and Waldon hit back-to-back doubles with only one out for the Trojans, but the lone run came on a passed ball.
Park Hill dropped to 0-7 this year in Gold Division games, and the Trojans are now 0-19 since moving up to the conference’s top tier prior to last season.
Blue Springs South 12, Park Hill 3
The Jaguars took a 9-0 lead in the top of the third but didn’t score again until the seventh of a Gold Division win Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo.
Park Hill finished with just six hits and five came in the final two innings. A walk to Strickland and an error put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and Kali Day followed with an RBI double. Day and Morehouse then scored on Bertoncino’s two-out double.
Blue Springs South answered with three in the top of the seventh.