Playing for the fifth time this season, you could say Staley and Park Hill South were very well acquainted with each other.
This game, though, was the biggest of them yet as the winner advanced to the Class 4 postseason and the loser saw the season end in the district title game.
Staley got an early run and then added an insurance run late to pull away for a 2-0 win to claim the Class 4 District 16 title on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Park Hill South High School.
The Falcons, last year’s third-place finishers at state, have won three of the four district showdowns against the Panthers.
Staley (21-4) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Paige Shelley hit a solo home run over the center field wall.
The Falcons added a run in the sixth inning on Cassidy Boord’s RBI single, which came with one out. The Falcons got singles from Shelley and Lauren Tourtillot to set the stage for the run.
The lone hits for the Panthers (17-11) off Alana Vawter, a one-time Texas pledge, were doubles by Meggen Keller (fourth inning) and Sam Ahrendt (second), but both came with two outs.
“She is good,” Park Hill South coach Jeff Walker said of Vawter. “We beat her once. We put the ball in play. She is a strikeout pitcher, but when we hit it, it was right to them. She is a heck of a competitor. I’m glad to see her go, but not glad to see our seniors go. If I could keep our six seniors and her go, that would be great.”
Park Hill South, which was 2-2 against Staley this year prior to the finals, got a solid outing from Grace Dieleman on the mound. The right-handed hurler worked out of some jams, none bigger than the fifth inning.
Boord singled and moved up on a sac bunt. With only one out on the board, Walker decided to intentionally walk both Katelyn Kiser and Vawter to load the bases. A grounder back to Cara Sparks turned into an out at home and a pop up to Sparks ended the inning and kept the score 1-0 at the time.
“Our defense has been outstanding and Grace has thrown great pitches to get ground balls and fly balls,” Walker said. “I put her in a tough situation with all of the intentional walks, but our defense backed it up. They did a hell of a job and they believe in it.”
Park Hill South 12, Park Hill 2, 5 innings
The Panthers, after earning a first-round bye, defeated the Trojans in the semifinals on Thursday, Oct. 11 in Riverside, Mo.
Park Hill South got a run in the first but posting frames of four and seven runs — in the fifth — that ended the game on the mercy rule.
Meggen Keller’s RBI single in the first plate the initial run and made her one of six different Panthers to drive in a run against Park Hill.
The Trojans had a chance to tie the game in the top of the third. Josie Heckman singled and moved to third on Alexa Lashbrook’s double. An error followed to load the bases, but a double play and grounder ended the scoring threat.
The Panthers then responded with four runs to pull away. Leslie Callahan doubled and moved up on Kate Kobayashi’s single.
Jessie Hagen’s double scored Callahan to make it 2-0.
Chantice Phillips drew a walk to load the bases but a wild pitch brought Kobayashi home. Keller walked to reload the bases and Park Hill went to the bullpen.
Peyton Morehouse entered and walked Kristen Clevenger, forcing in a run. An error brought home another, making it 5-0.
Park Hill got a solo home run from Chloe Strickland in the top of the fourth. Morehouse with a single but a double play again stopped a scoring chance for Park Hill.
The Trojans pulled within 5-2 on Samantha Bertoncino’s solo homer to center field in the fifth.
Park Hill South scored seven runs in the bottom half of the frame to end the game early.
A walk to Clevenger and singles by Sam Ahrendt and Emma Beuerlein set up the first three runs — two scoring on an error. Cara Sparks singled with one out and a sac fly by Callahan made it 8-2.
Hagen hit a two-run single and Phillips hit a two-run homer to end the contest early, giving the Panthers their first district win in three seasons.
Park Hill South had 12 hits, three by Hagen and two each by Kobayashi and Callahan, the No. 9 hitter.
The Trojans had five hits by five different players in their season finale.
St. Joseph Central 5, Platte County 5, 8 innings
The Pirates fell behind early but rallied to tie only to fall in extra innings in the opening round game of the Class 4 District 16 tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 10 in Raytown, Mo., shifted south due to weather-related issues in Riverside.
The Indians went up 1-0 on Jade Kass’ solo home run in the third.
Down 3-0 in the fourth, the Pirates (18-5) used a two-out rally to pull closer.
Janessa Barmann was hit by a pitch and Emma Koeneke doubled to put two runners on. Taylor Farr walked to load the bases for Heater, who singled to right to bring two runners home.
Platte County tie the game in the fifth inning, starting when Paige Rocha reached on an error. Shayla Kohler singled to move Rocha up. Gracie Erickson then singled to center to bring in the tying run.
Platte County had two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t get the game-winning run home.
Taylor Hutcherson drew a leadoff walk in the eighth and came home on Taylor Bristol’s two-run homer.
Grace Heater got a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth for the Pirates, but was left stranded when Central starter Claire Richardson got a pop up to end it.
Heater went 2-for-2 at the plate, leading the Pirates’ eight-hit attack. Koeneke struck out three in eight innings, giving up four earned runs.
Park Hill 6, Oak Park 0
Kaylyn Jones tossed a three-hit shutout in the district opener on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at Raytown South High School.
The Trojan scored two runs in the first inning and four more in the fourth to account for the offense against the Lady Oakies.
In the first, a walk to Chloe Strickland was followed by Peyton Morehouse hitting a double. Shelby Sanders singled in a run to make it 1-0 and another came on on Kali Day’s sac fly.
Park Hill got three straight hits in the fourth inning to set the stage for the four runs.
Sanders and Samantha Bertoncino singled and between those was an RBI double by Day.
With runners on the corner, Day scored on a passed ball.
Miranda LaMunyon singled to bring home Bertoncino. With two outs, Kennedy Townsend doubled to plate the final run.
Jones struck out nine in the seven innings and didn’t allow a walk.
Morehouse and Sanders each had two hits for the Trojans.