Park Hill and Park Hill South both showed well in the 2025 baseball season, but they ultimately came up short of a deep postseason run in a difficult district.
Both schools concluded droughts of multiple years where they did not hit the 20-win milestone. Park Hill South set a program record by winning 21 games in the regular season before falling in the district opener.
Class 5 District 8 Quarterfinal: Park Hill 10-3 Park Hill South
Park Hill South’s memorable 2025 season came to an end against Park Hill on May 21, falling 10-3 on the Panthers’ home field.
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Jackson McDonald hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Hayden Vizcarra. After a scoreless fourth, Park Hill came back with vengeance in the fifth, pouring seven runs past the Panthers to take an 8-2 lead.
Hayes Pratt and Caelin Bradford kept the Trojans in control on the mound. Pratt struck out eight batters in 4.2 innings before Bradford came on in relief to pitch 2.1 scoreless innings.
South pulled one run back in the bottom half of the fifth against Pratt, but the Trojans added another pair in the sixth. A 10-3 deficit was too much to overcome as Park Hill South’s season concluded with a 21-13 record.
Park Hill South junior Cooper McQueen lays down a bunt against Park Hill on May 21.
Class 5 District 8 Semifinal: Park Hill 11-12 Staley
A day after winning a district rivalry matchup against Park Hill South, the Park Hill Trojans had hopes of clinching a spot in the district championship game with a postseason matchup for the ages against a Staley team ranked No. 2 in the state.
The Trojans started well as Logan Hampton’s RBI-single scored Luke Young to put the visitors ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Staley countered by showing its offensive weapons with a pair of triples in the first couple of innings to take a 7-1 lead.
After four scoreless innings, Park Hill trailed by six and was down to its final three outs. The Trojans slowly cut into the deficit in a 10-run seventh inning as they loaded the bases and took advantage of fortuitous opportunities from errors and walks to get back within a score.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Joseph Martorana tied it up with an RBI single before the Trojans took an 8-7 lead with a walk from Noah Vance. With the bases still loaded, Tyson Kiser stepped up with a triple to center field to give Park Hill an 11-7 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
With Staley facing elimination, they showed why they are among the top teams in the state as Park Hill struggled mightily to record an out. The Falcons took full advantage of everything they were given, which included a couple of walks and hit batters before an error got Staley within one, followed by a game-tying score from a wild pitch and the walkoff from a passed ball.
It was a harsh and uncharacteristic way to end a promising season for the Trojans, who wrapped up the year with a 21-15 record.
Park Hill sophomore Hayes Pratt pitching in his district semifinal start against Park Hill South.