DEARBORN – Meeting up with similar records at the time, the North Platte baseball team (7-2) rattled off 13 hits opposed to one by West Platte (5-3) en route to the 9-0 win on April 4.
North Platte set the tone with two runs in each of the first two innings. Chance Garber and Colton Kirkham both had RBI singles and the Panthers added two more runs off errors.
Kane Cogan singled in the top of the second inning for the only West Platte hit, before being picked off stealing second base. The Blue Jays left Jaxon Turner on in the first inning after reaching on an error.
North Platte extended the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with four hits and five runs. Ryan York reached on an error in the inning to push the score to 7-0 and the Panthers put the game away with two more runs late.
Kirkham had a solid day on the mound, ending with 10 strikeouts in five innings. Dylan Armstrong and Garber went 3-of-4 with two RBIs to go with two hits from Jaxson Carpenter and Ben Jaycox.
For West Platte, Gunner Smith pitched for right over four innings and had two strikeouts, being relieved by Turner who struck out one batter. The Blue Jays had five errors on the day.
From 2009 to 2022, West Platte beat North Platte 22 out of the 25 meetings and has now lost two in a row. The Panthers hadn’t shut out a KCI Conference opponent anytime in the last 15 years before doing so to the Blue Jays.
West Platte moves to 1-2 in conference play, with the sole victory being against Penney (2-5) on March 28. The Blue Jays erupted for 12 hits and 14 runs in the five inning, 13-run victory.
West Platte scored in every inning and didn’t give up a run until the bottom of the fifth inning. Cohen Kite went 3-of-4 with four RBIs, while Cogan and Turner both had two hits.
The Blue Jays have a chance to get back to .500 in the KCI Conference as they host Plattsburg (7-6) on April 11. The Panthers’ next opponent will be at home against Osborn with Stewartsville (1-5) on April 10.