Tiffany Hills Sports Complex hosted 15 of Missouri’s high school softball teams for the Park Hill South Softball Tournament on Sept. 19-20, including the hosting team alongside Park Hill and West Platte.
All three Platte County-area teams put big numbers on the board, but Park Hill also showed off some power at the plate. The Trojans teed up for five home runs and a pair of grand slams over the weekend, three homers coming off the bat of Mandia Bock and a grand slam by Brynlee Johnson on Friday against Benton.
Park Hill senior Mandia Bock against Benton on Sept. 19.
The Trojans went to 3-1 on the weekend, opening the tournament with a pair of routs against Smithville, winning 7-1, and Benton, winning 12-1. After Bock’s 2-run home run to center field against Smithville, Johnson smashed a grand slam in a 10-run third inning against Benton, pulling the ball down the right field line before Cali Proffitt hit a 2-run homer to center later in the inning.
Park Hill senior Brynlee Johnson celebrates her grand slam against Benton on Sept. 19.
On Saturday, Park Hill fell to defeat against Mid-Buchanan by a 2-1 score before bouncing back to take a 7-2 win against Fort Osage. After suffering a walkoff defeat to Mid-Buchanan, Bock and the Trojans turned to their offense late in the game in a comeback effort against Fort Osage as she blasted a game-tying home run to left field in the sixth inning before the go-ahead grand slam to put the Trojans up by four in extra innings.
Bock, who returned to the pitcher’s circle after her grand slam to close out the victory that put Park Hill’s season record to 15-6, went 11 of 14 at the plate over the weekend with 8 RBIs and three homers while striking out 18 batters in 14 innings while pitching.
West Platte catcher Maizie French throws out a Park Hill South batter in the Blue Jays’ victory.
West Platte also went 3-1 during the tournament, beginning with a 6-1 win against Park Hill South before an 11-1 victory against William Chrisman. On the second day, the Blue Jays defeated Central 4-1 but their undefeated weekend and 8-game winning streak concluded with a 5-1 defeat to Webb City.
The Blue Jays were led offensively by the trio of Molly Cline, Morgan VanNatta and Sophie Grier, who combined to contribute 9 RBIs and went 15 of 37 at the plate. Grier was also instrumental to West Platte’s defensive success, striking out 41 batters in 25 innings as the Blue Jays finished the weekend with a season record of 12-4.
Park Hill South senior Maddie Smith pitching in her shutout performance against William Chrisman on Sept. 19 at Tiffany Hills Sports Complex.
Park Hill South finished the weekend at 2-2, opening the tournament with a dominant 14-0 win against William Chrisman before falling to West Platte 6-1. Maddie Smith pitched the shutout for South, striking out 13 batters while going 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI while junior Layla Guhde and freshmen Jolie Jones and Elizabeth White all produced 2-RBI performances.
The Panthers started Saturday poorly, suffering a 16-1 defeat to Blue Springs South, but finished the weekend on a good note with a 7-3 victory against Benton. Park Hill South moved to 7-10 on the season.