Platte County’s road back to the state championship saw one final obstacle fall on Friday, June 6 — and the Pirates cleared it with authority.
Flexing their offensive firepower early, the Pirates took control and never looked back in a 6-1 semifinal win over Rockwood Summit in Ozark, securing a spot in the Class 5 title game for the second time in four seasons.
“They bought into the philosophy this week,” Platte County head coach John Sipes said of his team’s hitting. “The things we drilled this week, they really bought in and broke out in the first inning.”
Brennan McLaughlin got the start on the mound and had to navigate trouble right away. A one-out double and a walk in the top of the first put runners on base, but the Pirates turned a timely double play on a grounder to second baseman Liam Blacklock to escape unscathed. Then, Platte County struck hard.
The Pirates took command in the bottom of the first inning behind some deep shots from Platte County. After Liam Blacklock’s leadoff single, McLaughlin smashed an RBI double off the wall.
Later in the first inning, Andrew Edsall stepped to the plate. On a 2-1 count, the junior designated hitter hit a deep drive over the left field wall for a two-run home run.
“It felt good knowing that I could provide for my team and put runs on the board,” Edsall said. “That will help us in the long run because the more we can put on the board the higher chance we have of coming out.”
Andrew Edsall after his two-run home run in the first inning against Rockwood Summit.
McLaughlin settled in from there. He cruised through the second with two quick outs, then erased a two-out walk with a slick pickoff move to first. At the plate, he added to the lead in the third with a deep sacrifice fly, scoring Bronson Ryan to make it 4-0.
“This wasn’t the first time we saw a guy like him,” McLaughlin said of Rockwood Summit starter Gabe Sieve. “I was confident going up there and I had confidence in our team.”
Sieve came in ready to throw strikes throughout his 5.1 innings of work, but Platte County made their hits count. McLaughlin’s two-RBI day built on a postseason run where he delivered time and again — including a walkoff in a five-RBI effort in the dramatic quarterfinal win over Webb City.
“God’s just blessed me with an amazing gift and I’m just trying to use it to the best of my ability,” McLaughlin said.
Brennan McLaughlin got the start on the mound for Platte County and kept Rockwood Summit scoreless the first two innings in the semifinal matchup.
Neither team advanced a runner to scoring position again until the sixth, when Rockwood Summit got on the board with a sacrifice fly. But Platte County’s defense again rose to the moment, turning its second double play of the day to remove any further damage.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Pirates responded. With runners on second and third and one out, senior pinch hitter Taylor Stambersky roped a two-RBI double to center, pushing the lead to 6-1.
After entering in the fifth inning as a reliever, Brooks Hall stepped back on the mound in the seventh to close the game out. The 6-foot-5 reliever hit two batters but recorded three groundouts to seal the win — and Platte County’s return to the title game.
“We came into the year knowing we had some really good athletes,” Sipes said. “We had a lot of confidence that we could get back here as a baseball team this year.”
It marks the second state final appearance under Sipes in his seven-year tenure at Platte County. He’s built a program around energy, confidence, and unity — and it’s paying off.
“They love each other,” Sipes said. “They play for each other. It’s a culture we established when I got here. They all go out and will die for one another.”