Bliley shuts down Bluejays in rivalry win
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Platte Valley senior Maleeah Bliley blasts a leadoff double in the first inning on Tuesday night against Northeast Nodaway in Conception Junction.
CONCEPTION, JCT., Mo. — The Platte Valley softball team looks different this season with only six returning players from last season’s team, but as they bridge the gap to this season’s talented freshman class, those returners have led the way to a 2-0 start in the 275 Conference.
Senior Maleeah Bliley played from her freshman year on with last season’s seniors as the young one in the lineup. This season, she is the veteran leader and that crown fit her on Tuesday in a huge early-season matchup against Northeast Nodaway (1-2; 1-1 275) — the two favorites in the 275 Conference.
“It is exciting,” Bliley said of the way the team has been playing. “… Coming in and winning two conference games makes our team feel better about ourselves.”
Bliley, who prefers to play shortstop, was handed the ball and sent to the pitcher’s circle on Tuesday. She was stellar with seven 3-hit innings featuring 10 strikeouts and five walks in the 11-2 victory for Platte Valley (2-3; 2-0 275).
“It is maybe not where she is most comfortable, but sometimes that is where we need her to be,” Platte Valley coach Jessie Henry said. “… She comes out and does a lot of really, really good things.”
Northeast Nodaway took a first inning lead with sophomore Blair Nelson singling with one out then scoring on a passed ball for the 1-0 advantage.
Bliley got the offense going in the bottom of the first with a lead-off double. The freshmen got to work next with Finley Moutray singling in Bliley. Emori Dunn followed with a double to make it 3-1 going into the second inning.
The Bluejays struck back with sophomore Brianna Meyer drawing a leadoff walk and scoring on an error. Bluejay pitcher Lindsey Jackson settled in with a 1-2-3 second frame.
Bliley returned the favor with a quick top of the third, and Platte Valley got the bats going in the third inning with some help from Northeast Nodaway’s defense.
Back-to-back errors set the table for a double by Dunn. Maggie Swinford doubled to score Dunn and make it 6-2.
“We kept each other up at the plate,” Swinford said. “We didn’t go down when somebody else went down, we didn’t snowball.”
Bliley helped herself in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single to score Kenzie Redden. Bliley doubled with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to trigger five-straight hits by Platte Valley to push the lead to 11-2.
“I loved the bats tonight,” Henry said. “I think everybody is gaining confidence as we go on. With every hit, they all want to hit. As long as we think about just touching the ball and putting it in play, good things happen.”
Northeast Nodaway senior Baylie Busby led off the seventh inning with a triple, but Bliley added defense to her big game — catching a liner off Nelson’s bat and throwing to third to double off Busby.
“We learn from our losses and we learn from our wins, and we just try to get better,” Henry said.
Bliley didn’t allow an earned run while going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Dunn was 3-for-4 with three doubles while Moutray had two hits.
“My rise ball was okay and that was the pitch that I mainly pitched,” Bliley said. “It was pretty consistent and they swung at it, so it worked.”
Jackson led Northeast Nodaway in the pitcher’s circle. She allowed four earned runs with nine strikeouts and no walks.
“They showed that when it did get tough, a couple of them were able to step up,” Northeast Nodaway coach Payton Beason said. “But we need the rest of them to be able to follow in their footsteps and step up when it is time. We can’t just have one or two or three seniors to step up — we need the whole team to follow.”
Platte Valley will be back on the diamond on Thursday for their third-straight 275 game, a matchup at DeKalb. Northeast Nodaway will look to get back on track against North Andrew on Monday and DeKalb on Tuesday in Ravenwood.
“It gives us more confidence going into more games,” Swinford said.
Platte Valley 15,
Stewartsville-Osborn 1
Finley Moutray gave up two hits and no walks as she didn’t allow an earned run in last Thursday’s 15-1 win at Stewartsville-Osborn.
Maggie Swinford had three hits including two doubles. Jocelyn Bottorff and Maleeah Bliley each had two hits.
Albany 6, NE Nodaway 3
The Bluejays out-hit Albany 7-5 on Monday, but six errors cost them in a 6-3 Warrior win. Lindsey Jackson didn’t allow an earned run in the loss.
Baylie Busby and Blair Nelson each had two hits including a double.
