Platte Valley soars past NE Nodaway
STANBERRY, Mo. — After having their game initially pushed back to later in the day due to inclement weather, the Northeast Nodaway Bluejays and Platte Valley Eagles took the field Wednesday where the Eagles defeated the Bluejays 12-0 in Class 1 District 16 quarterfinals at Stanberry High School.
The Eagles (15-8) came out swinging-early and jumped on the Bluejays, who just couldn’t get started after missing an early-scoring opportunity.
Platte Valley’s Josie Deen got the Eagles started with a run scoring double in the first inning off of Stoll. Then the Eagles’ added a run in the second inning when Mikayla Mattson scored on a pair of errors for a 2-0 lead.
Already trailing 2-0 in the top of the third inning the Bluejays (7-13) mounted their best scoring chance off of Eagles starting pitcher senior Elizabeth Turpin. With one out, Turpin’s counterpart freshman Blair Stoll singled, then classmate Anne Schieber reached on an error by Eagles second baseman freshman Malia Collins.
Stoll and Schieber advanced a base on a ground-out by freshman Paige West back to Turpin for the second out. Then Turpin bared-down for one of her four punch-outs catching junior Makayla Adwell looking with runners on second and third base, halting the Bluejays threat keeping the Eagles ahead 2-0 in the third inning.
“It was huge, not scoring a run in that spot. I don’t know if we set too long waiting for the first game, but we just didn’t have it tonight,” Bluejays coach Mandy Adwell said. “I have a young team, so I hope that they are ready to come in and be a lot stronger next year.”
The Eagles jumped on the chance to extend their lead in the third inning. Lead-off hitter senior Stephanie Chor started things off with a single off of Stoll, before Stoll could retire Collins for the first out of the inning on a ground out to first-baseman senior Emily Redden. Senior catcher Josie Deen laced a run-scoring double to left center for her second RBI of the game giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
Sophomore Kailyn LaMaster walked and junior Amber White singled scoring Deen giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead, freshman Jessica Miller and senior Mikayla Mattson both coaxed walks from Stoll with LaMaster scoring on Mikayla Mattson’s free pass for a 5-0 lead. The bases remained loaded for sophomore Ashley Mattson who whiffed for the second out of the inning. With the bases still full, Turpin laced a three-run single to left field, scoring White, Miller and Mikayla Mattson extending the Eagles’ lead to 8-0 before Stoll retired Chor, batting for the second-time in the inning.
“We were worried, because we were sitting and not really warming-up, but I just kept throwing and it worked,” Turpin said. “We are just going to try and get some rest and ice to make sure we stay good and ready.”
Turpin retired the Eagles in order in the fourth inning giving her teammates the opportunity to put the game away in the bottom-half and they did just that.
“Elizabeth (Turpin) did a great job tonight hitting her spots,” Eagles coach Shelly Deen said. “The kids are ready and eager to win some games and they will be fine.”
Collins started with a walk by new Bluejays hurler Maggie Schmitz. After retiring Deen, she issued a free pass to LaMaster. Then, White scored Collins with an RBI ground-out stretching the Eagles’ lead to 9-0.
Miller singled scoring LaMaster for a 10-0 lead and Mikayla Mattson singled keeping the pressure on Schmitz and the Bluejays. Following a single by Ashley Mattson the bases were loaded once again for Turpin who ripped a groundball to West at shortstop who had the ball go under her legs scoring Miller and Makayla Mattson before the Bluejays retired Ashley Mattson for the third out of the inning with the Eagles leading 12-0.
Turpin shut down the Bluejays in the fifth inning allowing a single to freshman Madelynn Mattson before retiring Schieber for the final out in a 12-0 Eagles win and advanced them to the semifinals to play King City on Thursday night.
