Worth County got a home run from Kynah Steele and gave Platte Valley all they could handle Wednesday, but Platte Valley teed off on Tiger pitching and got the 11-9 win to eliminate the Tigers from districts. Despite the loss, Worth County finished the season with 14 wins, the most since the 2005 season, when they last went to state. They got their first winning season since the 2019 season.
Previously, Worth County had come off a 7-5 win over Northeast Nodaway. They had designs on getting the top seed in districts, but then Delaney Wolf and Platte Valley tossed a one hit shutout in their 7-0 win on Worth County's home field, a game in which Worth County had 10 errors. The Tigers had varied from game to game the whole season, alternating good games with bad games. But then they bounced back with a 9-5 win over Maysville, their first over the Wolverines in at least 16 years, and then beat Class 2 #9 Mid-Buchanan 5-2 at their place, the first ever win by the Tigers over Mid-Buchanan and their second win this year over a ranked team. Worth County had also beaten ranked Green City at Eagleville earlier in the season 17-2.
The Tigers then picked up where they left off against Mid-Buchanan in Wednesday night's game as Autumn Cousatte doubled into the gap in left center with two strikes on her. Brooklyn Richardson struck out, but Kynah Steele hit a home run to center field to the right of the scoreboard to make it 2-0. Hailey Adwell beat out a slow roller down the third base line and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. On the second wild pitch, Platte Valley catcher Maggie Collins tried to throw her out at third, but threw it away, allowing Adwell to score and make it 3-0.
The goal after a big inning is to have a shutdown inning, but it did not happen. Brooklyn Richardson apparently struck out Maleeah Bliley, but the ball got away for a wild pitch, and Bliley reached safely. Sarah Langford walked. Walks frequently lead to runs, and sure enough, Maggie Collins fouled off 10 straight pitches with two strikes on her before crushing a double off the left field wall to make it 3-2. Brylie Angle's single turned into a double after a bad hop and Collins scored. But right fielder Rylee Ruckman made a great recovery on the ball and threw out Angle trying for three. Kali Redden grounded out, but Kayley Hauber singled and stole second and scored on Madelyn Swinford's single to put Platte Valley in front 4-3.
With two outs, Worth County got two of the runs back in the second as Autumn Cousatte doubled off the wall in left. Brooklyn Richardson singled and the throw home got away, allowing her to reach second. Richardson took second on a wild pitch and Kynah Steele singled to right to put the Tigers back in front 5-4.
Aubrey Mattson singled to right. Maleeah Bliley gave one a long ride, but Hailey Adwell made a running catch in left center. But Sarah Langford walked again, and walks frequently lead to runs. Worth County almost got out of the inning as Maggie Collins grounded into a force at third, but sure enough, Brylie Angle doubled to right center to bring in two and Kali Redden doubled to left center to score Angle to make it 7-5. That chased Richardson and Ali Brown got a groundout by Kayley Hauber to get out of the inning.
But Worth County couldn't score in the third as Delaney Wolf settled in. Brown got a rare strikeout on Madelyn Swinford; Platte Valley is one of the most difficult teams in the area to strike out. But then Emalee Langford walked, and walks frequently lead to errors and runs. Sure enough, Aubrey Mattson reached on an error, the heart of the Platte Valley order came around, and Maaleah Bliley hit a monster shot to center field to put Platte Valley in front 10-5.
In the fourth and fifth innings, Worth County was hitting the ball hard, but right at people. Meanwhile, a pair of Tiger errors, an infield hit by Madelyn Swinford, and a wild pitch allowed Kali Redden to score in the fourth to make it 11-5. But after a rare strikeout by Ali Brown, Tiger catcher Autumn Cousatte dove in front of the plate to catch Aubrey Mattson's pop fly to get out of the fourth.
Platte Valley was primed to pick up where they left off in the fifth when Maleeah Bliley crashed a double off the left field wall and Madelyn Swinford singled. Worth County threw home, but Bliley held at third as Swinford took second. But a rare baserunning blunder by Platte Valley swung the momentum back to the Tigers, and Platte Valley was clinging by their fingernails the rest of the way. Maggie Collins hit a grounder to third, but Bliley wandered off third too far, and she was out in a rundown. Brylie Angle popped out and Tiger left fielder Brylee Rush made a running basket catch of Kali Redden's line drive to end the Platte Valley fifth with no damage done.
Then, Platte Valley brought their outfielders in against Lanie Cousatte, only for Lanie to crush a triple over the right fielder's head to lead off the Tiger sixth. She came home on Autumn Cousatte's single to make it 11-6. Platte Valley threatened in their half of the sixth with two outs when Emalee Langford reached on an error, but Tiger second baseman Lanie Cousatte snagged Aubrey Mattson's screamer to take a run away; had she not made that play, the heart of the Platte Valley order would have come up again.
For the second time in the game, Hailey Adwell beat out a slow roller, this time in front of the mound, to start the seventh. Kara Staton gave it a long ride to center, but it was caught. But Ali Brown singled to left to put Adwell on second. Brylee Rush singled to right, and Platte Valley elected to throw home to try and nail Adwell. The throw was there in plenty of time, but Adwell somehow slid under the tag and was safe as Rush took second and Abbi Brown (running for Ali) third. That made it 11-7. Lanie Cousatte hit a soft line drive that dropped in front of the second baseman for a scratch hit. Abbi Brown broke for the plate when the ball dropped. The throw was well ahead of the runner, but Abbi once again somehow got under the tag to make it 11-8. Rylee Ruckman grounded into a force at second to score Rush to make it 11-9, but Autumn Cousatte popped out to Collins behind the plate for the last out.
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