Platte Valley baseball finished second at state

By Morgan Guyer

The Platte Valley Boys Baseball Team competed in the final four in Ozark on May 29-30, claiming a second place finish in Class 1 after falling to St. Elizabeth 3-13 in the title game.

In the team’s first game at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, they came away with an 8-0 victory over Community High School, Laddonia. It was the perfect game to show why Platte Valley had gotten to this point in the season, using a combination of stellar pitching and timely offense to get the victory. Platte Valley used four pitchers to hold Community to just two hits and two walks total, while also recording eight strike-outs. Seniors Memphis Bliley and Wyatt Miller both pitched two innings, while Junior Brandon McQueen and Senior Matt Jermain came in to wrap things up. After a scoreless first inning, the team was able to get two runs in the second and third. Senior Alex Mattson and Sophomore Justin Miller both recorded three hits during the game.

The win meant a rematch against the St. Elizabeth Hornets, St. Elizabeth, was prepared for Platte Valley. The two teams met in the first game of the final four last year, with St. Elizabeth coming away with a 10-0 win. The Hornets have been a dominating force in Class 1 baseball, as they have now made the final four for the fifth straight year, taking the championship three of those times.

This year’s game started out much better than last year for Platte Valley, as Bliley started on the mound and had a 1-2-3 first inning. Platte Valley left a runner stranded in the bottom of the first with a chance to take the lead, and both teams traded runs in the second inning to make it a 1-1 inning. That was when the Hornets proved why they are a powerhouse in Class 1, as they scored five runs in the third inning to jump out to a 6-1 lead. That lead would grow to 8-1 in the fifth. Platte Valley didn’t go away easily, as even down 13-2 the team would put up one more run before the final out.

Platte Valley’s second place finish caps off an memorable year for the co-op. The football team had their best ever season and capped it off with a conference title, while both the girls and boys basketball teams made a trip to the final four and brought home third. Platte Valley now says goodbye to their five seniors, Trevor Weir, Wyatt Miller, Memphis Bliley, Carter Luke and Matt Jermain who have helped the program to its best season yet.