Platte County fans flood scene of softball state title

Source: The Star

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TOP AND BOTTOM LEFT PHOTOS BY GARVEY SCOTT; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY RICH SUGG | The Star

Members of the Platte County softball team (above) piled up in celebration of their victory in the Missouri Class 3 state championship game. The Pirates were sparked by pitcher Haley Pypes (below, left). Platte County’s Sarah Elliott (below, right) just missed tagging out Republic’s Jamie Holmes in the semifinal.

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Heritage Park in St. Joseph could have been mistaken for the Platte County High School softball complex last Saturday.

Hundreds of Pirate fans converged on the park for the Class 3 softball state championship.

The Pirates didn’t disappoint their fans by defeating Cape Girardeau Notre Dame 7-1 and winning the state title, the first for a girls team in school history. They finished the season with a 30-3 record.

“It’s really an honor when you think about all the great female athletes that have come through this school,” coach Rob Davenport said. “It’s really great.”

After struggling offensively early in the game, Platte County exploded for six runs in the last of the fourth inning.

The way Haley Pypes was pitching Friday and Saturday, the Pirates might have survived on fewer runs, but the cushion made it more bearable.

“I can’t imagine what it would have been like sitting in the dugout if we would have had a one-run lead,” Davenport said. “It was nervous enough sitting there with a six-run lead.”

In two victories, Pypes gave up only one run and five hits.

In a 2-0 semifinal win, Pypes allowed hits in each of the first two innings, then didn’t give up another hit and struck out 12.

submitted by COLE YOUNG - 2008-10-28 14:17:02