The Gallatin Lady Bulldogs combination of potent hitting and strong pitching led the way to a Saturday afternoon victory over Platte Valley, as GHS scored a run in the top of the first inning before adding five more in the second, rolling to a 9-3 victory and a spot in this weekend’s Show-Me Showdown in Springfield.
The District 7 champions, despite playing on their home field, were named the visiting team after a pregame coin toss, with Gallatin striking quickly in the top of the 1st.
Brynn Bird had a leadoff single with Alex Endicott following with another single. A wild pitch moved both baserunners, with a Karydon Jones single scoring Bird. Three consecutive outs held the damage to one run.
In the decisive second-inning, Gallatin sent nine girls to the plat, with Betty Rogers and Paige Heldenbrand working base on balls around an Abigail Burns strikeout. A Brynn Bird double drove in Holcomb (running for Rogers) and Heldenbrand to push the lead to 3-0, with an Endicott double driving in Bird. With Endicott on second base, third baseman Karydon Jones stepped to the dish. Tom Johnson had the call on KGOZ FM 101.7:
Platte Valley, the District 8 champions, struck out 10 times in the first four innings against Gallatin’s AnnaBelle Ball, put did manage a third inning run, with a Brylie Angle double followed by a Kali Redden single.
Gallatin added two runs to the lead in the bottom of the 4th inning, as Jones was hit by a pitch, and was moved to third on an Ashley Feiden single. A Ball blooped single to right scored Jones and Feiden to push the lead to 8-1. A fifth inning Bulldog run made the score 9-1, with Rogers and Burns cracking back-to-back doubles.
In her final swing for Platte Valley in the top of the 7th, Maggie Collins bashed a home run to left, making the final score 9-3.
Gallatin advances to a 12 noon state semifinal against the LaPlata Bulldogs on Friday afternoon in Springfield. LaPlata beat Braymer in a Saturday state quarterfinal 13-3. LaPlata is 24-5 with Gallatin now 21-3. The “Battle of the Bulldogs” will be broadcast on KGOZ FM 101.7, with pregame at 11:30 from the Killian Sports Complex.
Marion C. Early beat St. Elizabeth 5-1 while Jamestown outscored Salisbury 18-13 in the other Class 1 quarterfinals.
The South Harrison Lady Bulldogs are into the Class 2 semifinals, playing Carrollton on Friday afternoon at 1:30. South Harrison won a hotly contested game at Bowling Green on Saturday 4-3, while Carrollton won at Mid-Buchanan 6-5. In the other Class 2 quarterfinals, Linn went eight innings to beat Elsberry 7-6, while Chaffee claimed an 8-7 win over Iberia.
Other quarterfinal results from Saturday were:
Class 3:
St. Francis Borgia 11, Lutheran South 9
Winfield 7, Hallsville 5
Fatima 14, Cassville 0
Oak Grove 3, Savannah 2 (10)
Class 4:
Washington 13, Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) 0
Parkway West 11, North Point 1
Helias Catholic 4, Camdenton 3
Kearney 5, Nevada 1
Class 5:
Francis Howell 3, Jackson 1
Troy Buchanan 8, Francis Howell North 0
Blue Springs South 16, Willard 2
Raymore-Peculiar 1, Liberty 0 (9)
