Skip to main content

Polo is state-bound with a 16-3 win over King City in Class 1 Softball

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com

Last season, the Polo Panthers lost to Maysville 6-5 in the District Championship.  Maysville went on to win the State Championship.  The previous season, they also lost in the District Championship game to Sherwood.  Coach Becky Ross told me that they were tired of trophies with the number two in their trophy case.  One of their goals this season was to get past that hurdle and win the district title.  They did that last week when they knocked off Gallatin 2-1 in 8 innings.  

With that hurdle finally surpassed, the Panthers now had their next goal set in their sights.  They wanted to be the first softball team in school history to advance to the state semifinals.  A win over King City today would fulfill that goal.

Polo came to bat first in front of a large crowd that had gathered for both sides.  Kenley Moore started the game with a leadoff triple to help set the table for the heart of Polo's lineup.  Chloe Gilbert took King City pitcher Emberlyn Medsker deep into the count.  She fouled off several pitches before a towering blast cleared the fence to put the Panthers up 2-0.  Hanna Vaught joined in on the action, and made it back-to-back home runs with a shot that just cleared the fence.  But the Panthers were not done.  Mya Heil doubled.  After Kendyl Fitzwater reached on an error by Medsker, Haley Barnett drove both of them in with a double.  Valorie Gabrielli followed with an RBI single.

Emily Schmidt and Jade Misel both grounded out, but Polo still had some 2-out magic in them.  Moore doubled in Gabrielli.  Gilbert and Vaught were both intentionally walked to load the bases.  Moore then scored on a wild pitch.  Hiel ended the 1st inning scoring with a 2-run double scoring Gilbert and courtesy runner Emersyn Parker.  The Panthers had plated 10 runners before the King City Wildkats came to the plate.

Hanna Vaught didn't waste any time with the 10-0 lead and retired all three batters she faced including a strikeout.  Polo would add a run in the second.  Barnett led off with a double and Schmidt drover her in with a sacrifice fly.  King City would get two across the plate in the bottom of the 2nd.  Tacee Catlett led off with a doubled.  Carleen Gilbert drove her in with a single.  Gilbert would score on a Kamryn Miller hit.

The Panther's Gilbert led off the 3rd and she once again blasted it over the fence for her 2nd home run of the game.  King City would get a 2-out single by Medsker, but would strand a runner.  After 3, Polo led 12-2.  King City scored the only run in the 4th to make it 12-3.  Carleen Gilbert led off with a walk and then would score after Barnett lost a fly ball in the sun off of the bat of Miller.

Polo was looking to try to end the game in the 5th via the 10-run rule.  Chloe Gilbert led off the inning.  This time King City decided they were not going to let her hit another home run and intentionally walked her a 2nd time.  The Panthers made them pay.  Vaught and Heil and back-to back singles with Heil driving in Gilbert.  Fitzwater then doubled to drive in Parker, who was running for Vaught.  Polo would add on another two runs to make it 16-3.  Hannah Vaught would then retire the first two hitters in the bottom of the 5th.  Medsker singled to extend the game.  The Catlett hit a blooper that looked like it was going to get over Fitzwater, but she made a great catch to end the game and Polo is state bound.

After the game, I caught up with Polo Coach Becky Ross and King City Coach Dottie Stoll.  You can hear it along with full postgame coverage here:


Game Stats (Unofficial)

Polo
Kenley Moore, 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B
Chloe Gilbert 2-2, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 2 IBB
Hanna Vaught, 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 IBB
Mya Heil, 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B
Kendyl Fitzwater, 1-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
Haley Barnett, 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B
Valorie Gabrielli, 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Emily Schmidt, 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 SF
Jade Misel, 1-4
Emersyn Parker, 2 R
Hanna Vaught (W), 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

King City
Taryn Hunter, 0-3, 2 K
Kinzie Pettijohn, 0-2
Emberlyn Medsker, 2-3
Tacee Catlett, 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B
Carleen Gilbert, 1-1, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Wylie McKinnon, 0-2
Kamryn Miller, 1-2, 1 RBI
Gabrielle Schnitter, 0-2, 2 K
Grace Wharton, 0-2, 2 K

Emberlyn Medsker (L), 5 IP, 15 H, 16 R, 11 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 3 WP
Kaylee Roberts, 0-1

Chloe Gilbert (x2) and Hanna Vaught with their Home Run Balls

Polo is State Bound




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2024 Grand River Conference 11-Man Football Preview

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com Sponsored by *Please cite Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com if you use the Coaches' Poll in other media 2024 is poised to be a year of significant change for the Grand River Conference. Adding Brookfield and Marceline as full members, who are competing for the football championship for the first time, marks a significant transition. These new members bring a new level of competition to the conference, adding another layer of anticipation. Gallatin and Maysville, with their new coaches, also contribute to the excitement. Despite the turnover, stability remains a crucial factor for the top teams, with the top five in the coaches poll all retaining their quarterback this season. The coaches poll was very close, with four teams receiving a first-place vote. Milan emerged with the most first-place votes at four. Despite receiving three first-place votes, Trenton accumulated the most points and is the overall pick to win the Grand River ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bell Game Rivalry joins the GRC

by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com It's a mere 12 miles that separate Brookfield High School and Marceline High School, as per Google Maps.  But what's truly remarkable is the 54-year hiatus since these two schools last clashed in a conference football game. Brookfield and Marceline were both in the North Central Missouri Conference (NCMC) in 1970.  In 1970, the NCMC decided to fold.  A new conference with the same name would be organized,  Brookfield remained in a revamped NCMC from 1971 to 1975 before going independent until 1986, when they joined the Tri-Rivers Conference.  They jumped to the Clarence Cannon Conference (CCC) in 2010. Marceline was in the Northern Missouri Conference from 1971 to 1974 before joining the Lewis & Clark Conference in 1975, where they would be members for almost 50 years. However, the history between these two teams goes back much further. They played against each other for the first time in 1909. Brookfield won the fi...
Post a Comment
Read more

1000-point and other Milestones

Sponsored by As GRC and GRC West players surpass the 1000-point (and other milestones) this season, this blog will share photos of their milestones. Tyler New, Worth County (1500 points) Tyler New passed the 1500-point milestone during districts Annabelle Ball, Gallatin Annabelle Ball passed the 1000-point milestone on February 15, 2024 against Stanberry Chloe Burnham, St. Joseph Christian (1500 points) Chloe Burnham passed the 1500-point milestone on February 9, 2024 against North Andrew. Mirena King, Trenton Mirena King passed the 1000-point milestone on February 9, 2024 against Milan. Katelyn Jones, Pattonsburg Katelyn Jones passed the 1000-point milestone on February 2, 2024 against King City. Maverick Gentry, Polo Maverick Gentry passed the 1000-point milestone on February 2, 2024 against Braymer. I will post pictures of him when I get them. Talan Holt, Princeton (1500 points) Talan Holt passed the 1500-point milestone on January 30, 2024 against Stanberry. Ah...
Post a Comment
Read more