Semoball

Murphy hits walk-off home run to win Poplar Bluff's Sub-Junior League tournament

Poplar Bluff Realty's Molly Murphy hits a game-winning, inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the Poplar Bluff Parks Department's Sub-Junior League Tournament championship on Thursday, July 31, 2020, at McLane Park in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
DAILY AMERICAN REPUBLIC/Scott Borkgren

Poplar Bluff Realty leadoff hitter Molly Murphy stepped up to the plate with the score tied and one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

She was 0 for 2 in the Poplar Bluff Park Department Sub-Junior Tournament championship Thursday at McLane Park. Both balls hit hard but scooped up by the infield for throws to first base.

The Mix coach Adam Epps told his outfield to backup as Murphy stepped into the batter's box.

She smacked a pitch deep into the outfield and took off, rounding first, then second, then third.

"I better make it home, I better get down," Murphy remembered thinking.

The dugouts grew louder and louder as The Mix raced the ball back into the infield, and Murphy sprinted for home, sliding across the plate for the game-winning, in-the-park home run.

"My only concern was that pitcher would be able to run her down," Poplar Bluff Realty coach Mike Eason said. "That pitcher was fast, and she could get her. She made some good plays tonight."

It was Poplar Bluff Realty's second hit in nine at-bats, but it was enough to win 5-4 and cap an undefeated season.

"I was just really excited, and I was really shocked and really happy," Molina Courtney said.

Murphy said her teammates' excitement when she got back to the dugout was even better than scoring the winning run.

"Because they were all happy," she said.

Bella Monaghan, who batted second in the lineup for Poplar Bluff Realty, was 1 for 2 with a run, and Lanie Lawson was 2 for 2 and scored twice.

"It was really awesome, and I'm so glad that we won all our games," Lawson said.

Added Monaghan, "I'm very proud of our team and how much we've worked throughout the whole entire league. Our whole team has practiced really hard, and that's made us come to this day where we've won."

Annabell Allen also scored.

"Our team has gotten much better as we practiced. We've learned a lot from our coaches, they've taught us a lot," Allen said.

The Mix (8-5) never trailed in the championship until Murphy's home run.

"They got way better," Epps said of The Mix's progress throughout the season. "Especially those last three or four games. Everybody started hitting the ball and then really started making defensive plays, which we hadn't really done. We just kind of chased everybody around and tried to tag them. But we were making plays at second base, pitcher, first base, everybody is getting involved in there."

The first two hitters in the lineup, Reese Foster and Peyton St. Cin, combined for four hits and three runs. Presley Huffman, hitting third, scored the team's fourth run.

Foster and St. Cin reached base to start the game, and then Tinley Foster hit a 2-run line drive to left field.

Poplar Bluff Realty (11-0) tied it up with solitary runs in the first and second innings. In the first, Lawson and Maddie Allbritton had back-to-back doubles, and in the second, Allen tied the game with an in-the-park home run.

The Mix, with its lineup rolling over in the third inning, added two more runs after Reese Foster and Huffman scored.

With two outs, Huffman pulled a fly ball to left field. Foster was waived home on the play and got halfway when she stopped, seeing that the throw home was well-ahead of her, but it bounced to the backstop, and Foster raced across the plate to put The Mix back in the lead.

Huffman then scored on Mallory McDowell's single.

"Hopefully, they get a chance to see we're good enough to be in these games, and then they can get better from that and want to win those kinds of games and get better from that, and want to win these kinds of games," Epps said.

The Mix retired the side in the third after groundouts to the pitcher and second baseman and a strikeout.

Monaghan led off the fourth for Poplar Bluff Realty with a hit, and Lawson followed with an RBI before tying the game on Abigail Allen's groundout to second.

The defense shined in the final innings from both teams. After the score was tied at four, each side got just two hits the rest of the game.

"Poplar Bluff Realty is a really good team. Their coach does a really good job of teaching them defense," Epps said. "Every single position can throw to first and get you out, and that's tough in the 10-under league."

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