Semoball

Farmington slams Poplar Bluff with 12-run inning

Poplar Bluff second baseman Kennedy Zgaynor reaches for a line drive in the second inning Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, at Bobby Strenfel Field in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
DAR/Brian Rosener

POPLAR BLUFF — Things went from ugly to down right ghastly for the Poplar Bluff softball team Monday.

Already trailing by eight runs, the Mules couldn’t get the first two outs of the fifth inning before Farmington hit a pair of grand slams. The Knights sent 17 batters to the plate, with 12 coming around to score in the inning, to beat the Mules 21-3 at Bobby Strenfel Field.

“They came to play softball today and for whatever reason we did not,” Mules coach Joel McDuffey said. “We did not come to play. … We were playing cricket or something like that.”

Poplar Bluff shortstop Madelyn Hefner makes a leaping catch of a line drive Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, at Bobby Strenfel Field in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
DAR/Brian Rosener

The Mules (9-7) had previously beaten Farmington 6-4 in the season-opening Rockwood Summit Tournament.

The Knights (16-6), who came in averaging 10.2 runs per game, scored three runs in each of the first two innings and were up 7-0 before Poplar Bluff’s first hit.

Farmington’s Elly Robbins struck out four of the first eight batters she faced. The lefty, who did not pitch in the first meeting, ended up allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and two hit batters.

“She hit her spots where she needed to, we just did not take advantage of misses like we usually do,” McDuffey said.

Adrianne Casey put the Mules on the board in the fourth with a leadoff homer, her second of the season.

Madelyn Hefner got Poplar Bluff’s first hit with two outs in the third and drove in a run on a fielder’s choice in the fifth. Emilee Cheek followed with a sacrifice fly to score a run. Serena Davis led off the inning with a walk, Ashtyn Reese singled and Layla Sullivan was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Farmington batted with the bases loaded five times in the fifth.

Elly Robbins hit the first grand slam, after a pair of bases-loaded walks made it 12-1. Angie Davis hit the second grand slam with one out to make it 21-1.

Abby Robbins hit a three-run homer in the second for the Knights and ended up with four runs scored with a 4 for 5 day along with four RBIs.

“I told them you can’t mess around with this group,” McDuffey said. “If you do then we’re going to be in trouble. We messed around and we’re in trouble real quick.”

Elly Robbins and Davis also had four RBIs for Farmington while Jayden Tucker drove in three runs with three hits, Lucy Resinger had a pair of RBIs with three hits. The Knights had 14 hits and drew eight walks against three Poplar Bluff pitchers.

The Mules also committed a season-high six errors.

“It’s unbelievable,” McDuffey said. “I’ve never seen these girls make that many errors.”

Farmington, ranked No. 3 in Class 4 of the state coaches poll, snapped Poplar Bluff’s three-game win streak that featured a win over state-ranked Notre Dame. The Mules host Jackson (10-5) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and East Carter (12-4) on Thursday.

“Hopefully that is enough to get them to start refocusing again come tomorrow,” McDuffey said.

From left, Ella Zgaynor, Clara Rahlmann, Madelyn Hefner, Adrianne Casey and Kennedy Zgaynor meet at the pitching circle during a break Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
DAR/Brian Rosener

VOLLEYBALL

Poplar Bluff picked up its first three-game sweep of the season Monday night, beating Bernie at the Senior High Gym.

The maroon side won the Battle of the Mules 25-20, 25-20, 25-20.

“I feel like we’re kind of slowly but surely piecing everything together,” Mules coach Aimie Parkin said.

Natalie Whitehead led Poplar Bluff with six kills while Olivia Carda had four and Lily Johnson added three. Carda had a team-high five aces while Zhoe Bumpus and Chloe Cambron each had four. Cambron and Izzy Berry had eight assists each while Carda and Bumpus each had six digs.

Poplar Bluff won consecutive matches after winning a five-set thriller at Sikeston on Thursday.

“I think figuring out what puzzle pieces fit together is what’s helping,” Parkin said.

Bernie got within 21-20 after a 5-1 run late in the third game but Whitehead answered with a kill down the line. The senior then got a block for a kill in the middle and made a soft hit for a kill to bring up match point.

Cambron served up an ace to end it.

“I always say we go into these rollercoasters and we never can get out of them,” Parkin said. “I feel like they’ve worked really hard on getting out of them.

“Things like that really boost confidence too and that’s another thing we just have not had that confidence finishing a game.”

Poplar Bluff (5-7-1) travels Thursday to Kennett.

TENNIS

Five games went to deuce in Emma Sutton’s No. 3 singles match Monday but the Poplar Bluff senior fell short 9-7 as the Mules were swept by West Plains at home.

Poplar Bluff senior Elizabeth Ledbetter returns a volley during a match Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, at the Senior High Courts in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
DAR/Brian Rosener

Top-seeded Natalie Murphy, Sara Thompson and Elizabeth Ledbetter each lost their singles match 8-4 while Olivia Kirkman lost 8-3 and Kaitlyn Booker fell 8-2.

In doubles play, Murphy and Kirkman lost the top-seeded doubles match 8-5, Sutton and Murphy fell 8-4 while Ledbetter and Booker lost 8-1.

The Mules travel Tuesday to Charleston and Wednesday to Sikeston before playing the SEMO Conference Tournament on Friday at Cape Central.

CROSS COUNTRY

Salah McCormack finished 17th Saturday at the Cape Central Invitational while Parker Hicks was 21st as Poplar Bluff’s top runners.

The Mules placed fifth in the girls standings and seventh on the boys side.

McCormack, running her first 5,000-meter race of the fall, finished in 23 minutes, 58.6 seconds.

Laynie Jones (26:06) was 29th, Lily Reasons (26:18) 32nd followed by Allie Dees (26:39) and Lyndsay Weaver (27:12) while Madyson Kordick (27:42) finished 38th.

Hicks finished in 19:14 while Tristan Gillihan (19:57) was 35th, Cayden Larkins (20:49) was 45th, Cameron Sisk (21:02) 48th, Nick Spain (21:15) 55th while Aden Wirtz (22:10) was 62nd followed by Wyatt Rowcliff (22:15).

In the junior high race, the Poplar Bluff girls won the team title by one point over Jackson.

Ava Stotts was third in 11:47 while Katherine Scott (12:21), Wren Cortrell (12:23) and Marley Spain (12:26) were seventh through ninth while Gracie Brown (13:06) was 18th. Kennedy Freeman (13:22) was 20th and Jaidah Jones (15:25) 30th.

Lane Dunham (10:50) finished sixth to lead the Poplar Bluff boys, who finished third as a team. Beau McCormack (11:25) was 16th, Tobi Duncan (11:36) 19th, Chase Wilson (12:21) 35th and Greyson Kee (12:52) finished 43rd.

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