FENTON, Mo. -- Four errors led to a 10-run inning as the Poplar Bluff softball team opened the Rockwood Summit Tournament with a loss Friday.
Blue Springs South, the MSHSAA Class 4 state runners-up last fall, handed the Mules a 14-1 loss before both teams won their next three games.
"It was definitely an eye-opening experience," Mules coach Lisa Boyer said.
Poplar Bluff beat Festus 7-0 on a two-hitter by Adrienne Stucker in the consolation final Saturday after beating Lafayette 10-1 earlier in the day.
Shelby Sievers hit her third home run of the season Friday in an 8-4 win over Incarnate Word then struck out eight and allowed four hits against Lafayette.
Blues Springs South, which returns seven players from a team that was 27-5 last year, won the tournament title with a 4-1 win over Liberty North in the final after beating Oakville 14-4 and Cor Jesu 6-0.
The Mules (8-3) trailed South 2-0 before a 10-run second inning was fueled by four errors. South hit five doubles and had runs driven in by seven different players.
"Some of those errors, they were somewhat tough plays," Boyer said. "They were hitting everything so dog-gone hard."
Calli Gerber was 2 for 3 while Sievers drove in the lone run.
Poplar Bluff trailed by a run against Incarnate Word before a five-run second inning. The Mules scored all of their runs with two outs when Emma Johnson singled and Savannah Hicks reached on an error. Abby Gregory, who was 6 for 13 in the tournament, had an RBI single before Gerber's RBI single and a two-run homer by Sievers.
Stucker (5-1) earned the win, striking out five and allowing one earned run on seven hits and two walks in five innings. She struck out seven and walked two in pitching a two-hitter against Festus. The senior retired the first nine in order before a single to start the fourth.
Sievers (3-2) struck out a season-high eight in beating Lafayette. The senior allowed a run on four hits and a walk in seven innings, retiring 13 of the final 15 she faced with two errors.
Gregory scored three times against the Lancers, walking twice and driving in a pair of runs. Gerber also had two RBIs while Sievers, Johnson and Lauren Alexander were each 2 for 3.
The Mules broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth when Sievers led off with a double and scored on a hit by Alexander who later stole home.
Poplar Bluff led Festus 2-0 until a five-run fifth. Gregory led off the third with a single and moved to second on a bunt by Gerber before an RBI single to left by Sievers for the lead. Stucker led off the fourth with a walk and scored on Audrey Lack's RBI single. Sievers had an RBI triple in the fifth before Brylee Misner's RBI single.
Sievers was 8 for 12, driving in six with four extra-base hits in the two days. Gerber drove in five and was 5 for 10.
The Mules travel Monday to Chaffee before their home opener Tuesday against Neelyville.
TENNIS
The Mules won their second matches in as many days Friday, beating visiting Arcadia Valley 7-2.
Mya White overcame a 3-0 deficit in her No. 4 singles match to earn her first career varsity win, beating Faith Sasser 8-3 while the top-seeded pair of Sara Holland and Sheleby Johnson overcame an 2-0 start to win 8-3.
"Happy with the start and the effort of lots of new players," Mules coach Charles Harper said.
White and Kaitlyn Lloyd swept their doubles match at No. 2, 8-0, while Annaleese Williams and Caitlin Dollins were 8-3 winners as the Mules swept doubles play for a second time.
Lloyd won her No. 3 singles match 8-0 while Williams won 8-3 and Dollins won 8-2.
Holland suffered her first loss as the top-seeded player, losing 8-5 to Sidney Tyndall while Johnson lost 8-1.
The Mules host Dexter on Monday then travel there Wednesday before a trip Thursday to Jackson.