Jordyn Caldwell provided the first of five two-out hits, breaking a scoreless tie in the fourth inning Tuesday, after Shelby Sievers and the Mules wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam.
Jackson couldn't get the final out of the fourth until Poplar Bluff plated its first four runs of an 11-3 win at Bobby Strenfel Field.
"I think whoever had the first run was going to jump on it," said Sievers who started a five-run sixth with a home run.
"We had the first run, we just jumped on it and took the momentum."
It started on defense for the Mules (17-5) when Sievers pulled a Houdini in the top half of the inning, escaping a one-out, bases-loaded situation with a pair of pop ups.
Emma Johnson doubled with one out in the bottom of the fourth but was still there when Caldwell came to the plate with two outs.
"I was looking for a meatball right down the middle," Caldwell said of a 2-1 pitch she laced past the center fielder for a triple.
Caldwell scored when Abby Gregory, who was 4 for 5 with three RBIs, followed with a slow roller down the third-base line. Following a single by Audrey Lack, Sievers drove in a run with a hit to left when Gregory slide around the catcher's tag at the plate. Brylee Misner's RBI single put the Mules up 4-0.
"When there's two outs it's either a two-out rally for us or we're shutting it down for the other team," Caldwell said. "...We're good with that."
Coming in, the Mules had 45 two-out RBIs and they added five more, going 7 of 12 with a pair of walks with two outs against Jackson (8-6).
Poplar Bluff had a runner thrown out at home plate to end the third inning after Calli Gerber's single to left.
The Indians then put the first two batters aboard with a soft liner up the middle and a well-placed bunt before loading the bases with one out. Sievers got Karlee Beggs, who had first-inning single, to hit into an infield fly before Jackson's No. 9 hitter hit a fly ball behind second base that Lack tracked down.
"That was huge," Mules coach Lisa Boyer said. "Shelby is a gamer. She's use to dealing with stressful situations and handling that stress well. She never acts like she's bothered by it."
Jackson got two runs back in the fifth to cut Poplar Bluff's lead in half.
Maddie Dye led off with a double and Morgan Conklin traded places before Sicily Johnston, who had three of Jackson's nine hits, later drove in Conklin with a sacrifice fly.
Jackson also left a pair of runners on base in the first inning after a game-opening single by Dye.
"We had some opportunities to score a few more runs, and today, we just couldn't get that big hit that we've been getting lately," Jackson coach Josh Roach said. "Shelby Sievers is a great pitcher, and she's not going to give you much."
Sievers struck out two and didn't allow a walk until the seventh leading to a run on Sierra Burch's sacrifice fly.
Using her riseball to induce 11 fly-ball outs, Sievers got help from a defense, including a running catch deep in the right-field gap by Caldwell to end the third and another by Johnson, the center fielder, to end the game.
"We played very sound today defensively," Sievers said.
Sievers opened the sixth with a home run over the left-field fence. It was the senior's fifth of the season and 15th of her career. Her batting average had dipped to .460 despite entering with a seven-game hit streak.
"For the last 10 at-bats I haven't gotten anything off the ground, so I guess I needed that," Sievers said. "I think it will be better here on out."
Johnson provided a two-run hit in the sixth before Gregory and Lack each had two-out RBI singles.
Poplar Bluff had eight batters with multiple hits despite a slow start. The Mules broke through in their third time through the order.
"We face a pitcher a couple of times they'll usually come around," Boyer said. "It took us a couple of times but we've got good hitters on the team. I feel pretty confident, most part, 1-9, everybody's capable."
Poplar Bluff, which hosts East Carter on Thursday, lost the junior varsity game 5-0.