The Poplar Bluff softball team was in a giving mood Tuesday.
After committing four errors in an eight-run fifth inning of a 10-8 loss, the Mules honored their seniors then presented gift bags to the six Kelly seniors at Bobby Strenfel Field.
"Francis Howell did it for our seniors and our seniors really liked it," Mules coach Lisa Boyer said. "We thought that was so nice, they liked it so much they thought to pay it forward."
The Hawks are now planning on doing the same for their final home game Thursday.
"Oh my goodness, that was the best gesture and that was the best sportsmanship," Kelly coach Rhonda Ratledge said. "I've never seen that done. I like how everything was set up. It was extremely nice."
Kelly (18-5) overcame a 4-1 defect then held off the Mules (21-6) late before Poplar Bluff honored seniors Jordyn Caldwell, Calli Gerber, Keaira Benton, Adrienne Stucker and Shelby Sievers.
"That's what we needed," Ratledge said. "Honestly, you probably won't hear a coach say it, but it was kind of nice to be down because we're this close to districts."
Not so much for the host.
"Kind of a poor time of year to let it happen," Boyer said. "We just didn't play well collectively. We had some big hits, we just gave up way (too much). When you score eight runs you should win."
The Mules had an eight-game win streak snapped and lost for just the second time at their new home since moving here last fall.
Poplar Bluff had not given up more than three runs in any single inning since a 10-run second against Blue Springs South on Aug. 25.
With a temperature in the low 90s it felt like August instead of the final week of the regular season.
"If we take something away from it, you learn from it, it will be worth it, I guess," Boyer said.
Things fell apart in the fifth after consecutive one-out errors allowed Kelly to cut Poplar Bluff's lead to 4-2.
With two outs, Hailey Noon plugged the right-field gap for an RBI triple and later tied the game on Alyssa Moore's liner up the middle. Kenzi Koepp fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches before delivering a two-run, go-ahead hit past a diving third baseman.
Following a pitching change that brought in a new third baseman, Kelly kept the rally going on an error down the third-base line. Alaney Moore, Hunter Bryant and Kelly Ivy each had RBI hits to push the lead to 9-4.
Kelly scored nine of its 10 runs with two outs.
"That was nice," Ratledge said.
The Mules got four runs back in the sixth on a bases-clearing double by Brylee Misner after Sievers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. With the tying run at second, however, Ivy ended the inning with a strikeout on a change-up, Poplar Bluff's only strikeout of the game.
Ivy, who pitched the final 3 1/3 innings in relief, got the win.
Stucker (11-2) allowed one earned run in 4 2/3 innings for the loss.
Sievers gave up a run in the seventh after consecutive two-out hits just as Kelly had done to take a 1-0 lead in the third. Noon provided the RBI double both times.
The Mules answered with a four-run fourth as Stucker's RBI single tied it before Gerber's RBI double to the right-field gap. Lauren Alexander then hit an RBI triple and scored on Caldwell's single for a 4-1 lead.
"You want to play a close game like that going into districts, you do," Boyer said. "Kelly is always a good team."
Poplar Bluff, which lost the junior varsity game 4-1, closes out the regular season Monday at West Plains (20-4).