Lead-off walks came around to burn East Carter as Poplar Bluff took advantage for a 6-1 win Thursday at Bobby Strenfel Field.
Free passes to start the first and second innings allowed the Mules to jump-start their offense. Audrey Lack drove in three runs while Adrienne Stucker had two hits and struck out a season-high 11 in the circle, extending her streak of not issuing a walk to 34-plus innings.
Brooklyn Loftis, Naomi Crowley and Bailey Gargac each had two hits for East Carter while Makenna Moore doubled.
The Redbirds (7-7) jumped ahead in the first inning when Loftis led off with a single to right, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Shelby Cyr's two-out single to deep left field.
Poplar Bluff (18-5) answered in the bottom of the first to tie it as Abby Gregory led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lack. Shelby Sievers singled to center before Brylee Misner's sacrifice fly tied it.
Moore, who struck out four, got a groundout to end the inning with a runner at third.
The Mules scored four in the second to pull ahead after Calli Gerber and Lauren Alexander led off with walks. After a double steal, Emma Johnson singled to left for a 2-1 lead. Moore threw out Alexander at the plate on a one-out bunt by Gregory, but Lack's single up the middle scored a pair of runs before Sievers' RBI single to left made it 5-1.
Poplar Bluff added a run in the sixth when Jordyn Caldwell was hit by a pitch and later scored on Lack's sacrifice fly to left field.
Stucker struck out the side after giving up a leadoff double to Moore in the second and also fanned two after a single started the fourth. The Redbirds left a pair in scoring position in the fifth when Stucker got a pair of groundouts to the left side of the infield.
East Carter threw out a runner at third for a double play in the third after Stucker's leadoff single and Moore retired the first batter of the final three innings.