Despite being down three starters, Poplar Bluff soccer was able to get back on track with a 3-2 victory over Gateway Science Center on Thursday. Hayden Penderski led the Mules with two goals, and Xander Martin added the third. Wyatt Roland and Malik Clinton distributed well for Poplar Bluff, both tallying an assist. Goalkeeper Justin Moses turned in a solid outing with a dozen saves in goal. The Mules will get a week off before traveling to Cape Central for their next game.
Girls Tennis
Jackson 5, Poplar Bluff 0
After a downpour of rain led to JV, coaches and parents clearing off the courts with squeegees so the match could be finished, Poplar Bluff girls tennis fell to 1-2 on the season. Mya White fell 6-1, and Caitlin Dollins narrowly lost 6-4 in singles action. In doubles, Sara Holland and White dropped their outing, 8-0. Megan Murphy and Clarissa Varner fell 8-1. Isabella Sifford and Annaleese Williams dropped their sets, 8-4. The match was cut short due to the rain.
Volleyball
Hayti 2, Twin Rivers 1 (25-21, 11-25, 25-12)
Twin Rivers dropped a three-set match to Hayti Thursday night. Alissa Austin led the Lady Royals with four service aces and four kills. Kendal Moore turned in five kills, and Kristen Withrow added another four to complement her pair of aces. JV won its match, 2-1. Leann Besher put on a show from behind the service line, tallying seven aces.
Woodland 2, Clearwater 0 (25-13, 25-21)
Clearwater dropped its match against Woodland in straight sets. Despite the loss, coach Lisa Ayers said she's seen improvements in the team's performance. She added the team just needs to cut down on its errors. Faith Hoppe and Brianna Lewis led the team with three kills each. Hoppe added five digs to lead the team, while Emilee Chitwood and Veronica Piontek each added four digs.
Baseball
Bell City 16, Gideon 0, 3 inn.
Andrew Hicks led Bell City with three hits and as many RBIs in a blowout victory over Gideon. The Cubs tallied 12 runs in the second inning and ended the game with four more in the third. During the second-inning onslaught, Bell City had eight straight batters reach base safely. Evan Smith and Jeffrey Allen both had to pitch just one inning to lock up the win. Both struck out a pair and walked one, allowing no hits. Hicks, Luke Nichols and JT Robey each score three runs to lead the Cubs.
Clearwater 7, Greenville 3
Jackson Eaton and Jesse Holmes led the Clearwater offense with two hits apiece in a victory over Greenville. Trey Rivas added a pair of RBIs while all but two players who saw the field scored a run. Karson Fay and Gage Keller notched triples for the Tigers and Rivas added a double for the team's extra-base hits. Heath Ayers tossed all seven innings on the mound, giving up just two earned runs and striking out five.
Naylor 12, Neelyville 5
Thirteen hits and a six-run seventh inning led to a win for Naylor Thursday. Chase Sarabia led the Eagles with three hits and three runs scored. Sarabia got the scoring started in the seventh when he launched an RBI single to right field. Three more singles from Naylor would cap their scoring output and finish off a road win despite four runs from Neelyville in the seventh. Naylor totaled 13 hits. Blayne Libla led the Eagles with three RBIs, while Eli Roark and Matt Rigdon added a pair each. Roark went six innings on the mound and struckout one batter while allowing six hits.
Advance 4, Oran 3, 6 inn.
After Oran started fast with three runs in the first inning, Advance responded with three in the third and what would be the winning run in the fourth to secure a home win. The comeback was sparked when Noah Sauceda hit a grounder to third but reached on an error, allowing Baylor Long to score. A grounder to shortstop on the next at-bat gave Caleb Garland enough time to reach home after the throw was made to first. A bases-loaded walk tied the game. Long scored the winning run on a passed ball in the fourth.
Leopold 28, Bloomfield 5
The Leopold baseball team erupted for 17 runs in the sixth inning Thursday en route to a 28-5 rout of the Wildcats in Bloomfield.
The game was called after six innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Bloomfield's Malik Williams homered for the second straight game, hitting a three-run shot in the fifth inning.
Gavin Chasteen went 3 for 4 with a double, and Brandon Siler and Will Thorn had two hits apiece, as part of the Wildcats' nine-hit attack.
Leopold finished with 18 hits.
Jace Jansen was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in four innings.
Silver was charged with the loss, permitting eight runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Softball
Doniphan 11,
East Prairie 1, 5 inn.
The Donettes turned in a big second inning with seven runs on the side to help earn a win against East Prairie. Lexi Day scored three runs to lead Doniphan, which tallied nine hits. Madison Eddington led the team with four RBIs, while Sydni Speck scored twice on the day. Kaylee Davis pitched the whole game for the Donettes. She threw a no-hitter, struckout eight and surrendered no walks, needing just 59 pitches to get the job done.
Neelyville 7, Twin Rivers 6
Jessica Williamson wanted nothing to do with extra innings. Williamson swung at an 0-2 pitch in the bottom of the seventh and sent it over the fence in right field for a walk-off home run to give Neelyville the win after Twin Rivers had scored three runs in the previous side to tie the game.
Overall, Madison Dollins led Neelyville with two hits and three RBIs, also recording a homer on the day. Payton Reinbott pitched a complete game, striking out seven and allowing five earned runs.