Shelby Sievers and the Mules softball team is on a roll.
Sievers hit a home run for the fourth time in five games, Emma Johnson provided a go-ahead, two-run hit in the first inning and freshman Kylee Rogers earned her first career win as Poplar Bluff beat Cape Central 9-2 Thursday at Bobby Strenfel Field.
The Mules (21-5) matched their win total from the last two seasons by winning for the 13th time in 14 games. They also picked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 at Fox High School in Arnold.
Oakville (16-4) picked up the top seed while the Mules, who are looking to win the program's first title since 2005, will play third-seeded Seckman (9-9) in the semifinal on a date to be announced.
"We're going to have to play well, but I feel like the district is wide open," Mules coach Lisa Boyer said.
Three of Poplar Bluff's five losses have been against teams coming off appearances in the state playoffs.
"I think we're prepared," said senior Keaira Benton, who had a sacrifice bunt off the bench. "We played some good teams, good competition like we will in districts. It will be good."
The Mules extended their win streak to eight games after giving up an unearned run in the first inning Thursday when two errors opened the game.
"If it's a mistake that hopefully doesn't hurt us you can learn from it," Boyer said.
"We're getting to a point in the season where we need to be playing clean most all of the time."
The Mules answered with a three-run first that started with a slap single by Abby Gregory and a single down the left-field line by Audrey Lack. After a one-out error loaded the bases, Johnson sent a 2-2 pitch up the middle for a 2-1 lead. Adrienne Stucker followed with an RBI single.
Poplar Bluff used a double steal for a run in the third after Sievers was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Calli Gerber later provided an RBI groundout for a 5-1 lead.
Seivers cleared the left-field fence with two outs in the fourth after Gregory's bunt single. It was the senior's eighth homer of the season and third in as many games. Now hitting .474 on the season, Sievers extended her hitting streak to 12 games, going 8 for 15 with four homers and nine RBIs in the last five.
Gregory had two hits for a fifth straight game, going 12 for 17 in that span to raise her average to .469. Stucker, a .417 hitter, also had two hits along with Johnson, who led off the fifth with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rogers.
Rogers got her first career varsity start, striking out four and allowing four hits and two walks in six innings. Sievers struck out one in the seventh.
Anna Dewitt scored in the sixth after leading off with a single and moving into scoring position on a bunt by Benton, one of five seniors who will be honored prior to Tuesday's game with Kelly.
"We all play really well together," Benton said. "Everybody has fun when we're out here. We all just work together."