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Sikeston left stranded in 3-1 loss to Poplar Bluff
POPLAR BLUFF -- Sikeston put the first two batters on base, took the lead two batters later then loaded the bases to start the SEMO Conference game Thursday.
It didn't get much better after that for the Bulldogs.
Poplar Bluff's Brandon Stuckenschneider got out of the first-inning jam with a strikeout then stymied Sikeston as the Mules won 3-1.
Logan Misner's two-out, 2-run double in the third inning was the difference for Poplar Bluff (7-0, 3-0 SEMO), which also scratched across a run in the first inning.
"We've done that several times in the three games we've lost, we leave runners on base," Sikeston coach Alan Scheeter said. "Today it really came back to bite us."
Sikeston (5-3, 2-1) didn't get another runner into scoring position until two outs in the fifth when Colton Black doubled on an untouched infield fly ball.
Black had three of Sikeston's six hits including the RBI single down the right-field line in the first.
Audie Hay opened the game by reaching on an error then beat the throw to second on Colton Hampton's bunt. Black delivered with one out and Luke Williams was later hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs.
Stuckenschneider, however, struck out the next hitter looking on four pitches.
"That probably set the tone for the rest of the game," Poplar Bluff coach Stan Bullington said. "That could have gotten out of hand right there and maybe gotten ugly, who knows."
The Mules answered in the bottom of the first on Misner's sacrifice fly after Lucas Tibbs led off with a single to center and Alex Lewis singled with one out.
Sikeston starter Doug Still allowed just three more hits over the next five innings and retired 10 of the last 12 he faced. Still walked one and fanned four in six innings of work.
"Doug did a good job," Scheeter said.
Poplar Bluff took the lead in the third when Tibbs reached on an error with one out and stole second. With two outs, Lewis fouled off an 0-2 pitch then hit a slow roller to the left side that forced third baseman Adam Kennard to put the ball in his pocket.
Misner, the cleanup hitter, pounced on the first pitch he saw sending it to the deepest part of the park in center field.
With the wind blowing out, it sailed over center fielder Hay's reach and off the wall for a 2-run double.
"That's the difference, they had the key hit when they really needed it," Scheeter said. "We didn't get that one key hit when we needed it."
Still wiggled out of a jam in the fifth when, with one out, a dropped fly ball and a bunt single put two runners on base.
A flyout to the catcher in front of the plate and another to right field ended the inning.
Sikeston put the leadoff hitter on base in the first, fourth and fifth innings but came up empty twice.
Chase Gaines was hit by a pitch to start the fourth but a pair of soft liners to the second baseman followed. Hampton started the fifth with a single but a sharply hit ball to Stuckenschneider started a double play. Black followed with a fly ball that dropped behind the mound and he won a race to second. Stuckenschneider got a ground ball to the right side to end the inning.
Jacob Clark got an infield hit with two outs in the sixth but didn't move before a ground out to the second baseman.
Gavin O'Brien singled with two outs against Wesley Pyles in the seventh and moved to second on a wild pitch before a flyout to the third baseman ended the game.
Sikeston, which had not played since April 1, left a runner stranded in each inning and nine total.
Said Scheeter, "I thought we played well enough to win, we just needed to hit the ball in key situations."
Sikeston's next game will be Monday when they travel to Dexter. The varsity game will begin a 4 p.m. and junior varsity will start right after.
Junior Varsity
Sikeston 4, Poplar Bluff 3 (9 inn)
The Sikeston junior varsity baseball team pulled out a thrilling 4-3 win in nine innings over Poplar Bluff.
After both teams scored three runs in the fourth inning, neither could push another run across until the ninth frame.
Sikeston's Sam Cox reached base to start the inning. A dropped third strike prompted Nathan Hampton to head to first a batter later and an overthrow allowed Cox to score the winning run from second.
Trent Sidwell earned the win after pitching four innings of relief. Hampton was Sikeston's starter and pitched the first five innings.
McKenzie Worth hit a double for the Bulldogs, who had six hits total as a team.