Central hammers Mules

Central's bats came alive Saturday, as the Tigers pounded host Poplar Bluff for 13 hits and a 13-4 SEMO Conference win.

The Tigers, who had just three hits in a loss Thursday to Kennett, scored five times in the fourth and six in the fifth.

Brad LaBruyere (2-0) and Justin Myers combined for 11 strikeouts and held Poplar Bluff to five hits. LaBruyere pitched the first four innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Myers finished the final three innings and allowed one run on one hit.

"We finally rattled the bats a little bit," Central coach Steve Williams said. "We hadn't had an inning like that so far this year, so fortunately for us we finally strung some hits together and put some runs on the board."

It came at a good time, since the Mules (0-1) had just taken the lead with a two-out, three-run rally.

Kory Kitchen's liner to left with the bases loaded tied the game at 3-3.

Matt Hester's one-out single to right gave the Tigers (2-1) the lead before an RBI ground out by Blake Slattery and Ty Craft's RBI single.

Central erupted for five runs in the sixth.

Slattery had three hits, including a triple to open the seventh. Kitchen drove in three runs.

Central 13, Poplar Bluff 4

Central 100 560 1 -- 13 13 0

Poplar Bluff 003 001 0 -- 4 6 3

WP -- Brad LaBruyere, 2-0. LP -- Coen. 2B -- Ty Craft (C), Boles (PB); 3B -- Blake Slattery (C). Multiple hits -- Central, Hester 2-4; Slattery 3-5; Craft 2-4; Young 2-2; Poplar Bluff, Ivie 2-4. Records -- Central 2-1, Poplar Bluff 0-1.

JV -- Central 14, Poplar Bluff 8

Festus Tournament

Notre Dame lost a seventh-inning lead to fall in the semifinals of the Festus Tournament, but bounced back to rout North County for third place.

Park Hills scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to send Notre Dame to a 6-5 loss in the semifinals. The Bulldogs had just scored a run in the top of the seventh to take the lead.

In the third-place game Notre Dame pounded 13 hits in a 16-6 win over North County in five innings. Luke Moll had three hits, including a home run, double and four RBIs in the win.

Lucas Dirnberger worked four innings for the win.

Jackson fell 1-0 to Herculaneum to go 0-2 in the tournament. Cameron Heath allowed one run in four innings of work. Heath struck out two, walked one and allowed five hits. Geoff Enders allowed two hits in two innings of relief.

The Indians were held to two hits on offense.

Notre Dame 16, North County 6

ND 015 55 -- 16 13 0

NC 021 30 -- 6 4 3

WP -- Lucas Dirnberger, 1-0. LP -- Howard. HR -- Luke Moll (ND), Hulsey (NC). 2B -- Moll (ND), Abe Dirnberger 2 (ND), Brett Heischmidt 2 (ND), Nathan Kolda (ND), Jaco (NC), Ketcherside (NC). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame, Moll 3-4; A. Dirnberger 2-3; Jacob Essner 2-3; Heischmidt 2-2. Records -- Notre Dame 2-1.

Park Hills Central 6, Notre Dame 5

Notre Dame 202 000 1 -- 5 8 0

Park Hills 102 010 2 -- 6 7 0

WP -- Lupkey. LP -- Brett Heiscmidt, 0-1. 2B -- Jacob Essner (N), Abe Dirnberger (N), Jordan Buchheit (N), Calvird (P). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame, Essner 2-4; Park Hills, McFarland 3-4; Calvird 2-3. Records -- Notre Dame 1-1, Park Hills 3-0.

Herculaneum 1, Jackson 0

Jackson 000 000 0 -- 0 2 2

Herky 001 000 X -- 1 7 1

WP -- Payne. LP -- Cameron Heath, 0-1. 2B -- Bates (H), Hamby (H). Multiple hits -- Herculaneum, Bates 2-3. Records -- Jackson 0-2, Herculaneum 1-1.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD Gateway Invitational

Central junior Nicole Jackson won the 100- and 200-meter dashes to lead the Tigers to a second-place finish at the Gateway Invitational. Washington won the 17-team event with 107.5 points. Central had 75.

Central results

Long jump -- 7. Lisa Langenfeld 4-9

Pole vault -- 3. Emma Porter 8-0

Triple jump -- 5. Dani Gross 31-9

Shot put -- 4. Brianna Egbuka 37-11

100 -- 1. Nicole Jackson 13.0, 5. Roxanne Jackson 13.53, 6. Rita Walter 13.56

1,600 -- 6. Brittany Moreland 5:33.8

200 -- 1. N. Jackson 26.02, 4. R. Jackson 27.01, 5. Walter 27.54

1,600 relay -- 2. 4:18.95

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD Gateway Invitational

Matt Willingham won the pole vault for the Tigers at the Gateway Invitational.

The Tigers finished 10th in the team standings with 33.5 points. St. Louis University High topped the 23-team competition with 118 points.

Central results

Pole vault -- 1. Matt Willingham 13-0, 4. Lance Altenthal 11-6

Long jump -- 6. Tyler Terry 18-11 3/4

Triple jump -- 3. Terry 43-4

110 hurdles -- 7. Cantrell Andrews 16.89

400 -- 7. Chase Johnson 54.28

1,600 relay -- 8. 3:45.70

-- From staff reports