GCT defeats Mules to end winning streak

PARAGOULD, Ark. — The Poplar Bluff Mules baseball team saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end Thursday when the Mules lost 9-5 to the Greene County Tech Eagles in an interstate clash of two of the better teams in their respective states.

Marcus Tabanera’s two-out double to center in the top of the third inning scored Noah Spain and briefly gave the Mules (9-3) a 2-1 lead, but it was the last lead they would hold Thursday.

GCT (13-3) tied the score in the bottom of the third inning when Cannon Driskill reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on an error, then the Eagles took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Hayden Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk.

Greene County Tech added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Keyton Watson scored on a Tucker Beasley groundball, then Brodie Ryan singled home Kannon Ring increase the GCT lead to 5-2.

Drew Cooper scored on Myles Johnson’s groundball in the top of the sixth inning as Poplar Bluff briefly cut the Eagles’ lead to 5-3, but the hosts scored four more runs in the bottom of the inning to break the game open.

Dylan Hall scored on Tabanera’s groundball in the top of the seventh inning to cut the GCT lead to 9-4, then Bryce Dobbs singled home Kolby Greenwall to make it 9-5. The Mules had the tying run on deck, but the rally ended there.

Dobbs and Greenwall had two hits apiece to lead Poplar Bluff, while Tabanera drove in two runs on the day.

The Mules are in action Friday against Park Hill at the Laker Bat Tournament in Camdenton, the first of three games the Mules will play at the two-day event.