Kelly softball team rallies for three in sixth, holds on for 4-3 win vs. Poplar Bluff

~ The Hawks improved to 12-5 with their road victory at Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Kelly softball team scored just enough runs to escape Bacon Park with a win Tuesday afternoon.

The Hawks scored three runs in the sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit and held on for a 4-3 win over Poplar Bluff.

"We did have runners on base and I'm proud that the girls did get on base this ballgame," Poplar Bluff coach Julie Gambill said.

Kelly (12-5) started the sixth with consecutive singles from Kristen Powell and Haley Glastetter, who both moved up on a wild pitch. After Powell was thrown out at home on a bunt, Glastetter scored on a bunt by Sidney Vinyard to make it 2-2.

"We didn't get our bunts down when we needed to," Kelly coach Melanie Heuring said. "We were able to at least put the ball in play when we needed to and make them handle it and put pressure on them to get a couple runs there."

After courtesy runner Michaela Gean also was thrown out at home, leadoff hitter Emily Grojean bunted it back to the pitcher and the throw to first got away, allowing Jessica Worth and Vinyard to score to make it 4-2.

"I knew we would [need the insurance runs]," Heuring said. "We should have gotten a few more."

Poplar Bluff junior Courtney Campbell got a bunt single to start the sixth and moved to second on a groundout. After Robinson reached on an error, Campbell was thrown out at third base trying to advance to third on a ball that just got away from Kelly catcher Kristen Vetter.

"We made a base running mistake that could have determined the better outcome of the game," Gambill said. "Those are things we have been working on in practice."

Poplar Bluff scratched across its last run in the inning when Robinson scored on an error.

Kelly got its first run in the third when Jade Rampley scored after two consecutive Poplar Bluff miscues.

"The errors will dwindle with maturity and with playing time," Gambill said. "That is what I am looking to see is these small things disappearing out of our game so that we can develop a winning ballclub in the next few years."

Powell finished with two walks and six strikeouts in the winning effort.

Kelly 001 003 0 -- 4 14 4

Poplar Bluff 200 001 0 -- 3 2 2

WP -- Kristen Powell, 12-5. LP -- Amy Stucker. 2B -- Kaitlin Glastetter (K), Jade Rampley (K), Brooks (PB). Multiple hits -- Kelly: Jessica Worth 2-3, Haley Glastetter 2-4, Powell 2-4, Rampley 3-4, K. Glastetter 2-4. Records -- Kelly 12-5, Poplar Bluff 2-11.