Poplar Bluff fends off Central softball team's rallies

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Central softball team had chances trailing by a run late Thursday.

The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning and put the tying run on second with one out in the seventh.

But Poplar Bluff senior Rebekah Watkins wiggled out of both late-inning jams to help the Mules hold off the Tigers 2-1.

"We've got to push them across, that's the bottom line," Central coach Amy Blattel said.

With the bases loaded in the sixth, Watkins struck out the next hitter on three pitches and got out of the jam with a fly ball that left fielder Karisa Coleman ran down in the gap.

Central catcher Brooke Baugher catches a pop fly during Thursday's game in Poplar Bluff, Mo. (BRIAN ROSENER ~ Daily American Republic)

Central (8-11) got a one-out walk to start the sixth-inning rally, and Kadie Orenstein singled before Lexi Smith reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases.

Pinch-hitter Winnie Smee hit a double down the right-field line in the seventh, but the Tigers stranded the runner with a pop fly caught in foul territory and a ground out to third.

"We definitely did not have the discipline at the plate that we needed to have today," Blattel said. "I thought Winnie got a very key hit for us, drove it, and I thought that was good to see."

Orenstein was 2 for 3 and drove in Central's lone run in the first. Madison Daum started the game with a slap single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bailey Kratochvil then scored on Orenstein's double down the left-field line that hit the chalk.

Poplar Bluff starter Nikki Fratesi retired the next 13 batters before Amanda Webb's two-out single in the fifth. Fratesi struck out four over five innings, while Watkins pitched the final two innings in a steady rain.

"The pitchers did an excellent job of placing the ball," Poplar Bluff coach Julie Gambill said. "I can't say enough about how well they were placing the ball."

Orenstein went the distance for Central. She struck out four, allowed six hits, four walks and an unearned run.

The Tigers committed three errors, including one in Poplar Bluff's two-run third inning.

Coleman led off the third with a single and moved to third when Courtney Campbell bunted for a hit. She beat the throw to first, but it got away from the first baseman, which allowed Coleman to reach third. Randi Montgomery followed with an RBI single to left field to even the score 1-1.

Ally Brooks then hit an RBI single up the middle for the lead, but the Mules stranded two runners in scoring position.

Poplar Bluff left 10 runners in all, including the bases loaded in the second and fifth innings.

Orenstein got a pop fly to escape the second inning with the lead and got out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fifth with a strikeout, ground out and pop out.

Central 100 000 0 -- 1 5 3

Bluff 002 000 x -- 2 6 0

WP -- Nikki Fratesi LP -- Kadie Orenstein. 2B -- Winnie Smee (C). Orenstein (C). Randi Montgomery (PB). Multiple hits -- Central: Orenstein 2-3; Poplar Bluff: Montgomery 2-4. Ally Brooks 2-2. Records: Central 8-11, Poplar Bluff 10-9.