Poplar Bluff’s explosive sixth inning crushes Sikeston’s comeback hopes

SIKESTON — In a rollercoaster game, the Sikeston softball team experienced both moments of triumph and heartbreak during an 18-6 loss to Poplar Bluff at the Sports Complex on Thursday, August 31.

Despite gaining an early lead, the Lady Bulldogs' (0-3) efforts fell short in the face of an explosive sixth inning by the Lady Mules (2-2).

“Overall, I was happy with how our offense picked us up, but if our defense can’t perform at the level that I know we can, we’re going to struggle,” said Sikeston coach Alli Conder. “Abby Deshaney played a great game in centerfield and made plays that kept us in the game for a while. Alexa Lee who’s a freshman had a couple of hits at times when we needed them.”

Poplar Bluff's Addison Valenzuela (11) throws a pitch during an 18-6 win over Sikeston at the Sports Complex on Thursday, August 31, 2023.�Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

Sikeston gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Cambree Scott scored on a bases-loaded walk.

However, Poplar Bluff responded with a big third inning to take a 5-1 advantage.

“Our defense in the first two innings was the best defense we played this season so far,” Conder said. “I keep trying to stress to them that defense is where we are going to win games and starting like that was a good sign.

Sikeston's Alexa Lee (13) scores a run�during an 18-6 loss to Poplar Bluff at the Sports Complex on Thursday, August 31, 2023.�Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

“But then we lost it in the third a little bit,” she continued. “We still have small things on defense that we need to improve on like catching the ball from the outfield and making the simple play.”

In a pivotal moment during the fourth inning, Abby Deshaney made an exceptional defense play. With the bases loaded, no outs, and Poplar Bluff on the verge of extending its lead, Deshaney’s remarkable dive to her knees allowed her to make an incredible catch, securing an out.

Undeterred, she quickly sprinted to second base, executing a force out that thwarted the Lady Mules’ scoring opportunity.

Sikeston's Chloe Hamby (0) throws a strike�during an 18-6 loss to Poplar Bluff at the Sports Complex on Thursday, August 31, 2023.�Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

The excellent double play not only kept the opposition in check but also ignited a shift in momentum.

Chloe Hamby then sealed the inning with a decisive strikeout.

“[Deshaney’s] play was great and I think it brought the team back into the game and helped them realize that it wasn’t over and that they could still win it at that point,” Conder said. “I knew that there were still innings left to play and I just kept telling them that if we hit the ball and put it in play then we could come back and I think once they started to hit they gained their confidence back and started playing for each other.”

In a thrilling turnaround, the Lady Bulldogs battled back in the fifth inning, erasing the deficit to level the game at 5-5. The comeback was kicked off by Deshaney, whose powerful hit to center field drove in Scott.

Moments later, Bailey Brown showed great base-running skills, capitalizing on a ground out to cross home plate.

The momentum continued as Deshaney took advantage of an error, scoring another run, and Alexa Lee displayed her speed, scoring on a throw after a single by Lily Robbins to bring in the tying run.

Sikeston’s fortunes quickly soured in the sixth inning as Poplar Bluff unleased an offensive barrage, scoring an overwhelming 13 runs.

The sudden surge in runs dealt a devastating blow to the Lady Bulldogs’ hope of a comeback.

“The last inning started with a walk and then they just started hitting gaps,” Conder said. “But we weren’t great at getting the ball in quickly or fielding it cleanly when it came back in. I think our confidence dropped a little bit during that time and that’s something that we’ll have to work on.”

Sikeston added one final run in the bottom of the sixth, narrowing the lead to 18-6 after Dakota Thompson scored on a double by Brown.

On the mound, Hamby threw 5.1 innings, allowing 12 earned runs on 14 hits with five strikeouts and five walks.

Thompson pitched the final 0.2 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits.

Sikeston travels to Perryville (1-3), while Poplar Bluff is at Chaffee (5-0) on Tuesday, September 5.