Powerful pitching from Bratcher carries Mules past NMCC

It only took five innings for the Poplar Bluff Mules baseball team to walk away with the victory.

The Mules have gotten off to a steady start at home, and they aimed to keep the momentum rolling in another SEMO Conference matchup against the New Madrid County Central Eagles on Thursday at Strenfel Field.

After a hot start and massive surge in the fifth inning, the Mules closed out the game with a walk-off homerun from Kolby Greenwall to seal a 12-2 win. The Mules improved to 3-2 on the season and collected their third straight home win.

Senior Dylan Bratcher got his second start as the pitcher for the Mules and wasted no time finding a rhythm from the mound. Bratcher struck out 11 batters, going 74-52 from off the mound, and surrendered three hits and two runs over five innings while walking one.

“Our last game really got me locked in to pitch,” Bratcher said. “Watching my teammates do well prepared me to get my shot on our turf. I felt that if I came out with a lot of intensity and showed everyone what I was capable of, it would pump the team up. I believe we did just that, and it was a good win for the team.”

Bratcher said to keep their momentum going, they must keep playing as a unit. As the Mules look ahead to playing in the Gulf Coast Classic next week, he said playing the same way they did in this matchup is all they need to do for a good outcome.

“We got to keep playing for each other and playing for the guy next to you,” Bratcher said. “We still need to clean some stuff up, and we’re getting better. The batters are doing great, our defense is getting better and our pitching is coming around. More practice, dedication and hard work are what we need to keep us going.”

Poplar Bluff got on the board in the first inning after Marcus Tabanera grounded out, scoring two runs. The Mules added to their early lead at the bottom of the second inning after Myles Johnson singled. Dylan Hall hit into a fielder’s choice, and Kolby Greenwall singled, each scoring one run.

NMCC started to find a flow in the top of the fourth inning by connecting with a few base hits, cutting the lead 5-2.

The Mules didn’t seem bothered as they added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on four hits. Hall singled, scoring one run, and Greenwall homered to left field, scoring three runs for the win.

John-Garrett Harris took the loss for NMCC. He went four and one-third innings, giving up 12 runs on 14 hits, striking out four and walking one.

The Mules accumulated 14 hits in the game. Hall and Rylan Seesengood each collected three hits for Poplar Bluff. Greenwall went 2-for-3 at the plate as the infielder led the team with three runs batted in. Noah Spain and Bratcher each collected multiple hits for the Mules, while Hall and Seesengood each stole multiple bases.

John Harris led NMCC with two runs batted in, while Ayden McCanless, Brady Swims and BJ Waters each collected one hit.

Greenwall said it felt good to close the game with a homer. He said the Mules did a really good job of having a plan at the plate, and he hopes they can carry the same approach throughout the season.

The Mules will travel to Bradley-Bourbonnais for their next game on Tuesday.