Sessengood has memorable day in every way to lead rallying Mules

Poplar Bluff High School junior Rylan Sessengood still has a season-plus remaining in his baseball career to make memories, but how he performed on Monday in the Mules’ 8-7 come-from-behind win over Sikeston in the consolation bracket championship game of the SEMO Conference Baseball Tournament at Capaha Field will certainly go in his memory bank as a really, really good day.

“Rylan was a competitor,” first-year Poplar Bluff coach John David Pattillo said following the win. “I like the fact that he wants to be out there.”

Sessengood led Poplar Bluff (11-12) both from the mound, as well as at the plate.

On the mound, the right-hander worked out of several tense situations, both early and late in the win.

The Bulldogs (5-14) took a quick lead in their initial at-bat, as Sessengood opened his day by allowing a lead-off walk, followed by an error in the infield, followed by Sessengood hitting Sikeston hitter Trace Sullivan III, followed by a double by Noah Pruitt, which put the Bulldogs ahead 3-0.

At that juncture, it seemed pretty far-fetched to think that Sessengood – or the Mules – would have a successful afternoon.

“He had his moments where he was actually really good,” Pattillo said of his pitcher. “And he had a few moments here and there that weren’t as good.

“But all in all, he did a pretty good job.”

Sikeston stretched their advantage to 5-1 by the second inning, but Poplar Bluff continued to claw back.

“Early in the game,” first-year Bulldog coach Wyatt Pratt said, “we were a lot more aggressive, especially in the box.”

The Mules trailed 5-2 in the fourth inning when Dylan Bratcher drew a lead-off walk and was substituted for by pinch-runner Billy Hirtz.

Hirtz moved up a base on a single by Myles Johnson and both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by David Durbin.

Sessengood drove a pitch off Bulldog starter Carter Goodman, which scored both Hirtz and Johnson to pull Poplar Bluff to within 5-4.

“All day long,” Pattillo continued, “offensively, that kept us in the game.”

With two outs in the inning, Poplar Bluff senior Kayson King hit his 13th double of the season, which tied a Mule program record, and the hit put Poplar Bluff ahead 6-5, as Dylan Hall and Kolby Greenwall each scored.

“Poplar Bluff made some things happen on the bases,” Pratt said, “and then we kind of sat back on the lead a little bit, we got too big and got out of our approach, and they got back in the game.

Sikeston answered with a couple of runs in the fifth inning, as Daeton Taylor walked, and the Mules committed an error.

Bulldog hitter Rush Ault singled and the Poplar Bluff defense made a couple of errors on the play, which led to Sikeston holding a 7-6 lead.

The Mules tied the game in the fifth inning, as Bryce Dobbs doubled to center field, and pinch-runner Cameron Settle later scored on a sacrifice fly to right field.

In the sixth, Sessengood opened the inning with a triple and scored on a single by Hall, which proved to be the game-winner.

Sessengood gave up lead-off singles in each of Sikeston’s final two at-bats but settled down enough to get out of both innings without any damage.

He threw a complete game and allowed seven hits on 102 pitches, but just two earned runs.

He struck out five Sikeston hitters and walked three.

“Hats off to (Sessengood),” Pratt said. “He was up in the zone a lot early, and we hit some balls hard. Then, he really settled in and found the breaking ball.

“He was really, really good after that.”

Sessengood, who hit in the No. 9 spot, had three hits to lead the Mules, as well as two RBI and a run scored.

Hall added two hits, two runs, an RBI, and a walk, while Greenwall (one run), King (three RBI, one hit), Noah Spain (two hits), Dobbs (one hit), Bratcher (one hit, one walk), Johnson (one hit, one run), and Durbin (one run, one walk) also contributed to the victory.

Goodman worked 3 1/3 innings for the Bulldogs and gave up five hits and four earned runs. He struck out two and walked three in 67 pitches.

Taylor threw 1 2/3 innings in relief and gave up three hits and a couple of earned runs, while Heath Poindexter II closed the final inning and allowed two hits and one earned run.

Pruitt led the Bulldogs with two hits and three RBI, while Luke Gadberry (one hit, one walk), Joseph Heckemeyer (one hit, two runs, one RBI), Sullivan (one hit, one run, one RBI), Taylor (one run, one walk), Carter Crow (one run), Ault (one hit), and Jacob Leavitt (one hit, one run, one walk) was also productive for Sikeston.

The Bulldogs will try to top last season’s five victories on Wednesday at Class 1 No. 2-ranked Oran (10-4) at 4:30 p.m.

Poplar Bluff will go for its 11th win, which would match the 2021 total and top last spring’s nine victories, today against Class 6 No. 8-ranked Jackson in Poplar Bluff at 4:30 p.m.