Dexter's Mason Noe, right, watches his throw as he gets Poplar Bluff's Robert Rushin, center, in a rundown during the third inning Monday at Strenfel Memorial Field. Rushin was tagged out on the play. (Brad Hurt/DAR)

By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer

In one inning, Poplar Bluff turned a pitcher's duel into a comfortable 5-0 win over Dexter and completed a sweep with a 13-2 junior varsity win Monday.

The Mules (7-4) scored four runs in the fifth on four hits and an error to take command of the game while Donnie Magruder scattered five hits to pick up the win.

Poplar Bluff's Donnie Magruder loses his helmet while trying to stretch a single into a double during the first inning of Monday's game against Dexter. (Brad Hurt/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

Ben Knuckles' one-out single got the Poplar Bluff offense started in the fifth before Josh Thompson walked to set up a 2-run single for Dallas Berry that stretched the lead to 3-0.

After Magruder popped out and Todd Bullington walked, Brennan Moore and Bobby McIntosh came through with consecutive RBI hits, driving in Berry and Bullington with the game's final runs.

"Anytime you can get twoout hits to drive in runs, those are huge runs," Poplar Bluff coach Justin Shell said. "The guys at the bottom of our lineup were getting on base, and when people get hits, it's easy to score runs."

Magruder got the win on the mound by getting himself out of jams on more than one occasion.

He nullified a leadoff walk in the first by retiring the next three hitters in order. Josh Sifford led off the fifth for Dexter with a double, but was stranded on second when Garrett McKuin lined a hard shot that glanced off Poplar Bluff third baseman Robert Rushin. Thompson picked up the ball and threw to first to get McKuin in a close play at first and end the inning.

"Donnie doesn't throw terribly hard, but he throws the ball over the plate," Shell said. "He's going to give us a chance to win."

Magruder recorded six strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter in seven innings.

"We're a little bit shorthanded, but you still have to tip your hat to Magruder," Dexter coach Brian Becker said. "He threw a heck of a ballgame against us."

McIntosh and Berry each went 2-for-3 to lead Poplar Bluff.

"When your starting pitching allows no runs, it's easy to win," Shell said.

Poplar Bluff won the junior varsity game 13-2 behind a solid outing from Brent Bowman, who scattered seven hits in five innings of work.

Kyle Nelson led the Mules by going 4-for-4 at the plate while Nick Shrum went 2-for-2.

Chance Berry, who drew three walks and was hit by a pitch, scored every time he reached base.

Dexter had runners on second and third with no outs in the first, but came away emptyhanded as Bowman retired the next three hitters.

The Mules scored three runs in bottom of the inning and five more in the second to build a comfortable lead.

"It's always nice to get an early lead," Shell said.

The Mules finished third in the varsity tournament at South Pemiscot last weekend, suffering a 2-1 loss in eight innings to Dunklin County Junior Legion before bouncing back in the consolation game.

Poplar Bluff won its opener against Halls (Tenn.) 9-4. Magruder went the distance, scattering nine hits. Five of those hits came in the first inning before he settled down. The Mules scored four runs in the sixth to pull out the win. McIntosh went 2-for-2 and scored three times while Thompson went 2-for-4 and scored three runs of his own.

A catcher's interference call with the bases loaded in the sixth brought in the tying run for Dunklin County as they went on to the extra-inning win.

Jake Smith struck out seven in 7 1/3 innings while McIntosh drove in the Mules' only run.

The Mules claimed third place by beating Malden in the consolation game 9-4. Bullington threw a complete game while Dallas Berry and Knuckles each picked up three hits. "Overall, I thought we played well," Shell said. "We talked about playing hard in the third-place game, and that's what the kids did."