Lady Mules get four wins to kick off week

Poplar Bluff’s Presley Tinsley (second from right) is congratulated by teammatees Ireland Gowen (left), Payton Burkhart, Morgan Cisne, Kyra Mizell (partially hidden) and Ashton Mays after serving an ace during Monday’s high school volleyball match at the Poplar Bluff High School gymnasium.

DAR/Mike Buhler

Monday was definitely a great day for the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules.

All four Lady Mules teams playing Monday— volleyball, softball, golf and tennis — recorded wins. The softball team shut out West Plains 10-0 at Strenfel Field, while the volleyball recorded a straight-set win over Doniphan on senior night.

Meanwhile, the Lady Mules golf team won the Ste. Genevieve quad, while the tennis team earned a 6-3 win at Festus.

SOFTBALL

Poplar Bluff 10, West Plains 0

Lilly Johnson tossed a three-hit shutout and helped her own cause with a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Lady Mules ran their winning streak to four games.

Ireland Byrne drove in three runs on the day, including a two-run single to cap a six-run fourth inning to make it 7-0. Addison Valenzuela added three hits and three RBIs on the day.

It was a 1-0 game until the bottom of the fourth inning when Mary Adams ignited a rally by stealing home. Valenzuela then singled in Lillian Moeller to make it 3-0, followed by Johnson and Byrne’s two-run hits to cap the rally.

Valenzuela doubled home two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 9-0, then Elizabeth Blancett scored on Molly Eason’s groundball to make it 10-0 and end the game.

Poplar Bluff was at Kelly on Tuesday and is at Northwest on Friday.

VOLLEYBALL

Lady Mules 3, Doniphan 0

At the Poplar Bluff High School gym, the Lady Mules improved to 17-11 on the season as they took a 25-17, 25-16, 25-16 win over the visiting Donettes.

Poplar Bluff also learned Tuesday it will be the No. 5 seed in the Class 4 District 1 Tournament, which begins Oct. 22 at Farmington.

The Lady Mules will open district play against No. 4 Hillsboro at 5:30 p.m. that day, with the winner of that contest facing either top-seeded West Plains or No. 8 North County in semifinal action on Saturday, Oct. 26.

The Lady Mules were at Mountain View-Liberty on Tuesday and come home to take on Dexter on Thursday.

GOLF

Lady Mules win Ste. Genevieve quad

At Ste. Genevieve, the Lady Mules shot 188 to best the field and get some momentum headed into districts.

Olivia Thetford shot a 39 to earn medalist honors as the low score of the day.

Poplar Bluff competes at the Class 3 District 1 Tournament on Thursday at Wolf Hollow Golf Club in Labadie, in Franklin County.

TENNIS

Lady Mules 6, Festus 3

At Festus, the Lady Mules improved to 7-4 in dual matches as they earned the road win in Jefferson County.

The Lady Mules hosted Dexter for senior day on Tuesday. Results from Tuesday’s contests can be found in Thursday’s edition of the Daily American Republic.

Poplar Bluff begins individual and team play in districts next week.