The Lady Mules softball squad launches their season on a high note after securing back-to-back wins.

Poplar Bluff went head-to-head against Fox High School on Tuesday, where they defeated the Lady Warriors 6-2 for their season opener. The Lady Mules followed with a tough battle against the North County Lady Raiders on Wednesday at Strenfel Field.

After being challenged in the final inning, the Lady Mules held strong to capture a 3-2 win over North County—extending their record to 2-0 to start the year.

Despite a close call, Lady Mules head coach Aaron Duncan said the team showed a lot of resilience and reflected on the team's ability to pull out a win despite facing adversity.

“We knew at the beginning of the season that we would have some gritty performances,” Duncan said. “We managed to get two complete games from our pitchers, which really came through for us against North County. With some good defense behind them and timely hitting, everything is just coming together.”

The Lady Mules came out swinging for the fences after a home run to center field by freshman Lillie Johnson to put the team on the board in the bottom of the first. North County followed with one run in the top of the second on a solo home run to left field by Amy Layton.

A double by Johnson extended the Poplar Bluff’s lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning. Though North County managed to bring in another run during the top of the sixth, the Lady Mules’ defense made sure no more runs came in.

Elizabeth Blancett stepped in the circle first for the Lady Mules. The starter surrendered six hits and two runs (one earned) over seven innings, striking out six and walking one. Olivia Jaco started on the mound for North County. The hurler gave up seven hits and three runs over six innings, striking out six and walking none.

Johnson drove the middle of the lineup, leading Poplar Bluff with three runs batted in. The outfielder went 2-for-3 on the day and received the game ball for her performance. Lillian Moeller and Johnson each collected two hits for the Lady Mules. Moeller stole three bases of out Poplar Bluff’s four.

“We really shouldn't have been in that position because I thought we could get another one or two runs across in those middle innings,” Duncan said. “Everything happens for a reason, so for us to handle that pressure and win it by one is a big deal for the kids. Lillie is just resilient, gritty and one of the hardest-working kids I've ever seen in my coaching career in any sport. She’s a committed and dedicated team player. I was so happy to witness her first career home run.”

The team is preparing for the upcoming Notre Dame SoftballFest. Their matchups include games against Notre Dame, Cape Central, Van Buren and Kelly, which Ducan said will test their abilities against well-coached, fundamental teams with strong pitching and defense. He reiterates the importance of the team coming to play and being ready for the challenges ahead.

“We just got to be ready,” he said. The first two games against Notre Dame and Kelly will be some good tests for us. These two teams can hit the ball, so we’re going to have to be prepared for more gritty games.”