Baseball Game Preview: Poplar Bluff Mules vs. Park Hill South Panthers

The Poplar Bluff Mules will face off against the Park Hill South Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Park Hill South will be up against a hot Poplar Bluff squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Mules blew past Cooter 12-2 on Wednesday.

Dylan Hall was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Hall was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

In other pitching news, Drew Cooper looked comfortable as he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.

Kade Huffman

Hits (Career)

04/09/25 vs Cooter	3
04/08/25 @ Sikeston	2
03/25/25 @ Kennett	2
04/07/25 vs Ellington	1
03/28/25 vs Van Buren	1

Back at the plate, Poplar Bluff got a massive performance out of Kade Huffman, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave Huffman a new career-high. Brandt Bell was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two triples and two runs.

Poplar Bluff hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive contests.

While Park Hill South didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against North Kansas City on Wednesday as they made off with a 13-5 victory. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Hornets recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.

Park Hill South's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Poplar Bluff, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.

Poplar Bluff came up short against Park Hill South in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 10-7. Can the Mules avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.