The Poplar Bluff Mules are taking a road trip to challenge the Central Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Poplar Bluff will be strutting in after a victory while Central will be coming in after a defeat.
Poplar Bluff had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Kelly on Tuesday. The Mules' pitcher stepped up to hand the Hawks an 8-0 shutout. The win continues a trend for the Mules in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won three in a row.
The result came thanks to Rion Tenchavez's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up seven Ks. He is becoming a predictor of Poplar Bluff's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 4-1 (and 9-10 when he doesn't).
Marcus Tabanera
| 05/06/25 @ Kelly | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Sikeston | 2 |
| 05/02/25 vs Kennett | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Dexter | 1 |
| 04/24/25 vs Jackson | 1 |
On the hitting side, Poplar Bluff let Marcus Tabanera and Caden Jenkins run wild. Tabanera went 2-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run, while Jenkins went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those three RBI gave Tabanera a new career-high. Dylan Hall was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Central unfortunately witnessed the end of their nine-game winning streak on Monday. They fell just short of Jackson by a score of 2-1. Having soared to a lofty 14 runs in the game before, the Tigers couldn't push the score so high this time.
Chapman Ogles spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
Central's loss dropped their record down to 11-9. As for Poplar Bluff, their victory bumped their record up to 13-11.
Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Poplar Bluff hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. It's a different story for Central, though, as they've only averaged .255. Will they be able to contain Poplar Bluff's hitters?
Everything went Poplar Bluff's way against Central in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Poplar Bluff made off with a 10-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mules since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
