Lady Eagles Take Third On Funkhouser Walk-Off

Alexis Funkhouser walked off Poplar Bluff with a double into the gap to give Sullivan a 3-2 win over Poplar Bluff and third place in the Peoples Bank Back To Classic.

Funkhouser came up with two outs and Grace Halmick on second.

After a well-struck fly ball hit right to the fielder in second, she didn’t miss when she came up in the fifth.

Her ball found the gap in left field to bring home Halmick.

Sullivan (3-1) ended the tournament on a high note after falling to eventual champion Logan-Rogersville in the semifinal.

Poplar Bluff tied the game in the top of the fifth, and Funkhouser’s double ensured no extra innings.

The Lady Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first when Hanna Johanning walked and scored on Sophia Weirich’s double.

Johanning started and retired the first eight batters with ease. She walked (22) with two outs in the third, but got a fly out to end the inning.

Sullivan extended the lead in the bottom half when Ulrich doubled, sliding just under the tag of Elizabeth Fredwell at second.

Johanning smashed a grounder to left. Ulrich was held up at third. She scored one batter later when Caleigh Chilton misplayed Weirich’s ground ball to short. 

Sullivan loaded the bases with one out, but a 1-2-3 double play off the bat of Alexis Johnson got the Mules out of the inning.

Poplar Bluff drew two more walks from Johanning to start the fourth. With Ella Zgaynor batting, Chilton stole second, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch.

Sullivan swapped in Jaedin Blankenship. She allowed a grounder to Ulrich at third. The throw to first was too high. Zgaynor went to third, putting runners in scoring position.

Blankenship battled out of it. The next batter grounded out, and she struck out the next two looking.

Looking to put the Mules away for the victory in the fifth, Sullivan instead opened the door. Johanning’s error at short put Lauren Webb on base to begin the frame. A ball was slapped to Johnson at second and it went right past her into center. The ball also slipped past Riley Branson.

Poplar Bluff put the go-ahead run on first but gave it away on a caught stealing at second. 

The Mules did tie the game on a dropped third strike. Madyson Stahl’s throw home was too late and Webb crossed the plate. 

Sullivan would clinch the victory with Weirich’s one-out single and Funkhouser’s two-out double.