JACKSON'S HOPKINS NO-HITS BLUFF 5-0

SIKESTON -- Jackson High School and pitcher Josh Hopkins waited until the Class 4A, District 1 Tournament began Tuesday to show their best to Poplar Bluff.

Jackson, which dropped both its regular season games to the Mules, ended fourth-seeded Poplar Bluff's season in no-hit fashion. Hopkins totally stifled the Mules' offense in the first-round game as Jackson rolled to a 5-0 victory.

Fifth-seeded Jackson (10-14) will face top-seeded Sikeston in a 3 p.m. semifinal today.

"He's been pitching a little better the last part of the year," said Jackson coach Sam Sides of Hopkins. "He started off as our No. 2 and took over the No. 1 job."

Center fielder Chris Kohm saved Hopkins' no-hit bid with a diving catch in the left center field gap to end the game.

Hopkins struck out six and walked two.

"He had a pretty good fastball today and he had good control of his changeup," said Sides.

The Indians backed up Hopkins with errorless defense while banging out nine hits. Two of the hits belonged to Hopkins, who went 2-for-3.

Kohm also went 2-for-3 and Tory Meyer was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Jackson scored two runs in the top of the third on an RBI double by Meyer and a Kohm RBI single. The Indians plated three insurance runs in the seventh, all scoring with two outs. Meyer had his second RBI double of the game and Nathan Brown and Todd Wessel added RBI singles.

Poplar Bluff finished its season at 7-9.

In today's other semifinal, No. 3 Cape Central will play No. 2 Farmington at 5:30 p.m.