Brinkmeyer, Young, Taylor pitch Post 63 to 10-5 victory

After three regular-season meetings and two more in the American Legion District 14 tournament, Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons and Jackson met for a sixth time Friday -- with the loser going home.

Ford & Sons evened their season record with Jackson at 3-3 with a 10-5 win in an elimination game at the Zone 4 Tournament in Jackson. While Cape stayed alive in its quest for the zone championship, Jackson's season ended.

Cape will play 1 p.m. today in the losers bracket final against the loser of Friday's late game between Anheuser-Busch and Festus. Festus led Anheuser-Busch 8-3 after eight innings in the winners bracket final Friday night at presstime.

The sixth meeting between District 14 rivals came about after Jackson won an elimination game Friday morning, 13-9 over Manchester in 10 innings, and Cape was routed by Festus 17-4 in seven innings in a winners bracket game on Friday.

"This is a big win for us after coming back from that first game," Cape coach Dave Meyr said. "That's been the characteristic of this team all year, coming back from adversity."

Jackson had beaten Cape twice in the district tourney en route to its first title. But after splitting its first two games in the zone tourney, Jackson was using its No. 3 starter while Cape threw its No. 2 starter after receiving a bye Thursday.

Jeremy Brinkmeyer answered the call for Cape, pitching 5 1/3 innings for the win. Brinkmeyer allowed five runs on eight hits. Lance Young threw 2 2/3 innings of relief and Mike Taylor closed out the ninth.

"We had a little advantage with the bye and didn't have to throw the extra two pitchers you'd normally have," Meyr said. "It was a big advantage for us."

Austin Morrison got the start for Jackson and lasted just three innings. Morrison allowed five runs.

Tyrone Reece came in to relieve Morrison and allowed five more runs in just two innings. Cape had built up a 10-4 lead after five innings.

"Cape won; I'm not going to take anything away from them," Jackson coach Mark Lewis said. "I think early on we just couldn't stop their offense. I just didn't think we were as good early on the hill like we needed to be."

Jackson looked like it may mount a rally in the sixth, chasing Brinkmeyer with an RBI single from Chad Minson that left the bases loaded and just one out. Young came in and induced a strikeout and a pop fly to get out of the jam, though.

Tony Longman gave Jackson 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief from there, but Jackson could not get its offense going. Jackson managed nine hits, but stranded runners in nearly every inning.

"When we brought Tony in there, he gave us four good innings to get back in the game, but we didn't cash in," Lewis said.

Ford & Sons banged out 16 hits, led by Zac Hudson with four. Hudson also drove in two runs. Ty Craft added three hits, and Sean Bard, Kendal Deason and Trevor Irwin had two hits apiece. Deason also had four RBIs.

Minson led Jackson's offense with four hits, and Derrick Biri added a pair of singles.

Cape will now have to win three games over the next two days in order to earn a berth in the state tournament.

"This gives them confidence," Meyr said. "We'll find out how much pitching these other teams have left."

Festus, which had routed Jackson on Thursday, treated Cape as rudely on Friday with its seven-inning win. Cape starter Kirk Boeller went just 3 1/3 innings after allowing nine runs. Cory Huskey did not fair much better, allowing eight runs in three innings.

Craft had a solo home run for Ford & Sons and Irwin managed three hits.

Jackson's first zone victory in the program's history came the hard way in its 10-inning victory over Manchester. Jackson squandered a big early lead and another lead in the ninth before pulling the game out in the 10th.

Rex Meyr had a pair of home runs, including a three-run homer in the 10th. He finished with five hits and five RBIs.

Biri added two hits, including a three-run home run and the game-winning RBI in the 10th. Tyler Beussink added two hits.

Jason Meystedt labored through 10 innings for the complete-game victory. Meystedt allowed nine runs on 17 hits, with five strikeouts and three walks.