CAPE CENTRAL DECORATES FIRST SHOWCASE WITH TWO VICTORIES

With memories of his game-winning home run against North County High Friday night still fresh, visions of grandeur must have been coursing through Chris Bradshaw's mind when he encountered a similar opportunity Saturday. Right?

"I don't think much when I get up there," Bradshaw said.

Nevertheless, with the score 6-6 in the Cape Girardeau Central sixth, Bradshaw's sacrifice fly to deep left field scored Paul Dobbins. Central held on to beat Horn Lake, Miss., 7-6 Saturday afternoon in the Tiger Showcase. Also Saturday, Central hammered Calloway County, Ky., 11-1 in five innings.

Trailing 6-5 with one out in the sixth inning, Central's Ross Bennett singled and Dobbins followed with a single. Tatum Kitchen then drilled a single to left field to score Bennett, tying the game.

Bradshaw, Central's senior third baseman and cleanup hitter who beat North County with a three-run homer in the ninth inning Friday, drilled a foul ball well beyond the left-field fence before hitting the sacrifice fly, which was caught at the fence.

"I thought it was going to go over but I got under it just a little bit," Bradshaw said. "I've been hitting the ball pretty good all year, but this is the first time I've actually got RBIs that count. Last night and today were pretty big for me."

Horn Lake (19-12) scored single runs in each of the first three innings before the Tigers got four in their third. David Hamm and Adam Bertrand each singled and scored on errors and Bennett reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch. A Bradshaw double scored Kitchen.

Greg Messer spanked a three-run homer in the fifth inning that gave Horn Lake a 6-4 edge and then flexed his muscles for his teammates as he rounded the bases. In the Central fifth, Kitchen walked and scored on a Joe McCollough single.

In the seventh inning, Messer was not afforded the opportunity to flex as left-handed reliever Matt Welker got the lefty to pop out weakly to first baseman Kitchen. Right-hander Travis Klipfel then entered and got the final two outs.

Dobbins went 4 1/3 innings and Jeff Michel threw 1 2/3. Welker and Klipfel, each seeing their first varsity action this season, completed the last frame.

"It couldn't have worked out any better," said Central coach Steve Williams. "We had a couple guys today that haven't played a whole lot this year but played a big role in the game."

In the early game Saturday, Greg Craft went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and Bennett was 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Michael Minner went all five innings and permitted five hits.

* Cape Central's JV also went undefeated in Showcase play Saturday, pushing its overall record to 10-0.

The Tigers pounded Calloway County 15-6 as Joe Hamilton picked up the win. Dusty Barrows ripped a solo home run and Josh McIntosh went 2-for-2.

In the Central's second game, the JV Tigers nipped Horn Lake 9-7.

Mark Fisher was 4-for-4 with home run. McIntosh added another home run and Chris Barrows went 2-for-3. Jay Pierce got the win and McIntosh the save.