CAPE, CHAFFEE RECORD VICTORIES

SENATH, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons and Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy posted victories here Wednesday night in the winner's bracket semifinals of the American Legion District 14 Tournament.

Cape, seeded third in the eight-team event, rallied past second-seeded Dunklin County 8-5. Top-seeded Chaffee pulled away late to down fourth-seeded Sikeston 9-1.

So it will be Cape vs. Chaffee at 5 p.m. Friday in the winner's bracket final. The survivor of that contest will move into Saturday night's championship game.

There will be two elimination games today as Dunklin County plays fifth-seeded Poplar Bluff at 5 p.m. and Sikeston meets seventh-seeded Charleston at 8 p.m.

Cape (27-20) trailed 5-3 entering the top of the eighth inning, but Ford & Sons exploded for five runs. John Snider's two-run single put Cape ahead 6-5 and Shane Kistner delivered a two-run double with two outs for some insurance.

"It's a big win for us," said Cape manager Tom Reinagel, whose squad led 3-0 in the first inning before the Redbirds scored five unanswered runs. "The kids really battled and came back."

Jason Chavez (11-1) pitched all nine innings for Cape, allowing nine hits, with eight strikeouts and three walks.

"Jason got stronger as the game went on," Reinagel said.

Tyler Schlosser had three of Cape's eight hits while Kistner added two.

Dunklin County (37-13) ace Nathan Baker took the loss, in relief of starter Kerry Emerson.

Chaffee (42-8) posted its 30th straight victory, breaking a 1-1 tie with a run in the seventh, then scoring three in the eighth and four in the ninth.

Matt Stroup went the distance, allowing five hits while fanning six and walking two.

"Matt didn't have his best stuff, but he finds a way to win and our defense played well," said Chaffee manager Jeff Graviett.

Chaffee had 11 hits, led by John O'Rourke with three. G.P. Glueck, Perry Rice and Andrew DePeder all had two hits.

Bobby Landers suffered the loss for Sikeston (27-12), allowing nine hits and five runs (two earned) in eight innings. Sikeston was hurt by eight errors, which led to four unearned Chaffee runs.