Cape Girardeau bows out of Senior American Legion zone tourney

It was not the type of showing the Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons Post 63 American Legion baseball team had in mind.

Host Cape was the first squad eliminated from the Zone 4 tournament at Capaha Field, dropping a 7-5 decision Friday to District 14 rival Dunklin County.

Post 63 opened the five-team double-elimination event Thursday with an 11-7 loss to Creve Coeur.

"It's disappointing the way the season ended," Cape's Ross Moldenhauer said. "I thought we could have won this."

Friday's result capped an end-of-year fizzle for Cape (26-16), which finished with four straight postseason losses. Post 63 also had an 0-2 showing at the District 14 tournament after it had won that event the previous two summers.

Cape Girardeau's Jimmy Obermark jumps over Dunklin County baserunner Tyler Thompson after forcing out Thompson at second during the second inning.

"It's definitely disappointing, this and the district tournament," Cape's Josh Meyer said. "We just didn't play our best ball. It wasn't for lack of effort."

Cape faced a familiar foe in Dunklin County on Friday. The squads fought for zone survival after both were defeated in the opening round. Dunklin County fell to two-time defending state champion Festus 3-1.

Dunklin County, which won the District 14 tournament, beat Cape for the fifth time in six meetings this season. It needed a late rally to pull it off.

"It's always a battle when we play Dunklin County," Cape coach Todd Pennington said. "We enjoy playing them."

Cape started strong with four runs in the top of the first inning, led 5-2 after five innings and carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh when things unraveled.

Cape Girardeau's Andrew Williams takes a swing during the fourth inning Friday.

An infield single, walk and single on a fly ball that looked like it might be caught loaded the bases with nobody out.

Trey Bazzell delivered an RBI single to make it 5-4 and keep the bases full. The tying run came in when Meyer, Cape's starter, was called for his second balk, which left runners on second and third.

Post 63 looked like it might keep the contest deadlocked when Meyer got a line drive to shortstop and a ground ball to third.

Reliever Ronnie Scott then induced a routine ground ball to shortstop, but a wild throw allowed two runs to come home on the error.

"I thought we were going to get out of it," Meyer said. "Ronnie came in and did a great job, getting the ground ball. It's just one of those things that happens."

Cape's offense did little after the first-inning barrage that featured a two-run single by Trey Gardner and an RBI double by Andrew Williams.

Post 63, which had three hits in the opening inning, managed just six hits and one run over the final eight frames.

"Our bats were hot in the first inning, then we kind of stopped hitting," Moldenhauer said.

Meyer allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and a two-run homer to second-place hitter Joe Campbell.

But Meyer settled down and pitched well, shutting out Dunklin County on two hits over the next four innings.

"The home run ball was just a mistake pitch that I left up," Meyer said. "After that I started cruising. I ran out of gas at the end."

Meyer took the loss, allowing nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked three.

Scott retired the next four batters to finish things out after the ground ball that turned into the crucial error.

"I thought Josh did a great job. I expected that," Pennington said. "Ronnie came in and did a good job."

Both teams had nine hits. Moldenhauer, Gardner and Cody Livesay all had two hits for Cape.

Zach Watkins was the winner in relief, allowing two hits and no runs over the final three innings. He struck out three.

Starter Garrett Stockton gave up seven hits and five runs in six innings. He struck out seven and walked four.

"It was a good game. I've got no problem with the way we played," Pennington said. "It's a tough zone. I think we're just as good as anybody else. We just didn't get it done."

Despite Cape's postseason struggles, Pennington was pleased with another solid campaign that gives Post 63 a three-year record of 96-46 since he became coach.

Pennington, along with assistants Steve Williams and Bill Bohnert, have revived a once-proud program that had fallen on hard times before they took over.

"Overall we played well. We had a bunch of good kids and I really enjoyed the season," Pennington said.