Cape Junior Legion upends Sikeston in district tournament

~ Post 63 moved into the winners bracket final with a 7-1 victory

The Cape Girardeau Plaza Tire Post 63 Junior American Legion baseball team didn't enter the District 14 tournament as the favorite.

But host Cape showed that it is a force to be reckoned with in its opening game.

Post 63, seeded third in the four-team double-elimination event, rolled past second-seeded Sikeston Post 114 7-1 on Thursday at Central High School.

"We came out pretty good today," Cape's Noah Dillingham said in something of an understatement.

Cape will take an 18-22 record into today's 1:30 p.m. winners bracket final against top-seeded Jackson Post 158.

Jackson routed fourth-seeded Scott County Post 369 10-0 in five innings in Thursday's other first-round matchup.

"It was great," Cape coach Allen Pearman said of his squad's performance. "You want to get in the winners bracket and stay there."

Post 63 went 1-3 against Sikeston during the regular season and 0-4 vs. Jackson -- but Pearman was undeterred.

"I'm confident in my guys," Pearman said. "I thought we could compete. If we put it together and play as a team, we can beat anyone, but you can say that about a lot of teams."

Cape put things together against Sikeston (21-9), led by solid offense and the stellar pitching of ace Hayden Lynn.

"When he's on, we can beat anyone," Pearman said.

Lynn went all seven innings. He allowed an unearned run in the second inning and scattered six hits, striking out eight and walking two.

"I was just trying to locate my pitches and throw whatever the coach called," Lynn said. "My fastball was working pretty good and so was my curveball when I was ahead in the count."

Dillingham had three of Cape's eight hits. He scored three times and drove in two runs -- both coming on a long home run that easily cleared the left-field fence.

"He really hit that one," Pearman said.

Dillingham said the blast, in the fourth inning to put Cape up 6-1, was his first home run in two years.

More notably, it marked Post 63's first over-the-fence home run this summer. Cape's only other homer was an inside-the-park job.

"It felt good," Dillingham said.

Post 63 went ahead early with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning.

The first two batters were retired before Dillingham singled, Connor McGarr singled and Logan Callahan walked. Dillingham scored when Clayton Reynolds' ground ball was booted for an error.

Sikeston answered with an unearned run in the second inning, taking advantage of two of Cape's three errors in the contest.

Cape took the lead for good with a three-run third inning with the help of an error.

Kaleb Ward led off with a single and Dillingham singled. McGarr then put down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown into the right-field corner to score two runs. McGarr, who went to third on the error, scored on Callahan's groundout.

"If we execute, good things will happen," Pearman said. "We executed and caught a nice break in our favor."

Cody Rogers was the losing pitcher. Trey Smith and Audie Hay both had two of Sikeston's six hits.

Now Cape will shoot for a more significant upset against powerhouse Jackson. Post 63 has not beaten Post 158 in four tries this year, but Pearman remains upbeat.

"They're great, but we competed with them," he said.