Cape keeps it close through seven, but tumbles in nine

For seven innings Monday night, Cape Girardeau's Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team played well.

But to have a chance against powerhouse Dunklin County, they needed two more solid innings.

Cape learned that the hard way when Dunklin County took advantage of two errors in the final two innings to score 10 unearned runs, breaking open a tight contest and winning 14-3 at Capaha Field.

Dunklin County, which had its streak of five straight District 14 titles snapped last year by Chaffee, appears intent on regaining its crown. The squad from the Bootheel is 16-1 overall and 5-0 in the district.

"We've got another good bunch and we've played well so far this year," Dunklin County manager Jamie Johnson said.

Ford & Sons fell to 4-5 overall and 1-2 in the district.

"We were in the game for seven innings. Our team will come around and learn from this experience," Cape manager Tom Reinagel said. "Dunklin County is always a really strong team, but I think we know we can play with them."

Reinagel said he partly blamed himself for Cape's meager offensive output of five hits. With four of the team's 16 players gone for four days last week at a football camp in Columbia, Mo., Reinagel gave the entire squad Thursday through Sunday off.

"It looked like our bats also took the fifth day off, which was tonight," Reinagel said. "I take the blame for that. I left them off too long."

While Cape, which trailed 4-3 after seven innings, might have helped with a crucial error in each of the last two frames, Dunklin County still banged out 13 hits and dominated the offensive end.

Brian Lacey, the last-place batter for Dunklin County, had three hits, including two doubles, and he drove in two runs.

Billy Palmer tripled twice and had four RBIs; Southeast Missouri State University recruit Nathan Baker tripled, doubled and had three RBIs; Matt Thomas had two hits and two RBIs; and Lance Penn added two hits.

Jonathan Winston, who Johnson said is probably Dunklin County's No. 4 starter, pitched all nine innings. He gave up just one earned run while striking out two and walking one.

"Jonathan had a heck of a game," Johnson said. "We needed him to go nine because we've played so many games lately."

Tyler Schlosser had three of Cape's five hits, including a double.

Jeff Brosey took the loss, although he was solid after a shaky start, allowing seven hits and four runs in six innings, with three strikeouts and one walk.

Schlosser gave up six hits and the 10 unearned runs over the final three innings. He fanned four and walked two.

Dunklin County jumped on Brosey for three hits and two runs in the first inning, but Brosey settled down and Cape tied it with two in the fourth. Dunklin County went ahead for good with one in the fifth and one in the sixth. Cape got one back in the sixth before the visitors put the game away late.

mmishow@semissourian.com

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