Cape Legion drops pair to Dunklin County

The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63 American Legion baseball team didn't begin District 14 play the way it wanted.

But Monday's 5-4 loss to Dunklin County in the first game of a doubleheader that marked Cape's home opener did little to dim Post 63's enthusiasm.

Cape, which also fell 7-5 in the non-district nightcap, is confident of another strong season. Post 63 is 70-30 over the past two years, including back-to-back District 14 tournament championships.

"I think we've got a great team," Cape coach Todd Pennington said. "We've got the pitching, the hitting, the defense. We have the right players."

Post 63 fell to 4-4 following the sweep at Capaha Field.

"We should have a good team," said Jamie Pickel, among a strong contingent of returning players from last year that has been joined by a solid group of newcomers. "We've got a lot of good young guys. We just have to get used to playing with each other."

Dunklin County (5-3), which annually fields one of the region's top squads, grabbed a 5-0 lead in Monday's opener and held on despite Cape's four-run sixth inning.

"It was a little too late I guess," said Josh Meyer, a returning pitcher who took the loss while working all seven innings.

Dunklin County scored three third-inning runs. The big blow was a two-run homer by Clayton Gibbons.

Cape's only error of the game, which came with two outs in the fourth inning, led to a pair of unearned runs. Garrett Stockton's two-RBI triple made it 5-0.

Post 63 nearly came all the way back when it got four of its six hits during the big sixth inning.

Andrew Williams singled with one out and Jim Obermark walked. Dustin Crowden's RBI single got Cape on the board.

Logan Morris followed with an RBI single, Trey Gardner delivered an RBI double and Ryan Siebert's sacrifice fly made it 5-4.

The inning ended with the tying run on third base. Cape went down in order in the seventh.

"We waited a little late for the comeback," Pennington said. "I thought we played decent. Josh Meyer did a good job, and their pitchers threw well.

"Dunklin County is always one of the top teams in the area. We love playing them. It's always really good competition."

Meyer scattered 10 hits while allowing three earned runs. He struck out three and walked none.

"It wasn't my best outing. I kept it down for the most part," said Meyer, who was a freshman in the Harding (Ark.) University baseball program that made the NCAA Division II national tournament this year.

Logan Edwards pitched the first six innings for Dunklin County. He had a two-hit shutout through five frames before running into trouble.

Zach Watkins worked a perfect seventh inning for the save.

"Cape always has an outstanding Legion team and it's always tough to win in Capaha," Dunklin County coach Jamie Johnson said. "We just got fortunate enough to have one more than they did today.

"We were a little short on pitching because we played four games in a tournament over the weekend. Logan came out and gave us six solid innings and Zach came out and closed things out in the seventh. It's what we had planned heading into tonight regardless of whether we won or lost, and it worked out."

Dunklin County followed the first-game theme in the second game by building a 6-0 lead through two innings then held off Post 63's rally.

Cape had 13 hits but committed four errors. Cody Livesay led with three hits, followed by Pickel, Adam Pennington and Luke Hinkebein with two each.

Williams took the loss despite allowing just two earned runs in six innings. Dunklin County had 10 hits.

Cape returns to action Wednesday with a 7 p.m. home game against the Charleston Senior Babe Ruth team.

This weekend's Metropolis (Ill.) tournament has been canceled. Post 63 instead will play a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Metropolis.