CAPE LEGION GETS BETTER END OF SPLIT WITH CHAFFEE

Cape Girardeau and Chaffee split an American Legion baseball doubleheader Wednesday night at Capaha Field, but the teams came away feeling a bit differently about what had just transpired.

For Cape Ford & Sons, there was plenty of satisfaction.

For Chaffee's VFW Legion squad, there was a bit of disappointment.

The reason is simple. For the first time this year, only the first game of District 14 doubleheaders will count toward the district standings. Those will be nine-inning affairs. A second seven-inning game will follow, but won't affect the district standings.

In the past, District 14 doubleheaders consisted of a pair of seven-inning games that both counted in the regular-season standings.

Host Cape romped in Wednesday's opener, claiming a 21-1 victory in a game stopped after the top of the seventh inning by the 10-run rule.

Cape head coach Ron Michel then played many of his reserves in the nightcap, won by Chaffee 3-2.

Ford & Sons is now 3-3 overall and 1-0 in District 14 play. Chaffee fell to 3-4 overall, 0-1 in the district.

"I didn't have to do much in the first game. I could just sit back and watch it," said a smiling Michel. "I was proud in the second game that we almost pulled it out at the end. We want to win the second game as much as the first, but I'm going to play a lot of my guys that didn't get a chance to play in the first game."

Said Chaffee head coach Mike Umfleet, "Nothing went right in the first game. Cape came out swinging the bats and I don't think we were ready to play. It was just one of those games you like to forget about.

"The second game was good for our morale, but the game wasn't as big."

Cape drilled 19 hits in the opener, getting home runs from Chris Bradshaw and Greg Craft.

Craft had four hits and drove in three runs. Shane Gibson also had four hits and delivered four RBIs. Bradshaw had two hits and five RBIs while Andy Sweet, Joey McCullough and Adam Bertrand all added two hits.

Todd Pennington got the win. He allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out eight.

"When you have Pennington on the mound, that's a good start right there," Michel said.

Chaffee's lone first-game highlight was a homer by John Wipfler.

Denver Stuckey, the first of four Chaffee pitchers, took the loss. He allowed eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Chaffee's Josh Hanlon pitched a five-hitter in the nightcap. He fanned seven and walked two.

"He threw the ball well," Umfleet said.

Travis Klipfel took the loss, allowing just three hits and two earned runs in five innings. McCullough hurled two scoreless and hitless frames.

Stuckey's two-run single in the third helped give Chaffee a 3-0 lead. Cape battled back but could not catch up.

Scott Reinagel had two hits for Cape.