CAPE LEGION NUDGES OVER .500 MARK WITH 10-3 WIN

It's been a struggle, but the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team has finally climbed over the .500 mark.

Cape improved its record to 11-10 Monday night by exploding late for a 10-3 victory over visiting Mayfield (Ky.) at Capaha Field.

"That's what we were shooting for," said Cape manager Ron Michel of getting above .500. "It's been a struggle but now hopefully we can stay up there."

Ford & Sons won its fourth straight game but it wasn't as easy as the final score indicates. Cape did not have a hit through five innings and still trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the sixth.

But a six-run sixth inning put Ford & Sons over the hump. Cape had just three hits in the frame but took advantage of two errors and three walks. Steve Fowler, Scott Reinagel, Tommy Wencewicz and Garrett Broshuis all drove in runs during the big inning.

Most of Cape's early offensive problems could be attributed to Mayfield's tough left-handed pitcher, Andy Sheridan. He started the game and hurled four hitless innings, striking out seven and walking two.

"He was very good," said Michel. "I wasn't too unhappy to see him come out of the game."

With Mayfield intent on using several hurlers -- three more saw action -- things eventually got better for the home squad.

Meanwhile, Cape's Joe Hamilton pitched a pretty impressive game in his own right. The right-hander worked into the eighth inning to get the win, allowing five hits and just one earned run. He fanned three and walked four.

"Joe gave us a tremendous performance, more than I could have asked for," Michel said. "He was definitely our star of the game. I would have been happy with three innings and he took us into the eighth."

Richard Harrison then closed things out with stellar relief. He replaced Hamilton in the eighth as Mayfield, trailing 7-2, loaded the bases with nobody out.

Harrison allowed a bloop single that plated a run and kept the bases filled but then got a pitcher-to-home-to-first double play and a strikeout to end the threat. He closed things out with a perfect ninth.

"Richard came on in a tough situation and got us out of it," said Michel.

Cape had just seven hits but took advantage of 10 walks and five errors. We Steele was the only Ford & Sons player with two hits. Broshuis drove in a pair of runs.

Mayfield had only six hits but was also helped out by five Cape errors. John Shelton was the losing hurler, allowing seven runs (five earned) on only three hits in two innings. He fanned four and walked five.

Over the weekend, Cape picked up one win in the Paducah (Ky.) Tournament but had three more scheduled games rained out. Ford & Sons outslugged Anheuser-Busch 22-13, getting 22 hits. Josh McIntosh belted his team-high sixth home run of the season while Steele also homered.

Cape will return to action Wednesday with Creve Coeur comes to Capaha Field for a 4 p.m. doubleheader. Creve Coeur is one of the top American Legion teams in the St. Louis area.