CAPE LEGION SEES RAIN WASH AWAY TWINBILLS

The weather has certainly not been kind to Cape Girardeau's Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team lately.

For the third time in the past six days, Ford & Sons saw a District 14 doubleheader wiped out by a wet field. The latest postponement occurred Wednesday night, when Capaha Field was too wet for Cape to face Caruthersville.

Monday, Ford & Sons had a home doubleheader with Van Buren rained out. The same situation took place last Friday, when Cape was supposed to play at Caruthersville.

"We're having all kinds of problems getting games in," said Ford & Sons manager Doc Yallaly.

Wednesday's postponed games will be made up July 24 at 6 p.m. The games from Monday will be played July 17 at 6 p.m. while last Friday's rainout at Caruthersville will be made up July 14 at 6 p.m.

Now Cape, 19-8 overall and a first-place 10-4 in regular-season District 14 play, will turn its attention to non-district play as Ford & Sons competes in the Herrin (Ill.) Tournament this weekend.

The eight-team tourney, which will feature two four-team divisions, is unique in that wood bats will be used. Most of the Ford & Sons players have probably never even hit with wood bats since aluminum bats are used for virtually all their school and summer competition.

"There are a few wood bat tournaments around, but not very many," Yallaly said. "It'll make a difference, that's for sure. It'll cut down on those cheap hits and they'll have to really hit the ball to get it out."

The tournament will feature several other local teams as Chaffee and Perryville are also entered. Festus is the fourth Missouri squad in the tourney while Herrin and DuQuoin from Illinois, along with Ballard County and Callaway County from Kentucky, round out the field.

Ford & Sons, Chaffee, Perryville and Herrin are all in the `A' Division. Festus, DuQuoin, Ballard County and Callaway County comprise the `B' Division.

Both the Herrin and John A. Logan Community College fields will be utilized in the three-day tournament.

Cape plays its first tourney game Friday at 7 p.m. vs. Herrin at Herrin's field. Ford & Sons will have two games Saturday at John A. Logan, facing Perryville at 9:30 a.m. and Chaffee at noon.

Chaffee's other games will be Friday at 4 p.m. against Perryville at Herrin and Saturday at 3 p.m. against Herrin at John A. Logan.

Perryville, in addition to facing Cape and Chaffee, will take on Herrin Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at John A. Logan.

The first-place finishers from each division will advance to Sunday's 2 p.m. championship game at Herrin's field. The second-place finishers from each division will play Sunday at 11 a.m. for third place. That game will also be at Herrin's field.