CAPE LEGION STAYS ALIVE; FORD & SONS ROUTS SIKESTON; JACKSON OUSTED

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team turned to their ace pitcher Thursday night in order to once again stay alive in the District 14 Tournament.

And Garrett Broshuis, who will be a senior at Advance High School in the fall, certainly did not disappoint.

Broshuis, a hard-throwing right-hander, turned in a dominating performance as fourth-seeded Cape defeated fifth-seeded Sikeston 14-7 in an elimination game.

Broshuis struck out 11 in six innings. He also walked seven but allowed just three hits and all three runs he allowed were unearned.

"We're giving the ball to our hoss tonight," said Cape manager Ron Michel prior to the contest. "Garrett has pitched really good for us all year."

Cape, now 23-21, used a monster inning to open up a huge early lead. Ford & Sons pushed across 10 runs in the bottom of the second despite getting only three hits. Cape also benefited from six walks and two errors in the frame. Scott Reinagel, Daniel Turner and Matt Bollinger all had RBI hits.

Leading 10-3, Cape came up with four runs in the sixth, three coming home on Nathan Essner's double.

Ford & Sons then could have ended the game on the 10-run rule by retiring Sikeston in the top of the seventh. But Mark Silverthorn touched reliever Richard Harrison for a two-run homer, making it 14-5 and keeping the game going.

In another elimination game Thursday, fifth-seeded Poplar Bluff bounced sixth-seeded and host Jackson from the tournament with a 7-4 victory.

The tourney moves into its fifth day of action today with two more games, including the 5 p.m. feature, winner's bracket contest pitting the only two unbeaten teams left -- top-seeded Dunklin County and second-seeded Chaffee.

At 8 tonight, Cape will face Poplar Bluff in an elimination contest.

Two more games are slated for Saturday, by which time the original field of seven teams will be down to three. The loser's bracket final will be at 1 p.m., with the championship slated for 7 p.m. If necessary, there will be one more game Sunday at 1 p.m.

Poplar Bluff improved its record to 15-17 by knocking off Jackson, which ends its season with an 8-20 mark after losing both its tournament games.

Jackson scored in the first inning on an RBI single by Jeremy McCain and that's the way things stood until the fifth, when Poplar Bluff used a three-run rally to take the lead for good.

Bob Marler had an RBI double in the frame while Eric Powell and Dylan Brack also drove in runs.

Poplar Bluff went ahead 6-1 by scoring three more times in the seventh. Jackson made a belated rally but could not catch up.

Travis Huffman was the winning hurler, allowing nine hits and two runs in 6 1/3 solid innings. Mark Acre was strong in relief, giving up two hits and two unearned runs in 2 2/3 frames. He fanned three and walked one.

Jason Vandeven took the loss, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned) in 6 1/3 innings.

Marler, Cameron Carter and Scott Arnold all had two of Poplar Bluff's 11 hits.

McCain, Chad Pulley and Ryan Beltz all had two of Jackson's 11 hits. McCain drove in a pair of runs.