Cape Legion team enters zone event with a title win in mind

Tom Reinagel figures there is no reason Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons can't win the Zone 4 Tournament and reach the American Legion State Tournament for the first time since 1995.

His players agree.

Cape (25-14) opens the five-team, double-elimination zone event at Heine Meine Field in St. Louis today with a 5:30 p.m. game against Ballwin (30-12).

Today's other contest, at 8:30 p.m., pits Festus (19-12) against host Oakville (20-20). Anheuser-Busch (24-6) plays its opening game at 1 p.m. Friday. The championship game is set for 7 Saturday, with a final title contest at 1 p.m. Sunday, if needed.

"I told the players if we play good defense, hit the ball and just get decent pitching, we can win the thing," Reinagel, Cape's manager, said. "I really think we've got a good chance, as good as anybody else."

Ford & Sons is brimming with confidence after rolling through last week's District 14 Tournament for its first district title since 1995.

"We have a lot of momentum after winning the district tournament, and we think we can compete with anybody in the state," Seth Hudson said. "If we play good, I definitely think we have the talent level to win the zone."

Added Tyler Schlosser, "We're pretty confident. The competition will be a lot harder, but we definitely think we're one of the better teams up there, if we play well."

Cape has put up impressive offensive numbers this season while compiling a .358 team batting average.

Aaron Dohogne leads the way with a .441 mark, although in limited plate appearances. Also above .400 are Hudson (.436), Matt Wulfers (.424), Schlosser (.414) and Patrick Slattery (.411).

Players hitting above .300 are Luke McClellan (.372), Sean Bard (.370 in limited at-bats), Blake Urhahn (.354), Chris Conrad (.345) and Dustin Tatum (.323 in limited at-bats), who has missed most of the season with an injury.

Slattery has been Cape's major power source with nine home runs, 19 doubles and 37 runs batted in. Hudson has four homers and five triples; Wulfers has six triples and 30 RBIs; and Schlosser has 10 doubles and 29 RBIs.

In the district tournament, where Cape went 3-0, Dohogne batted .667 and Slattery .625 while Josh Ford, Hudson and Wulfers were above .500.

"Our offense has really come around," Reinagel said.

In pitching, primary starters have been Urhahn (6-1, 4.26 earned-run average); Lee Essner (5-2, 4.57), Wayne Essner (3-1, 2.84) and John Thies (4-5, 3.20). Michael Taylor (2-1, 2.51) has recently given the squad a big lift out of the bullpen.

Reinagel said Wayne Essner, probably Cape's most consistent hurler this year, will likely get the start today.

Ballwin came out of the loser's bracket to win the District 10 Tournament, which takes in most of St. Louis County. The team wiped out a 12-3 deficit and beat undefeated Creve Coeur 14-13, then routed Creve Coeur 13-6 in the title game.

"Hopefully we'll bust out the sticks, but playing good defense and pitching good is the main thing," Schlosser said. "If we do that, we think we can win it."

mmishow@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 132