Cape outduels Jackson in opener of Legion doubleheader

American Legion pitching matchups don't get much better than what took place Monday at Capaha Field.

Brett Thomas, who has signed to play baseball at the University of Missouri, took the mound for Jackson Post 158.

Cody Livesay, selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 42nd round of last week's amateur draft, was on the hill for Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63.

Thomas and Livesay lived up to their billing. They breezed through the seven-inning game in about 80 minutes.

There wasn't much separating the duo, but Cape capitalized on its few opportunities to win 3-0 in the District 14 opener of a doubleheader. Jackson took the non-district nightcap 7-1.

Cape is 8-5 overall and 1-1 in district play. Jackson is 12-4 and 0-1.

"Two good teams going at it," Cape's Dustin Crowden said.

Crowden had the key blow, a home run leading off the bottom of the second inning that accounted for the game's only earned run.

Crowden lofted the first delivery from Thomas just inside the left-field foul pole near the 330-foot mark at spacious Capaha Field.

"I was just looking for a first-pitch fastball and I got it," said Crowden, a Kelly High School graduate who recently finished his freshman season at Shawnee (Ill.) Community College. "I thought it was going to go foul, but it stayed fair.

"That was huge. One run isn't good enough."

Crowden quickly amended the last comment.

"I guess one run was good enough," he said. "He [Livesay] told me before the game he's not going to let them score."

Livesay made good on that vow. The left-hander, a recent graduate of Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) High School, allowed five hits and one walk while striking out three.

"Mainly fastballs," Livesay said about what he threw the most. "I was hitting my spots."

Livesay set down the first 13 batters he faced and had a one-hitter through five innings, facing just one over the minimum. He was able to work out of jams in the final two frames by stranding five Jackson runners.

"He threw strikes. He's got great stuff," Cape coach Todd Pennington said. "He's definitely an all-around athlete."

Livesay, who plays center field when not on the mound, said he felt strong after working just one-third of an inning so far for Post 63. His most recent start was in a high school playoff game.

"I hadn't thrown much lately," he said. "I felt good."

Livesay, drafted by the Braves as an outfielder, said he would like to sign with the organization but isn't sure that will happen. If not, he'll play baseball next season for Parkland (Ill.) Junior College.

"We're trying to work everything out with the Braves," Livesay said.

In the meantime, he's enjoying his first season with Post 63.

"I like it a lot," he said.

Thomas allowed four hits in his six innings. The recent Oak Ridge High School graduate struck out six and walked one.

"Both guys pitched very well," Pennington said. "They were around the plate and it was a fast game."

Cape made it 3-0 with two unearned third-inning runs, taking advantage of three Jackson errors.

Livesay had the only hit of the frame, a single, and he later scored from third base when Crowden's fly ball to deep right field was dropped for an error. Crowden got an RBI because it would have been a sacrifice fly even if caught.

"He's a good pitcher, probably the best we've seen so far," Crowden said about Thomas. "But we have a good young team."

Jackson got three singles to load the bases with two outs in the sixth inning and Post 158 had cleanup batter Thomas at the plate.

Thomas, coming off a three-homer performance in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of De Soto, flew out to left field.

"It was a good battle. He [Thomas] just got under it," Jackson coach Mark Lewis said.

Jackson used a walk and a single to put two runners on with one out in the seventh inning, but Livesay ended things with a fly ball and a strikeout.

"Our defense hurt us, but both guys threw well," Lewis said. "Their kid pitched really well."

Jackson bounced back to take the second game behind another stellar pitching performance.

Chris Kirkpatrick, a Clearwater High School graduate who recently completed his freshman season at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., threw a one-hitter.

Livesay singled leading off the bottom of the first inning to account for Cape's only hit. Kirkpatrick struck out five and walked two.

"He threw really well," Lewis said. "We got two really good pitching performances tonight."

Alex Bolen and Riley Bumgarner both had two of Jackson's eight hits. Jamie Pickel took the loss.