Cape Post 63 Junior Legion wraps up season at state

On the heels of a heartbreaking loss in the winner's bracket semifinals of the Junior Legion State Tournament, Cape Post 63 watched its season come to an end Saturday in Washington, Missouri.

A win away from the championship game, Cape fell to Sedalia Post 642 in walk-off fashion, 1-0, at Ronsick Field on Friday before dropping a 6-0 decision against Washington Post 218 on Saturday afternoon.

"Our bats went cold," Cape coach Josh Meyer said. "That happens throughout the course of the year, but that was a tough time to have it happen."

In Friday's contest, the only run of the game came for Sedalia in the bottom of the seventh inning.

After scoring 14 runs in the tournament's first two games combined, Post 63 mustered only three hits against Post 642. Two of those came off the bat of Jacquen Cummins, including a double.

Cummins was also tagged with the loss on the mound for Post 63. He scattered six hits in 6 2/3 innings of work, striking out one and walking one.

"Jacquen Cummins pitched a phenomenal game, and we played good defense behind him," Meyer said. "We just couldn't score."

Corbin Reese notched the complete-game shutout on the mound for Sedalia, allowing only three hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

On Saturday, Cape was unable to overcome another complete-game performance, as Eli Marquart allowed seven hits in a shutout victory for Post 218.

Marquart finished with four strikeouts and three walks, while Washington was able to tack on two runs in the top of the second, three in the fourth and one more in the fifth.

Jawone Newell had a pair of hits for Cape while Cummins added a double.

Drake Mills took the pitching loss for Post 63, allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. Jonathan Tyler gave up a run in an inning of relief, and Noah Arnzen added 2 2/3 hitless innings of work.

"We got behind early, and they're a good ball club," Meyer said. "We battled, but they came out on top."

Cape concludes its season with a 32-11 record.

"I've told everybody, 'These kids are excellent baseball players but even better kids,'" Meyer said. "They're some stand-up guys that'll do anything for each other, and we'll do anything for them.

"They're just a real tight group, and we've had a lot of fun this summer."

Sedalia 1, Cape 0

Cape 000 000 0 -- 0 3 0

Sedalia 000 000 1 -- 1 6 1

WP -- Corbin Reese. LP -- Jacquen Cummins. 2B -- Cummins (C). Multiple hits -- Cape: Cummins 2-2; Sedalia: Connor Tichenor 2-3.

Washington 6, Cape 0

Washington 020 310 0 -- 6 10 1

Cape 000 000 0 -- 0 7 3

WP -- Eli Marquart. LP -- Drake Mills. 2B -- Jacquen Cummins (C). Multiple hits -- Washington: Hunter Mehler 2-4; Cape: Jawone Newell 2-4.