Cape Senior Legion routes Jackson Senior Babe Ruth in home opener

~ Lovig, Cape Legion rout Jackson Senior Babe Ruth 12-4

Summer baseball in Southeast Missouri affords area ballplayers a chance to form new friendships, rekindle old ones and generally while away the long summer months playing the game they love.

Such is the case with Calvin Lovig, a 2013 graduate of Central High School who just completed his first year at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., and is playing this summer for the Cape Ford and Sons Post 63 Senior American Legion baseball team.

Lovig went 1 for 3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored as Post 63 defeated Jackson Senior Babe Ruth 12-4 Wednesday at Capaha Field in a game called after six innings due to rain.

"Being able to come back and play the field and swing the bat, it's different," said Lovig, who pitched in one game for the Southwest Baptist baseball team this past spring. "It's always good to come back and play the sport you love."

Lovig starred on the athletic fields at Central, seeing action as a placekicker on the football team while pitching and playing shortstop for the Tigers during the baseball season. He was a key contributor to Central's 2011 district championship squad.

He played both sports at Southwest Baptist this past year, but didn't see action during the football season as the Bearcats finished 1-10.

The baseball team, however, finished 29-24.

"It was a fun season," Lovig said. "It was a fun team to be around."

He enjoys playing alongside former Central teammates Matt Chism and Trevor Propst on the Post 63 squad.

"We have Matt and Trevor, and we have a few younger guys that I really didn't know then," Lovig said. "But it's good to come back. It kind of feels like high school all over again."

Post 63 coach Justin Lieser relishes the leadership qualities Lovig brings to the squad.

"Just his overall experience as far as a starting shortstop all throughout high school," Lieser said. "Big-game pitcher in some tight spots as a sophomore, came through and helped us win districts that year (2011) at Central."

Jackson Senior Babe Ruth's Brendan Welker steals second base as Post 63 shortstop Calvin Lovig takes the throw during the second inning Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at Capaha Field. (Fred Lynch)

Lieser admitted that Lovig probably didn't see as much mound action as he would have liked during his freshman year at Southwest Baptist.

"I talked to his college coach (Chris Martin), and he said, 'Hey, get him some innings,'" Lieser said. "And Calvin, being the gamer that he is, he's going to get plenty of innings with us. He's a nice addition."

Lovig said he'll forgo playing football this fall and concentrate on one sport.

"I plan on just going back to playing baseball," he said. "Stick to the sport I love, and hopefully it carries me where I want to go."

Lovig contributed an RBI double in Post 63's nine-run first inning Wednesday and later scored on Grant Dix's infield groundout. He came up again later in the same inning and drew a walk, coming around to score on Dix's two-run single to right.

Armed with that big lead, Post 63 coasted the rest of the way.

"That's the second time we've had a pretty strong first inning," said Lieser, whose squad improved to 2-1 on the season. "It's also the second time that we kind of coasted after that, kind of put it on cruise control. ... That's got to change. That's something that we addressed after the game."

Dix went 2 for 4 with three RBIs while Hayden Lynn was 2 for 4 and scored twice for Post 63. Chism picked up the win, going the first three innings and allowing just one run on two hits, walking three and striking out one.

Jackson settled down after that rough first inning behind Tyler Rogers, who came on to get the final out in the first inning after Post 63 roughed up both starter Conrad Bonney and reliever Cramer McGarr. Rogers ended up pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowing three unearned runs on four hits.

"These guys have gone through some adversity," said Jackson coach Tracey Wyatt, whose team dropped to 1-8. "We've lost seven in a row now. But they keep showing up, they keep playing through it, and we're getting a little better each day."

Jackson 001 030 -- 4 7 2

Post 63 900 003 -- 12 9 1

WP -- Matt Chism. LP -- Conrad Bonney. 2B -- Tyler Essner (P), Calvin Lovig (P), Conner Scheal (P). Multiple hits -- Post 63: Grant Dix 2-4, Hayden Lynn 2-4. Records -- Jackson 1-8, Post 63 2-1.