Cape Senior Legion uses wood to stoke offense, extend winning streak in tournament

It wasn't a dazzling performance for the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63 Senior Legion team, but in the end, coach Justin Lieser was satisfied with the result.

Cape scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth inning and went on to secure an 8-4 victory over the Park Hills Senior Babe Ruth team Thursday afternoon during the opening day of pool play in the Ford & Sons 19U Wood Bat Invitational at Capaha Field.

"We've been playing decent baseball for about two weeks now," Lieser said. "It hasn't been perfect baseball. It's not as fine and sharp as we'd like it to be, as far as base-running and fielding, but we're swinging the bats well and getting quality starts for the most part."

Bats rest in the Cape Ford and Sons Post 63 Senior Legion dugout during the first day of the Ford and Sons 19U Wood Bat Invitational on Thursday at Capaha Field.Glenn Landberg

Earlier in the day, Ross Essner threw a complete game to lead Cape (15-7) to a 3-2 win over the Charleston Fighting Squirrels 18U squad. Post 63 has won five straight heading into Saturday's action.

"As far as confidence, you get a couple different guys together from different teams and everything, so it takes some time for it to gel," Lieser said. "Right now we're playing pretty consistent baseball, as far as our offense and what we're getting there.

"We're on a nice little run."

Essner got things started for Cape in the bottom of the first when he reached on a dropped ball in left field, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Trevor Haas, who finished 2-for-4. Nicholas Lindsay followed with a triple into the alley in left-center, giving Cape a 2-0 lead.

Park Hills took its first lead of the game in the top of the second. Brandon Richardson led off with a single to right before Post 63 starter JT Moore issued a pair of one-out walks to load the bases. Chase Montgomery, who went 2-for-3, followed with an RBI single, and another run scored when the ball was misplayed in left. Park Hills No. 2 hitter John Bader finished 3-for-4, including a two-out single up the middle that extended his team's lead to 3-2.

Cape Ford and Sons Post 63 Senior Legion's Cramer McGarr dives back to first base after a failed steal attempt against the Park Hills Expos in the second inning during the first day of the Ford and Sons 19U Wood Bat Invitational Thursday, June 23, 2016 at Capaha Field.Glenn Landberg

A one-out error at first allowed Cape's Cramer McGarr to reach in the bottom of the second, and Moore followed with an RBI double to left, tying the game at 3-all.

Devon Savage provided an RBI single that gave Park Hills a 4-3 advantage in the top of the third, but Post 63 tied things up again in the bottom of the inning when Garrett Siebert, who went 2-for-4, laced a leadoff single down the right-field line, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lindsay.

McGarr batted eighth and finished 2-for-3 with a pair of extra-base hits to lead Cape's offense. He led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to left-center before stealing third and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Brock Baugher, giving Post 63 a 5-4 lead.

Cape added some insurance in the bottom of the fifth, as Siebert led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a single by Haas. Kyle Fitzgerald scored Siebert on a groundout, Nathan Vicenzi followed with an RBI single and McGarr capped the scoring with a triple that rolled to the wall in the left-center gap, extending Post 63's lead to 8-4.

"Cramer came up and did a great job of just taking the ball the other way," Lieser said. "He hit it where he was supposed to, didn't try to do too much and put a solid swing on the ball."

Cape Ford and Sons Post 63 Senior Legion's Ross Essner makes the throw to first base to complete a double play in the third inning against the Park Hills Expos during the first day of the Ford and Sons 19U Wood Bat Invitational Thursday, June 23, 2016 at Capaha Field.Glenn Landberg

McGarr's hit also chased Montgomery, who got the start on the mound for Park Hills. Montgomery was tagged with the loss in 4 2/3 innings of work, allowing eight runs -- six earned -- on 10 hits with one strikeout. Pierce Daniels threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit and walking one batter.

Cape combined for 11 hits in the game, and seven players recorded an RBI.

Moore got the start but was lifted after two innings of work. He allowed three runs -- two earned -- on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks but didn't factor into the decision. Clayton Reynolds took the mound to start the third and picked up the pitching win in four innings of work. He scattered three hits, allowed one earned run, struck out two batters and walked two.

"Everything starts on the mound. It starts with our pitching, and they're doing well," Lieser said. "... Clayton was throwing strikes and being competitive. He's really a guy that we're going to need. Last night he went 3-for-3 and was a home run away from the cycle, and then today he got it done on the mound. He's playing really well of late."

Kyle Fitzgerald threw an inning of relief, allowing a hit during a scoreless seventh. Cape turned two double plays in the game, including a 1-6-3 double play to end the game.

Lieser said he's been pleased with the amount of depth on this year's squad.

"Sometimes, honestly, the tough part when we have everybody here is trying to decide who's going where," Lieser said. "... We've got quality guys 1-18 on our roster."

With no more pool play games remaining, Cape will be seeded in the top three when bracket play begins Saturday. The tournament concludes Sunday with a pair of semifinals in the afternoon followed by the championship game at 7 p.m.

Looming further ahead is a key District 14 game against Jackson Post 158 at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Capaha Field. Both teams enter the game 1-0 in district play.

"If this makes sense, it's a long, short season for us because we have so many games kind of jammed in there," Lieser said, "but that was something when we put this together that I think our team needed this summer, just kind of looking back on past years with how we've maybe gotten into too much of a routine. It's OK to push yourself every once in a while, so that's why this stretch this week has been great for us.

"We haven't been playing perfect baseball. ... Overall, it's a good stretch and a really good test. The entire summer schedule is like putting together a big puzzle. You've got to find the right pieces at the right time and just hope it works."

Park Hills 031 000 0 -- 4 8 2

Cape 211 130 X -- 8 11 1

WP -- Clayton Reynolds. LP -- Chase Montgomery. 2B -- Kyle Fitzgerald (C), Cramer McGarr (C), JT Moore (C). 3B -- Nicholas Lindsay (C), McGarr (C). Multiple hits -- Park Hills: John Bader 3-4, Montgomery 2-3; Cape: Garrett Siebert 2-4, Trevor Haas 2-4, McGarr 2-3.