Cape slips past tough Ballwin squad 8-7

The American Legion baseball season is still young and it's difficult to judge just how good Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons will wind up being.

But if Wednesday night is any indication, Cape certainly has the makings of a solid team.

Facing a highly-touted Ballwin squad that is perennially one of the top programs in the St. Louis area, Ford & Sons squeezed out an 8-7 victory at Capaha Field.

Cape, which avenged a 6-1 loss at Ballwin in the season opener, evened its record at 4-4. Ballwin fell to 6-2.

"It feels great to beat a team like Ballwin," Cape manager Tom Reinagel said. "I'm really proud of the guys. We were missing four players tonight because of a football camp and we only suited up 12.

"We just scratched and everybody did a great job."

Ford & Sons received a gritty if not overpowering performance from ace pitcher John Thies, who improved his record to 3-0.

Thies hurled his third complete game of the season, including his second nine-inning affair. The left-hander worked in and out of trouble all night, allowing 13 hits and six earned runs. He struck out four and walked three, with three of the strikeouts coming in the final two innings.

"They were the best hitting team I've ever faced," Thies said. "But my defense was good behind me and it's great to beat them."

While Ballwin had strong hitters up and down the lineup, Cape didn't do too bad at the plate with 11 hits. Tyler Schlosser led the way with three hits and he drove in two runs. Jeff Brosey doubled and tripled, Shane Kistner had two hits and Timmy Wencewicz added two RBIs.

"We got some big hits from a lot of people," Reinagel said.

A.J. Van Slyke, the son of former Cardinals outfielder Andy Van Slyke, paced Ballwin with four hits. Jimmy Haley had three hits, including the game's only home run. Haley drove in three runs.

"I couldn't have put the ball up there any better for him to hit it out," Thies said of Haley's bomb that traveled well beyond the left-field fence.

Ballwin starter Colin Spillenkothen took the loss, allowing all eight runs and 10 hits in five innings. Joe Hallahan, a hard-throwing left-hander, struck out seven and allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings.

Ballwin jumped on top with two runs in the top of the first inning, which didn't have Reinagel feeling very good.

"After they got two quick ones, I was thinking it was going to be a long night, especially with the kind of hitters they have," Reinagel said.

But Cape came back with a run in the bottom of the first, tied it in the third and took the lead for good with a four-run fourth that featured four hits.

Ballwin chipped away but could never catch up. The visitors scored a run in the ninth to pull within 8-7, but Thies finished strong by striking out the final two batters.