Cape tops Jackson 5-3

Cape Girardeau tops Jackson 5-3, will face top-seeded Dunklin Co. today

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Take away one inning and Lance Young pitched a no-hitter.

But Young's three-hitter, along with a late home run by Ty Craft, was enough to lead Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons past Jackson 5-3 Tuesday night in the opening round of the American Legion District 14 tournament at Harmon Field.

Fourth-seeded Cape moves into today's 5 p.m. winner's bracket semifinal against top-seeded Dunklin County, which received a first-round bye.

Third-seeded Jackson will play at 8 p.m. against fifth-seeded Sikeston in an elimination game.

Young carried a no-hitter and 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. Jackson got all three of its hits and all three of its runs -- two earned -- to forge a 3-3 tie.

Jackson got no more hits off Young, and Craft's leadoff homer in the top of the eighth inning gave Ford & Sons a 4-3 lead. Cape added an insurance tally in the ninth.

Young struck out 11 and walked five. He escaped trouble in the seventh as Jackson threatened to go ahead by loading the bases with one out on three consecutive walks. But Young got a force out at home and a fly ball on the infield to keep thing deadlocked at 3-3.

Cape went ahead 1-0 in the second on Blake Slattery's homer. Ford & Sons added runs in the fifth and sixth for its 3-0 lead before Jackson rallied.

Craft, Slattery and Zach Plott all had two of Cape's nine hits.

Austin Morrison worked all nine innings in defeat. Only three of the five runs he allowed were earned. He struck out six and walked none.

Taylor Bush and Logan Lawson drove in runs for Jackson.

-- Southeast Missourian