Cape's Myers tosses a no-hitter in Game 2

~ Gaddis' single won the first game and Myers' arm won the second.

Blake Gaddis had never seen Chris Hanback pitch before.

But in a pressure situation in the bottom of the seventh inning, Gaddis kept his approach simple.

"I was just up there looking for something to hit," Gaddis said. "Fastball. I was sitting on it."

The left-hander bounced a bases-loaded single between drawn-in first and second basemen to bring home the tying and winning runs in Cape Girardeau Senior Babe Ruth's 7-6 victory against Jackson on Thursday night at Capaha Field.

Jackson first baseman Josh Stigen fielded a ground ball during the first inning Thursday against Cape at Capaha Field.

"I wanted to make something good happen and not strike out," Gaddis said.

His two-run hit capped Cape's comeback from a 6-4 hole after the team sponsored by Auburn Landscaping had squandered an early 3-0 lead.

Jackson starter Adam Urhahn had settled in to retire nine straight batters while his team took the lead before Chad Friend launched a solo home run with one out in the sixth. That made the score 6-5 and set up Cape's rally in the seventh.

"Chad's home run was huge," Gaddis said. "That brought us back up."

Pinch-hitter Nick Ostendorf opened the seventh with a walk. He was sacrificed to second by leadoff hitter Abe Dirnberger. After Dustin LeGrand walked, Urhahn was replaced by Hanback, who had been the ace for Chaffee High School this spring. Jacob Valleroy reached base with a single to load the bases, setting the stage for Gaddis.

"We were in a no-win situation" as to where to play the infield, Jackson assistant coach Cliff Simmons noted. "If you play back for the double play, there's no guarantee you can turn that play."

The loss knocked Jackson to 3-8, 0-3 in league play. It has won one of its last nine.

Cape improved to 8-6, 2-3 in lthe eague after the first game. Jackson or Cape will get the spot to join Charleston in the Senior Babe Ruth state tournament at Charleston later this year.

The teams played a second game, but the start of that was delayed by lightning for about an hour. Cape earned a 12-0 victory behind Justin Myers' no-hitter. He struck out seven to earn the win.

Cape led 12-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth after scoring 11 runs and sending 16 batters to the plate in the third inning. That rally knocked Hanback out of the game.

"This doubleheader is important," said Simmons, who is assisting Terry Bass. "We wanted that first one."

But Cape also knew what was on the line and managed to keep Jackson reeling.

"Our big thing is to get to state and just go from there," Gaddis said.

Cape played in the state tournament last year, but did not advance to the regional.

Cape made an early statement Thursday against Jackson with a run in the first and two in the second.

Dirnberger scored on Valleroy's sacrifice fly in the first; and LeGrand drilled a two-run single to bring in Chad Friend and Tyler Brandt in the second inning. Myers, who served as a courtesy runner, was tagged out for the third out between third and home on the play.

Jackson rallied back in the third with three runs. With second and third and two outs, Cape pitcher Tyler Propst forced Cody Vandeven to hit a groundball just to the left of second base. It was a tough play for shortstop LeGrand to handle, however, and his throw to first base sailed wide, allowing the hit to score two runs. Vandeven came in to score on Hanback's single.

Cape went back ahead 4-3 without a hit as Gaddis reached on an error, stole second and third and scored on a passed ball.

Jackson tied the game when Urhahn drove in Bass in the top of the fourth inning.

"Adam came in with a 1-for-19 slump and he had two hits and drove in a run tonight," Simmons said. "And he did a good job pitching; he really did. His curveball looked good. It just wasn't meant to be."

Jackson was poised to make Urhahn the winner after scoring two more in the fifth. Andy Hendrix smoked a two-run single to center to drive in Jerrod Steger and Vandeven, both of whom had walked.

But Propst allowed no further hits, finishing up with six runs on six hits in seven innings to get the win. He struck out four, walked three and hit one.

LeGrand had two hits and two RBIs and was robbed of a hit on diving catch by Steger; Friend had two hits, including the solo home run; and Gaddis had a hit and two RBIs.

Urhahn allowed four hits in defeat. He walked five and one runner reached on a strikeout with a wild pitch.

Hanback, who started the second game for Jackson, faced two batters and allowed two hits.