Central's season ends with 6-4 loss

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- With the tying run at first and nobody out in the top of the seventh, Cape Central had the heart of their lineup coming up against Seckman reliever Jake Kemper.

But the lanky senior struck out three straight Tigers on full counts to save a 6-4 win in Monday's Class 4 District 1 opener at Poplar Bluff.

"We've been hitting the ball pretty well all season, but when it came down to it we just couldn't do it today," said Patrick Slattery, who gave the Tigers an early lead on an RBI double.

The seventh-inning loomed as one of several missed opportunities by Cape Central (11-13), which stranded seven runners, including three in scoring position.

"We had a couple of opportunities where we didn't get anything, and when you let an opportunity slip by, it always seems to come back and haunt you, and it did today," Tiger coach Steve Williams said.

Meanwhile, Seckman (8-15) cashed in enough opportunities to advance to Wednesday's 2 p.m. semifinal with top-seeded Jackson, which received a first-round bye. Farmington, the second seed, plays Fox in the other semifinal with the winners advancing to Friday's final.

The Jaguars, who left 11 baserunners stranded, broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth after a leadoff double. Seckman then scored two more in the fifth on a pair of bases-loaded walks.

Losing pitcher Jake Welch allowed four hits in 4 2/3 innings, giving up five runs -- three unearned -- and walking six.

"We could never get ahead in the count, and that let their hitters look for pitches to hit and they had some advantages there today," Williams said.

The Tigers had the early advantage when Scott Brueckner walked with one out then scored on Slattery's shot to the left-field gap. After a passed ball moved the senior to third, Tony Leuckel delivered a sacrifice fly to right for a 2-0 lead.

Seckman starter Brian McQuade then retired nine straight before working out of a two-out jam in the fourth. But he couldn't pitch around a dropped fly ball to start the fifth as Bruekner later tied the game at 3 with a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the inning, Seckman had runners at the corners with two outs, and Welch loaded the bases with a walk. He then went 2-0 on the next hitter before Williams brought in Jason Umfleet, who threw two balls to force in a run. A second run scored when the next hitter walked on a 3-2 pitch.

"Jake was out of gas. He was sick last night and he gave us everything he had," Williams said. "He was simply out of gas, and we had to make a change."

Alex Ramsey started the Tigers' rally in the seventh with a check-swing single to right. Steve Miinch then singled up the middle to chase McQuade. Bruekner's infield single off the end of his bat scored Ramsey to cut the deficit to 6-4 with nobody out. The next three Tigers struck out to end the season for Central.

"We had numerous chances to pull ahead, but we just couldn't make them today," Slattery said.

Mark Dunaway had a pair of hits while Ty Craft and Sean Bard added a hit each for the Tigers, who committed three of their four errors in Seckman's two-run second inning.