Dunklin County forces winner-take-all game for Senior American Legion zone tourney title

The Dunklin County Senior American Legion baseball team was considered by many to be the Zone 4 tournament favorite.

The A's, despite a first-round loss, still might live up to that advance billing.

Dunklin County stormed out of the losers bracket to force today's 2 p.m. if-necessary title game against Festus at Capaha Field.

The A's beat Festus 12-8 on Saturday night in the championship round of the five-team double-elimination event that sends the winner to the state tournament in Sedalia, Mo.

"This is where we wanted to be," Dunklin County coach Jamie Johnson said. "We're in the finals. We're ready to play another nine innings."

Two-time defending state champion Festus, which has captured the past three zone titles, entered Saturday night's contest as the lone squad without a tournament loss.

Dunklin County (32-10) dropped its tournament opener 3-1 to Festus on Thursday but has responded with four straight wins.

The A's, after beating host Cape Girardeau and Manchester on Friday, began play Saturday by crushing Creve Coeur 16-1 in a losers bracket final that went just seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

"The kids have battled their tails off for three days," Johnson said.

Dunklin County scored five second-inning runs -- sparked by Justin Smith's three-RBI triple -- against Festus (30-4) to lead 5-0 and held off several rallies.

Festus, trailing 6-0, got within 6-5 on a three-run sixth-inning homer by Zac Faulkner.

Festus fell back behind 12-6 but still wouldn't go down quietly, scoring two eighth-inning runs and threatening in the ninth before the comeback ended.

Zach Watkins pitched 8 1/3 innings for the victory.

Jamie Middleton came on in the ninth with runners on second and third and one out. He struck out the next two batters for a save.