FORD & SONS STOPS THE BLEEDING WITH WILD 11-10 WIN OVER MURPHYSBORO

The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team used a big late uprising and then held off a final charge by Murphysboro (Ill.) to bounce back into the win column with a wild 11-10 triumph Wednesday night.

Cape, coming off a lopsided doubleheader sweep at the hands of District 14 rival Dunklin County on Tuesday, improved to 11-5 overall with the non-district home victory at Capaha Field.

"It wasn't a pretty picture tonight, but it was good for us to bounce back after Tuesday," said Cape manger Ron Michel.

Ford & Sons was held pretty much at bay for the first six innings and trailed the visitors from Illinois 6-4. But Cape erupted for six runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, getting eight of its 12 hits on the night in those two frames to grab a seemingly safe 11-6 lead.

But Murphysboro, which fell to 1-4, made things mighty interesting in the top of the ninth, scoring four times on just two hits and having the bases loaded when the game ended.

"We hung on there at the end," Michel said.

Joe Hamilton, who just rejoined the squad after missing more than a week while on a senior class trip, gave Ford & Sons a lift with some stellar relief before he ran out of gas in the ninth.

Hamilton replaced starter Josh McIntosh in the fifth and proceeded to reel off 3 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit.

But Hamilton tired visibly in the ninth, allowing four runs on two hits and five walks as Murphysboro pulled to within a run and had the bases loaded. John Snider came on to give Hamilton the win and earn a save as he induced a ground ball forceout to end things.

"It was good until the ninth," said Hamilton of his performance.

Wes Steele paced Cape offensively with four hits, including a double, and he drove in three runs. T.J. Erlacker, Garrett Broshuis and Scott Reinagel all added two hits, with Reinagel delivering two RBIs.

Murphysboro's nine-hit attack was paced by Quint Davis with two. Scott Griffin and Caleb Raber each drove in two runs.

Losing hurler Garrett Blankenship allowed nine runs (seven earned) and eight hits in six innings.

McIntosh gave up six runs (four earned) and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He fanned four and walked five.

Cape grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Steele singled and Reinagel doubled him home, but Murphysboro went ahead with three in the second and Ford & Sons trailed until its big six-run seventh that featured four hits, two walks, an error and four wild pitches, three of them bringing in runs.

Ford & Sons, continuing its recent busy stretch of games, will return to action Friday in the Paducah (Ky.) Tournament that runs through Sunday. Cape opens tourney play against Mt. Vernon, Ill., at 5 p.m. Friday, then has two games set for Saturday and one more Sunday.