Hiett capitalizes on offense's support

After giving up the tying runs to Sikeston in the bottom of the fourth inning of Sunday's District 14 tournament elimination game, Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63 Senior American Legion pitcher Tanner Hiett had a message for his teammates.

"I got in the dugout," he said. "I tried to get everybody fired up because I was mad. I said if you guys get me out of this one, I'll help you guys later on. So it worked out."

Hiett's teammates handed the lead back to him with two runs in the top of the fifth, and Post 63 never again trailed on its way to a 15-5 run-rule win over Sikeston in eight innings at Notre Dame Regional High School.

"That's great," Pennington said of his offense's response. "Just to have somebody backing you up all the time. Then [Hiett[']s] going to go out and fight for them. These guys play together really, and they all enjoy each other's company.

"That's a team thing. That's what I expect from these guys. I want them to be a team all the time and back each other up."

Post 63's Tanner Hiett lines up his pitch against a Sikeston player Sunday, July 18, 2010 during the District Legion Tournament at Notre Dame Regional High School. (Laura Simon)

Post 63 advanced to face Dunklin County in the championship round of the tournament with the victory. Cape defeated Dunklin County 5-1 in the late game to force a winner-take-all championship game at 7 p.m. today at Notre Dame.

Hiett pitched all eight innings for Cape, a first in a career spent mostly playing seven-inning games.

"I've pitched seven, but I was going to go nine," Hiett said. "But then we decided to hit the ball."

Hiett's complete-game performance was an innings-saver for a pitching staff that needed to win three games in two days to claim the title.

"I knew that we had pitching left, but I knew we only really wanted to use one pitcher today," Hiett said. "I definitely wanted to go out there and show my best stuff."

Hiett had struggled in recent appearances, according to Pennington.

"I couldn't expect more out of Tanner," Pennington said. "I had so much confidence in him coming into the game. He's had a couple rough outings the last few, but Tanner gives it everything he's got every time he goes out, and that's all I expected from him."

Hiett gave up two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth.

"He had a couple rough spots, but when you can make adjustments during the game, that's a true pitcher," Pennington said. "He showed that, and I can't wait for him to go out and pitch more games for us."

Cape scored in each of its four at-bats after Sikeston tied the game 2-2 in the fourth, adding multiple runs in each inning.

Ryan Grigaitis provided highlights in back-to-back innings, doubling home a run in the fifth before hitting a three-run homer over the right-field fence in the sixth.

Grigaitis finished the day 3 for 5 with two runs scored and five RBIs.

Jake Pewitt was 2 for 5 with three runs scored and two RBIs to help Post 63 advance.