Jackson Legion rallies past Cape

~ Jackson Post 158 rallied for a 6-2 victory in the district game, then won the nightcap

A rough start didn't bother Caleb Hosey. In fact, it made him better.

That was the Jackson Post 158 pitcher's assessment after Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63's Dustin Crowden belted a two-run homer in the top of the first inning Tuesday at Jackson's Legion Field.

"I got comfortable after that," Hosey said. "It settled me down actually."

Hosey didn't allow Cape another run as Jackson rallied for a 6-2 victory in an American Legion District 14 matchup.

Jackson second baseman Logan Bartels lunges for a ground ball during the fifth inning of Tuesday's American Legion game against Cape Girardeau in Jackson. Jackson won the first game of the doubleheader 6-2. (Kristin Eberts)

Jackson also won the nightcap of the doubleheader, a non-district affair, 6-4.

Jackson is 15-8 overall and 3-2 in district play. Cape is 22-6 and 1-3, its lone district victory being a 5-4 decision over visiting Post 158 last week.

Since being swept in that June 14 doubleheader at Cape -- both losses by one run -- Jackson has reeled off six straight wins.

"I don't know we're where we want to be, but I think we're playing better," Jackson coach Mark Lewis said.

Hosey, a 2009 Jackson High School graduate, redshirted as a freshman this year at Harris-Stowe State University, an NAIA program in St. Louis.

Cape Girardeau outfielder Skylar Cobb hauls in a fly ball during the fifth inning.

"I haven't pitched a whole lot this year," Hosey said. "I was getting my arm strengthened up. This is the best game I've pitched in a while."

After Hosey allowed two hits and the two runs in the first inning, he limited Cape to just three hits over the final six frames of the complete-game effort. He retired seven of the last eight batters he faced.

"He threw really well. He stayed strong," Cape coach Todd Pennington said. "He kept the breaking ball down and we had a tough time hitting him."

Hosey, who struck out five and walked two, said his best pitches were the cutter and curveball.

"I thought he pitched real well," Lewis said of Hosey. "He wasn't laboring at all."

Cape Girardeau outfielder Skylar Cobb hauls in a fly ball during the fifth inning.

Cape started Tyler Glidewell actually got the better of Hosey through five innings, which ended with Post 63 ahead 2-1.

Glidewell had a two-hitter through five innings, with Jackson's lone run being unearned. But he got wild in the bottom of the sixth, which aided Jackson's five-run rally.

Glidewell issued three of his five walks and hit a batter in the sixth. Jackson got the five runs with only three hits, including an infield single.

"He threw a good game also, but I thought our hitters did a good job of forcing him to throw strikes [in the sixth]," Lewis said.

Kendall Fay drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and stole second. A fly ball out by Chris Kirkpatrick sent Fay to third. Evan Watkins walked and Kyle Reynolds singled to tie the contest.

Mason Sander's single loaded the bases, and Logan Bartels was hit by a pitch to force in Watkins with the go-ahead run.

"I was just looking to hit and he hit me," said Bartels, who was plunked by a pitch in all three of his at-bats. "We were trying to work the pitcher and get his pitch count up."

A walk to Chad Scroggins forced in another run, making it 4-2.

Trenton St. Cin then relieved Glidewell and Jackson wound up scoring twice more, on an RBI single by Jordan Devenport and an RBI ground out by Zach McDowell.

Glidewell allowed four hits and was charged with all six runs, five earned, in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four, walked five and hit three batters.

"I thought he threw five great innings. He competed real well," Pennington said.

Both teams had five hits and made one error.

"A couple of pitches here and there, that was the difference," Lewis said.

In the nightcap, Sander was the winning pitcher and Scroggins earned a save. Jeremy Essner took the loss.

Cape and Jackson both will compete Thursday through Sunday in the Paducah (Ky.) tournament.