Mistake-prone Cape drops twinbill

Paragould, Ark., comes away with 7-4 and 4-2 victories, as Ford and Sons falls to 10-14.

The majority of the Cape Girardeau American Legion squad's mistakes on Wednesday were limited to just two innings out of the 14 played in a doubleheader with Paragould, Ark., at Capaha Field.

Unfortunately, it was a bad fourth inning in the opener and a poor fifth inning in the nightcap which made Ford and Sons the victim of a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the visiting Arkansas squad.

Paragould won the opener 7-4 and took the nightcap 4-2.

"We just have to keep playing hard," a dejected Cape manager Dave Meyr said, as his team has dropped five out of six games this week.

In the opener, both teams had trouble limiting mistakes. Paragould committed six errors, and Cape (10-14) countered with three of its own. Errors ended up leading to big innings for both teams, but in the end it was Cape's three-error fourth inning which was the difference.

With the bases loaded and one out, Cape starter Tyler Bruce induced a ground ball to third basemen Trevor Irwin. Irwin stepped on third, but his throw to first got away from Sean Bard, allowing two runs to score. Another error by second basemen Ty Craft allowed a runner to come home all the way from first with two outs, as Paragould grabbed a 5-3 lead with a four-run rally.

"We've got district coming up, and we have things to work on," Meyr said.

Bruce was lifted after five innings of work, allowing five runs but just one earned. Cape narrowed the gap to 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Paragould scored two runs in the sixth off reliever Mike Taylor to put the game away.

Kendal Deason had three hits in the opener, and Bard added two hits.

Derrick Parrish, Cody Nelson and Brady Duncan had two hits apiece for Paragould. Matt Garmrath pitched 6 1/3 innings for the win, and Michael Miller pitched the final 2/3 for the save.

The second game saw mental mistakes do Ford and Sons in. After starter Kent Deason cruised through the first four innings with just one run allowed, it was a botched rundown that proved to be Cape's undoing in the fifth.

Paragould had two runners on when Duncan laced a drive past Irwin. Parrish was caught too far off third base, but Cape catcher Tony Leuckel missed the tag and Duncan scored. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly ended up scoring two on another mental mistake from Cape.

Deason pitched all seven innings, allowing just five hits.

"Deason pitched a real good game that last game," Meyr said. "We made a couple of plays there that we shouldn't have, but that's the way it's been going for us."

Ford and Sons had the winning run in the batters box with runners on first and third and two outs in the seventh, but Craft struck out.

Kent Deason had two hits for Cape, as Ford and Sons outhit Paragould 8-5 in the second game.

Jake Holcomb pitched 4 1/3 innings for the win in the second game. Jay Beacham pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for the save.

Paragould improved to 18-12 with the sweep and has won eight out of 10.

"I can't remember coming to Cape and winning two," Paragould manager Kevin Reddick said. "I'm always satisfied with getting a split up here. This was a pleasant surprise."

Cape will now travel to Ballwin to play four games at the Ballwin Tournament this weekend.

"We've got to get this thing turned around," Meyr said.