Moses wins battle between Redhawks recruits

~ Scott County swept the showdown between the District 14 foes.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Trenton Moses doesn't really know Brad LaBruyere very well, but figures he's a good guy and is looking forward to being his college teammate.

But for one night at least, Moses didn't mind treating LaBruyere as rudely as possible.

Moses had three of Scott County's 11 hits as the host team pounded Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons ace LaBruyere for a 9-3 victory Tuesday in an American Legion District 14 matchup at Harmon Field.

The second game of the doubleheader, which was a non-district affair, saw Scott County rally late for a 6-5 win.

Cape second baseman Mark Himmelberg tumbled as he went after a shallow fly ball that right fielder Collin Crane snatched during the second inning Tuesday.

Moses, a recent Advance High School graduate, and Central High School product LaBruyere both signed letters of intent to play baseball for Southeast Missouri State.

"I'm real excited about going to SEMO, and I'm looking forward to playing with him [LaBruyere]," said Moses, who played first base Tuesday. "I had never met him, but I talked to him some when he got on base tonight.

"He seems like a pretty good guy. But we were fired up tonight. When you face one of the best pitchers in the area, you want to see what you can do."

Scott County's victory tightened the race for the top seed in the five-team District 14 tournament that will be hosted by Cape later this month.

Ford & Sons suffered its first district loss and fell to 3-1, the same record held by Scott County and Sikeston. Each squad has four district games remaining.

Cape Girardeau's Mark Himmelberg was out at second as Scott County second baseman Caleb Daughhetee attempted to turn a double play during the third inning Tuesday in Chaffee. (AARON EISENHAUER ~aeisenhauer@semissourian.com)

Scott County coach Denver Stuckey said he was pleased with the way his team performed.

"It's just good to come out and play a good, competitive game," said Stuckey, whose squad is 13-8 overall. "We came out swinging. When we hit the ball like that, we have a good shot to win."

LaBruyere had been virtually untouchable in District 14 play prior to Tuesday.

The right-hander had shut out the other three district teams -- Sikeston, Jackson and Dunklin County -- by allowing seven hits in 19 innings, including a five-inning no-hitter against Jackson.

But LaBruyere, who was working on just two days rest after pitching seven innings during a tournament in Paducah, Ky., on Saturday night, was treated rudely by Scott County.

"We seemed to be on him pretty good," Stuckey said.

It didn't take long for Scott County to make it known that this would be its game.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Caleb Daughhetee drilled a home run over the right-field fence to put Scott County on top 1-0.

"It felt good," said Daughhetee of his first home run of the season.

Daughhetee, a 2006 Kelly High School graduate, also could be joining Moses, LaBruyere and Ford & Sons center fielder Matt Hester -- who signed with Southeast as well -- on the Redhawks.

Daughhetee originally attended the Air Force Academy and went through basic training last summer, but he decided to return home and enrolled at Southeast, where he joined the ROTC program.

Daughhetee said he earned a spot on the Southeast squad as a walk-on during fall workouts, but he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

"I really don't know why," said Daughhetee, a member of the Dean's List at Southeast as a freshman.

Daughhetee hopes to again make the Redhawks when he tries out in the fall.

"I'm looking forward to giving it another shot," he said.

After Daughhetee's homer staked Scott County to an early lead, the host team exploded with six runs in the second inning to go ahead 7-0.

The key blow in that frame was Blake Dirnberger's three-run homer, while Moses added a two-run single.

"Seeing a pitcher like that will get you fired up," Daughhetee said. "We really wanted this game."

Rusty Hendricks and Tyler Beardslee both added two hits for Scott County.

Steven Dooley was the winning pitcher, overcoming seven walks to allow four hits and three runs in five innings.

LaBruyere lasted just 3 1/3 innings. He allowed all nine runs, eight earned, and 10 hits.

"It was just one of those games," said Cape coach Dave Meyr, whose squad made three errors. "They hit the ball really well and just beat us. They played better than us."

Scott County finished off a big night by rallying for two seventh-inning runs to win the non-district nightcap.

A bases-loaded walk by Hendricks off Mark Himmelberg forced in the game-ending run.

Hendricks, who earlier in the game made two dazzling plays at second base, worked a scoreless seventh for the victory.

Cape fell to 18-9 overall prior to Wednesday's home doubleheader with De Soto.