Newcomers a big boost for Cape Senior Legion baseball team

A handful of players from across the river in Illinois are making major contributions for the Cape Ford and Sons Post 63 Senior Legion baseball team.

Ryan Ochoa, who played for the Shawnee (Ill.) high school team that placed third in the Illinois Class 1A state tournament last week, started on the mound and got the win for Post 63 Thursday afternoon in the team's opening game of the Fighting Squirrel Baseball Classic at the Notre Dame baseball field.

Ochoa allowed five runs -- just three earned -- and eight hits over six innings, walking three and striking out eight, as Post 63 defeated St. Peters 7-5.

A lefthander with a sneaky fastball and decent curve, Ochoa (1-0) was staked to an early lead in his first Legion start, which he said helped settle him down after allowing St. Peters a run in the top of the first inning.

"It's a new team, new teammates," Ochoa said. "After the first couple of innings, we scored some runs, and that helped take the pressure off."

Post 63 (6-5) erased the early deficit with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, which included a run-scoring single from Trevor Propst, one of just four players from Central on Post 63's roster. Propst said the early runs provided a cushion for his Post 63 teammates to settle in as the game progressed.

"It helps a lot, especially when we were getting into the later innings and they started to hit the ball," Propst said. "Then we came out in the sixth and scored three runs, so that helped."

Propst's hit in the first was initially ruled an error as his liner skipped over the glove of the St. Peters shortstop and into the outfield, driving in the second run of the inning.

"That was a big part of the game," Propst said. "You've just got to work off that, take control of their mistakes and score runs off it."

St. Peters chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the score in the fourth inning when Kirby Mueller doubled, took third on a fly out and scored on Calvin Pham's bunt single.

Post 63 regained the lead in the fifth when Ryan Tegal walked, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Calvin Lovig's sharp single to left.

"I was just looking to get on base," Tegel, who will be a sophomore at Central in the fall, said. "I had the green light [to steal], so I checked for head movement [from the pitcher]. At the first head movement, I went."

Post 63 broke it open in the sixth when catcher Cam Grueninger opened with a single. Courtesy runner Blaine Crow ran for Grueninger and promptly stole second and third. J.C. Chapman drew a walk, and Cordon Hight blooped a single to center that fell between the center fielder and second baseman, allowing Crow to score. Drew Bartels ripped a single past third, scoring one run, and, following a double steal, Chase Eubank's groundout to third plated another run.

Grueninger (Egyptian H.S.), Crow (Meridian H.S.) and Hight (Century H.S.) are all part of Post 63's Illinois contingent.

"They all contributed," Post 63 coach Justin Lieser said. "They bring different life experiences, different personalities, different backgrounds. But that's the great part as a coach. It's good that all the kids get along, that their personalitities mesh."

Lovig, Post 63's leadoff hitter, reached base three times. Propst was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, while Grueninger was 2 for 3 and drove in a run.

"We ran the bases really well today," Lieser said. "I think that's what won us the game today."

St. Peters coach Rick Reno was happy to just finish a game. Weather has wreaked havoc with his early-season schedule, as Thursday's game was just St. Peters' third of the season.

His pitcher, Tyler Allquist, was starting for the first time after pitching in relief for his high school team in the spring.

"It was his first outing," Reno said. "He was a little rusty at the beginning, but after that he kind of calmed down."

St. Peters (1-2) drops into the consolation bracket and will face the Kelso Scrappers -- 1-0 losers to the SEMO Strokers -- today at noon at Notre Dame. Post 63 advances to face the Strokers at 5 p.m., also at Notre Dame.