Offense carries Post 63 into semifinals

From a leadoff home run courtesy of Skylar Cobb to the last out recorded by closer Josh Compas, the Cape Girardeau Post 63 Senior American Legion baseball team continued to crash the party of prospect teams at the SEMO Invitational.

Post 63 defeated the previously unbeaten Southwest Missouri Thunder 10-7 in six innings Saturday at Notre Dame Regional High School to finish pool play undefeated and advance to today's semifinals.

Cobb's homer was the beginning of a four-run top of the first for Post 63, which handed its early lead to Oran native and John A. Logan pitcher Jayden Pobst.

While Post 63 never trailed in the game, Pobst was visibly frustrated several times as he gave up seven runs, including four in the fifth inning, which allowed the Thunder to tie the game 7-7.

"I think that's a good thing," Post 63 coach Todd Pennington said. "He's frustrated because he wants his team to win. I like pitchers that have a lot of heart out there. They work hard for it. Any time that you put everything you've got out there, I'm happy.

Cape Post 63's Josh Compas pitches during the sixth inning of a SEMO Invitational game against the SWMO Thunder at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Saturday, June 19, 2010. Cape won 10-7. (Kristin Eberts)

"If you go out there and give up, I'm not happy. Even if you win."

A Thunder batter reached base in every inning, including the first four on singles to begin the fifth.

"I didn't come out prepared, but my team did, and that put me back because I was putting everybody down and everybody was trying to pick me up," Pobst said. "I didn't come out focused and I should have."

Pennington's assessment of Pobst's day was far more positive.

"I thought he threw great," Pennington said. "The team we were playing could hit the ball. They were talented hitters. They waited for a good pitch.

Post 63's Skylar Cobb makes a catch against the SWMO Thunder during Saturday's game. (Kristin Eberts)

"Sometimes he didn't get ahead in the counts. That's when they hurt you. That'll take the best pitcher to the worst pitcher when you can't get ahead in the counts."

With the game tied and the two-hour time window to complete the game closing quickly, the Post 63 offense, which outscored its opponents 32-15 in four pool play games, went back to work in the top of the sixth inning.

After a leadoff single from Blake Smith and a Jimmy Obermark sacrifice, Dustin Crowden tripled to bring home what would prove to be the winning run.

"Our team, we play together and our hitters were picking up our pitchers," Pennington said. "Normally our pitchers are picking up our hitters, so what we're going to try to do is keep that going through the whole season and that's the key to a good team is each other picking each other up."

Post 63 will be the No. 1 seed, and will play at 9 a.m. at Notre Dame.

Cape Post 63's Skylar Cobb makes a catch during the sixth inning of a SEMO Invitational game against the SWMO Thunder at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Saturday, June 19, 2010. Cape won 10-7. (Kristin Eberts)

Post 63 will be joined in today's semifinals by the 18-and-under SEMO Cherokees, which also advanced through pool play undefeated.

Cape won its first game of the day, a 6-4 victory over the S.I. Hustlers.

The Cherokees defeated Team Tennessee 6-1 in their final pool play game Saturday evening.

Charleston's James Naile got the complete-game win for the Cherokees. Naile allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings of work. He struck out seven.

Shawn Crump and Ian Miller homered for the Cherokees, who will be the No. 2 seed and play the O'Fallon Redbird at 11:30 a.m. at Notre Dame.

Cape Post 63's Blake Smith gets a hit during the sixth inning Saturday.

The championship game will be at 2 p.m. at Notre Dame.