Schott's blast carries Cape past Jackson

Jesse Schott has been on a home-run binge for the Ford & Sons Cape Girardeau Senior American Legion Post 63 baseball team.

None of Schott's four homers so far this season was more important than Wednesday's at rival Jackson Post 158 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Schott's two-run shot to right field with two outs in the top of the seventh inning lifted Cape to a 4-3 win in the District 14 opener for both squads.

"It felt great," Schott said.

It didn't look like Schott, a recent graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, would get a chance to provide last-inning heroics.

Cape Girardeau Post 63's Andrew Williams singles during Wednesday's first game at Jackson Post 158. (ADAM VOGLER)

Jackson's Joel Koenig virtually was unhittable with his curveball, retiring all four batters he faced, including three on strikeouts, after relieving in the sixth inning.

Koenig struck out the first two hitters in the seventh inning with Jackson ahead 3-2.

But Post 63 got an extra life when Trey Gardner's ground ball to shortstop was booted for Jackson's only error of the game.

"My heart started to beat pretty hard," said Schott, Cape's cleanup batter.

Schott said with a smile that he hoped he wouldn't be forced to come through against Koenig's curveball that was darting all over the place and generally wound up being a strike.

Cape Girardeau Post 63 second baseman Luke Hinkebein dives after a ball during Wednesday's first game against Jackson Post 158.

"I knew I couldn't hit that curveball," Schott said. "He's got a nasty curve."

Schott said he was fortunate that Koenig fell behind 2-1 in the count.

"I had to sit fastball. He put it over the outside part of the plate," Schott said.

Schott sent a ball to the opposite field in right that cleared the fence at cozy Legion Field.

"When I hit it, I really didn't know where it was," he said.

Game-winning home runs are nothing new for Schott, who said he had a few at Notre Dame. Cape coach Steve Williams still was impressed.

"He's had several home runs for us already, but I'm not sure that wasn't the most impressive of all because of the timing and because it went the other way," Williams said.

Jackson coach Mark Lewis said Schott, who plans to play baseball at Division III Fontbonne University in St. Louis, deserves all the credit for his key blast.

"I thought it was a pretty good pitch to Jesse, away," Lewis said. "The kid did a good job. It was a big hit. You tip your cap."

Schott's go-ahead homer gave a reprieve to starter Travis Smith, who was about to be tagged with a tough loss.

Smith instead came back out and finished the victory with a perfect bottom of the seventh inning.

"I was wanting to go back out there if we got the lead," Smith said.

Smith, a recent Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) High School graduate, allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked two.

"I was just mixing everything up -- fastballs and curveballs," Smith said.

Cody Heisserer, a recent Notre Dame graduate who arguably was the area's top high school pitcher this year, started for Jackson.

Heisserer allowed three hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked six.

"Cody was on. He was throwing well," Williams said. "Their second guy [Koenig] did a good job, and Travis did a great job. It was a great game."

Cape, which had just four hits, grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

Heisserer walked the first two batters, Schott and Stephen Brennan, in the second. Thomas Crocetti followed with a two-run double.

Jackson got five of its eight hits off Smith during a three-run fourth inning, although it's not like Smith was being hammered.

Two of the hits were bunt singles and two more were ground balls up the middle that barely made it out of the infield.

Koenig led off the fourth with a double, and Ian Householder followed with an RBI single up the middle.

Cody Harris and Caleb Rowald bunted safely to load the bases with nobody out. Laban Petzoldt's two-run single up the middle put Jackson ahead, but Smith retired the next three batters to avoid further damage.

Jackson wound up stranding 10 runners on the bases.

"We didn't cash in on our opportunities," Lewis said. "But it was a good game."

Householder, from Kelly High School, went 3 for 4 to lead Jackson's offense.

Jackson (6-5) came back to capture the non-district nightcap 10-3 behind another strong game from Householder.

Householder was the winning pitcher and went 3 for 3 at the plate. Heisserer had a homer among Jackson's 11 hits.

Cape (7-5) had eight hits, led by Nick Essner's 3-for-3 performance that included a triple. Kyle Thompson took the loss.