Scott County advances past Cape, reaches district championship game

The Scott County American Legion baseball team was able to shake off Wednesday's loss to Dunklin County in the winners bracket final of the District 14 tournament.

As a result, Post 369 will get another crack at Dunklin County with the district title and a berth in next week's zone tournament on the line.

Top-seeded Scott County overcame a strong challenge from second-seeded Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons on Thursday night to notch a 9-6 victory in the losers bracket final at Capaha Field.

Scott County (28-10) will play third-seeded Dunklin County today in the championship round. They will play at 5 p.m. today, and if Scott County wins the first game, the two teams would play a second winner-take-all game immediately after the first game. Dunklin County, as the only undefeated squad left in the five-team tournament, would capture the title with a win in the first game.

Post 369 fell to Dunklin County 10-8 on Wednesday night for only its second loss in the past 18 games.

Scott County's Trenton Moses delivers a pitch during the second inning of the district 14 tournament game against Cape at Capaha Park on Thursday, July 26, 2007. (AARON EISENHAUER ~aeisenhauer@semissourian.com)

Scott County got back on track against Cape, which ended its season with a 30-20 record.

But it certainly wasn't easy as Post 369, which never trailed, broke a 5-5 tie with two seventh-inning runs. Scott County added two insurance runs in the eighth inning.

Scott County received a strong relief performance from Shae Simmons, who notched the victory by working the final four innings.

Simmons allowed two hits and two runs. He struck out five, walked none and hit a batter.

Post 369 starter Trenton Moses was also solid, allowing six hits and four runs in five innings. He fanned four and walked three.

Cape started Kory Kitchen went all eight innings, allowing nine hits. He fanned five and walked four.

Scott County put Cape in an early hole by scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Cody Carlyle led off with a walk and Blake Dirnberger drew a one-out walk. They both scored on Chase Seyer's triple, and Seyer came home on a ground out by Rusty Hendricks.

Ford & Sons tied it in the top of the fourth inning.

Brad LaBruyere and Alex Shell both singled with none out and David Sanders drilled a three-run home run over the left-field fence.

Rynn Eskew answered that blast with a two-out solo homer to left in the bottom of the fourth as Scott County went back ahead 4-3.

Cape forged a 4-4 deadlock in the fifth. Matt Hester led off with a single and Cody Tellor followed with a single. Hester moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on sacrifice fly by Blake Slattery.

Scott County regained the lead in the sixth. Tyler Beardslee led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Dirnberger, stopped at third on a Seyer single and came home on a Hendricks sacrifice fly.

Moses, Beardslee, Chase Seyer and Eskew all had two of Scott County's nine hits.

Hester had three of Cape's eight hits.