Sports digest 6/26/02

AREA

CAPE DEFEATS PERRYVILLE FOR AMERICAN LEGION SWEEP

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau's Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team rolled to a doubleheader sweep of Perryville Tuesday night, winning 12-1 in five innings and 9-4.

Mark Wittenborn allowed just four hits and struck out eight batters in recording the victory in the opener.

Cape Legion (8-7) banged out 11 of its 14 hits in an 11-run second inning. The inning included a three-run homer by Chris Conrad. Conrad, Shane Kistner, Tyler Schlosser, Tim Wencewicz, Dustin Tatum and Aaron Dohogne each had two hits in the game.

Wayne Essner went the distance in the second game, giving up seven hits and striking out nine.

Essner also led the offense with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate with two RBIs. Kistner, Schlosser, Matt Wulfers and Jeff Brosey all had two hits. Wulfers knocked in two runs and Kyle Diveley collected three RBIs.

Rouse finishes second at wrestling regional

Cody Rouse of Fruitland, Mo., finished second in the 140-pound division in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the seven-state Southern Plains Regional in Dallas.

Rouse, 15, compiled a 4-1 record in freestyle and 3-1 in Greco-Roman.

Rouse, a state qualifier for Jackson High School during his freshman season, will compete in the Cadet National Duals next week in Greeley, Colo.

Area qualifiers set for national high school rodeo

Several area competitors earned spots in the National High School Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M., after they finished among the top four in their events last week at the state rodeo at Flickerwood Arena near Jackson, Mo.

Among the local qualifiers were Nicole DeWitt of Sikeston, Mo., in pole bending; Evin Burke of Charleston, Mo., and Jake Link of Poplar Bluff, Mo., in team roping; and Ty Atchison of Jackson and Jeremy Hemman of Ole Appleton, Mo., in team roping.

Burnett, Burford team up for horseshoes event win

Bob Burnett and Larry Burford defeated 14 teams to win the SEMO Horsehoe Assocation event Sunday at Jackson's Knights of Columbus Hall.

Cori Stoverink and Susan Fields were second; Irv Vandeven and Margie Stull were third.

ELSEWHERE

HOCKEY

The Capitals, looking for a young and aggressive coach, hired Bruce Cassidy, who has never spent a day behind the bench in the NHL. Cassidy, 37, said the inexperience won't hurt him, and is determined to show general manager George McPhee he made the "right choice." Cassidy spent the last two seasons with Grand Rapids in the AHL. He led the Griffins to a division championship and a 42-27-11-0 record inhis first year.

Tennis

Tatum O'Neal says ex-husband John McEnroe took steroids while he was on the pro tennis tour, and used cocaine and marijuana -- but only off the court. O'Neal spoke about McEnroe on ABC's "20/20," which will be broadcast Friday, in response to his new autobiography, "You Cannot Be Serious." McEnroe, now a TV commentator, also used steroids "when he was coming back after Sean (their son) was born" in 1987, O'Neal said.

-- From staff, wire reports