Ford & Sons pulls off sweep

It's been a season full of frustration for the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion team.

Pitching, fielding and hitting have rarely come together in one night, and the team has suffered numerous one-run losses. Monday's 18-9 comeback victory over Dunklin County in a nine-inning district affair at Capaha Field just could be the jolt the team needs to change its fortunes.

"Finally, we put it together and hit the baseball the way we can," Ford & Sons coach Michael Minner said. "Hopefully this is a possible sign of things to come."

Cape followed the opener with an 11-1 five-inning victory in a nondistrict game.

The sweep came just a day after Cape dropped a 4-3 decision to Dunklin County at the Cason Classic in Blytheville, Ark. Ford & Sons improved to 8-13 overall and 1-1 in district play.

"It's huge," Minner said of his team's first district win of the season. "Any time you get a chance to get a win against someone you'll play later in the year, it's big."

While it was Ford & Sons that had to rally late, Cape was actually ahead early on. Cape took advantage of some early wildness from Dunklin starter B.J. Flippo to score four first-inning runs.

A wild startFlippo walked the first three batters he faced on 12 pitches. Cape scored its first run when it hit into a double play, and after a Cory Huskey walk, two runners scored on an errant throw when Huskey attempted to steal second.

Consecutive hits from Jason Umfleet, Zac Horman and Mark Johnston led to another run. Umfleet, Horman and Johnston combined for six hits in the game. Cape's bottom four hitters, which included Zac Hudson, combined for eight hits.

"The bottom of the order came up with big hits early in the game," Umfleet said. "Then further on in the game everyone was hitting."

Dunklin County tied the game with one run in the second and three in the third off Cape starter Wayne Essner. Ford & Sons answered with three runs in the bottom of the third for a 7-4 lead. Johnston and Hudson collected RBIs, as Cape's first five batters reached safely.

Dunklin County plated two in the fourth to cut the lead to 7-6, and the lead was gone by the sixth, as Anthony Patton's two-run triple pushed Dunklin County ahead 8-7. Dunklin scored another run for a 9-7 lead.

After Flippo had silenced Cape's bats for four innings, the top of the order started to get to Dunklin's starter. Scott Brueckner, Patrick Slattery and Sean Bard all reached to start the eighth inning. Flippo was pulled for Eric Dent, who allowed the next three batters to reach safely, pushing Cape into the lead at 10-9. Eight more runs would cross in the inning as Ford & Sons sent 16 batters to the plate in the eighth.

Umfleet wields hot batUmfleet led the offensive attack with three hits and an RBI.

"I was just seeing the ball really well tonight," Umfleet said.

Hudson had two hits and two RBIs, while Huskey had two hits and three RBIs. Bard added two hits -- both in the eighth --and Lee Essner picked up two RBIs.

Mike Taylor picked up the win for Cape, pitching three scoreless innings of relief.

In the nightcap Horman pitched all five innings for the win, and Umfleet added three more hits and three RBIs. Tony Leuckel also had three RBIs.