CHAFFEE DROPS FINAL POOL GAME

ENID, Okla. -- The Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy American Legion baseball squad finally ran into some problems here Saturday night during the eight-team Mid-South Regional Tournament.

Not that it mattered, however.

Chaffee entered the game against host Enid, Okla., having already clinched the top seed in its four-team pool by virtue of victories Thursday and Friday. So manager Jeff Graviett entered the contest intent on resting a few key players and making sure his pitching staff would be in good shape for today's semifinal round.

Thanks to a 10-run fifth inning, Enid -- which had lost its first two games in pool play -- routed Chaffee 16-6. The contest was stopped in the bottom of the seventh inning by the 10-run mercy rule. Chaffee falls to 53-12 overall while Enid is 36-32.

But Chaffee's struggles Saturday should deter the squad little as it is one of four teams still alive entering today's semifinals.

Chaffee, the champion of the American Division, will take on National Division runner-up Merrero, La., at 1 p.m. today. The other semifinal, set for 7 p.m., will pit National Division champion Midwest City, Okla., against American Division runner-up West Point, Miss.

Today's winners will square off at 7 p.m. Monday for the regional championship and a berth in the American Legion World Series in Yakima, Wash.

Midwest City, which is 62-13, has been by far the tournament's most impressive team. The Oklahoma state champion outscored its three opponents in pool play by a staggering 45 to 10 total, including Saturday's 18-4, run-rule romp past defending regional champion Texas City, Texas. Midwest City entered the tourney with a .405 team batting average.

Merrero has a 31-5 record while West Point is 39-9.

In Saturday's contest, Chaffee led Enid 6-5 entering the bottom of the fifth inning. But the host squad knocked out starter G.P. Glueck and then also treated reliever Andrew DePeder rudely during its 10-run outburst.

Glueck, in four-plus innings, was charged with nine runs.

DePeder and Garrett Cook both had two hits for Chaffee. Cook drove in two runs.

On a down note for Chaffee, Cook -- who has been one of the team's hottest hitters -- was hit on the wrist by a ball and X-rays were to be taken late Saturday night.