CHAFFEE CLOSES IN ON TOP SEED WITH SWEEP OF CAPE LEGION

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy American Legion baseball team rode the strong right arms of Justin Simpher and Matt Stroup to a pair of victories Tuesday night that all but assured the squad of earning the top seed for next week's District 14 Tournament.

Simpher and Stroup each hurled seven-inning complete games as Chaffee swept a doubleheader from visiting Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons 7-2 and 4-1.

Chaffee is now a sparkling 31-5 overall and 23-3 in District 14 play. Second-place Dunklin County is 21-5 in the district. Chaffee needs just one win during Friday's season-ending doubleheader at Charleston to earn the top seed for the district tourney that will be played in Charleston.

"It would be nice to get the No. 1 seed, but we still haven't won a district (tournament) at this level and that's what we're shooting for," said Chaffee manager Jeff Graviett. "We want to get the first district title for our program."

Chaffee's hurlers were simply too much for Cape, which came into Tuesday's action having swept three straight district doubleheaders and was coming off Monday night's sweep of Dunklin County. Ford & Sons is now 24-18 overall and 15-11 in the district.

"Cape had been playing real well and these were two big wins for us," Graviett said. "Justin and Matt both pitched tremendous games, both going the distance in hot weather."

Simpher scattered five hits -- all singles -- in the opener. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Josh Eftink, the area's premier slugger, provided much of Chaffee's offense in the first game as he homered, doubled and drove in three runs.

Garrett Cook also homered and had two RBIs for Chaffee, which finished with 11 hits. Brad Kolwyck and Andrew DePeder added two hits apiece.

Scott Reinagel led Cape with two hits.

Mark Ostendorf suffered the loss. In 4 1/3 innings, he allowed six runs (four earned) and nine hits while fanning four and walking two.

The teams were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Chaffee broke things open with four runs. Eftink's two-run homer to right broke the deadlock and Cook's two-run shot to center added some insurance.

In the nightcap, Stroup gave up six hits while fanning nine and walking one. The only run he allowed was unearned.

Losing hurler Matt Jones also pitched well, allowing six hits, but he was hurt by eight walks. He also fanned eight.

Perry Rice led Chaffee with two hits and two RBIs. T.J. Erlacker had two hits for Cape.

Cape will close out the regular season at home tonight with a 6 o'clock non-district doubleheader against De Soto.

Ford & Sons was actually scheduled to finish district play Friday at Jackson, but the squad folded earlier in the year so Cape will officially wind up with a 17-11 district mark.