CAPE LEGION ADJUSTS OFFENSIVE DIAL TO HOT

Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball manager Ron Michel has been lamenting his team's inconsistent offensive performance this season.

Ford & Sons has been a hot-and-cold offensive squad and Sunday the team was only cold during a key District 14 doubleheader setback at Senath, getting just 10 hits total during 3-1 and 6-4 losses.

But Michel had to like what he saw for most of Monday night because Cape was extremely hot at the plate during another big District 14 twin bill, this time against visiting Sikeston at Capaha Field.

Cape banged out 15 hits during a 15-10 victory in the opener. Ford & Sons also reached well into double figures in the hit department during the second game, which was still going on as the Southeast Missourian went to press. Cape led that wild contest 19-12 after five innings.

"It was good to see us come out and swing the bats well," said Michel after Monday's first game, which improved Cape's record to 18-9 overall and 8-3 in District 14 play. Sikeston fell to 19-10 overall with the loss.

"We just haven't been able to hit up and down the lineup and Sunday we didn't hit the ball at all. We came out tonight and got hitting up and down the lineup."

Andy Sweet continued his torrid offensive show for Cape in the opener by getting three hits while also driving in three runs and scoring three times. Sweet had four of Cape's 10 hits during Sunday's doubleheader.

"Sweet is on fire," Michel said. "He's been hitting the ball pretty much the whole season."

Jeff Lappe also had three hits in the first game while Tatum Kitchen, Jeff Michel, Ross Bennett and Ben Gosche both added two. Kitchen had three RBIs while Michel drove in a pair of runs.

Nathan McGuire pitched the first four innings, allowing nine hits and five runs (two earned). Bennett hurled the final three frames, giving up six hits and five runs (three earned).

Like Cape, Sikeston had 15 hits. Josh West, Lincoln Scherer and Matt Mills all had three hits, with West and Mills both plating three RBIs.

When Sikeston jumped on top with four runs (only one earned) in the opening inning, things did not look good for Cape because pitching for the visitors was talented lefthander Ben Marshall, who beat Ford & Sons earlier this season when the squads split a doubleheader.

But Marshall, after striking out the side in the bottom of the first, was torched for six runs on five hits in the second as Cape took the lead for good. Kitchen had a two-run double in the rally while Sweet and Gosche both had RBI hits.

Ford & Sons knocked Marshall out during a four-run third that put the home squad ahead 10-4.

Marshall worked just 2 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and 10 runs (eight earned). Jared Self finished up, allowing five hits and five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings.

The second game looked like a Cape rout early on when Ford & Sons scored seven runs in the first inning and knocked out Sikeston starter Derek Driskell after he had retired only one batter.

Trent Summers, Lanson DeBrock, Todd Pennington and Chris Bradshaw all had run-scoring hits in the uprising.

Cape added another run in the second to go ahead 8-0, but Sikeston chipped away and made a game of it before Ford & Sons started to pull away again late.

Pennington pitched the first four innings, allowing six hits and seven runs (six earned). Kitchen relieved to start the fifth.