Festus sweeps doubleheader from Sikeston Junior Legion

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Auxiliary Unit 114 Junior Legion baseball team was swept in a doubleheader by visiting Festus on Thursday at VFW Stadium.

Unit 114 lost the first game 6-3 and were dropped 5-3 in the nightcap.

In the first game, Festus took an early 4-0 lead before Sikeston could score.

Sikeston scored in the bottom of the third on an RBI-single by Garland Hemphill to make it 4-1.

Sikeston (4-2) cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Joe Lincoln doubled home Ben Walters.

Eric Chappell added a run-scoring double in the bottom of the seventh to plate Matt Limbaugh but it wasn't enough.

DeHart took the loss in five innings of work. He allowed five runs off six hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Jordan Penn threw two innings of relief, allowing one unearned run off two hits with one strikeout.

"We didn't field the ball well," said Sikeston head coach Jeff Limbaugh. "We knew they were good. When two good teams battle, the one that makes the least amount of errors has got the better shot to win. We misplayed a few and that was a big factor in the game."

Sikeston also couldn't get much offense going. Unit 114 only managed eight hits and never could seem to string together rallies.

"We're a pretty good hitting team and he shut us down," said Limbaugh.

In the second game, neither team scored through the first four innings. Festus finally broke the shutout with a run in the top of the fifth inning.

Festus eventually led 5-1 before Sikeston put together one last rally.

Tyler Baker had a pinch-hit two-run single to cut the lead to 5-3 but Unit 114 came up short.

Jordan Kimball threw five innings for Sikeston but got the no-decision. He allowed one run off two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He also had two doubles and a run scored.

Hemphill took the loss in relief for Sikeston.

Zach Dill had Sikeston's only other hit.

Unit 114 will be back in action this weekend at VFW Stadium.

They will host Perryville on Saturday and Cape on Sunday.