Post 114 falls in extra innings

CHAFFEE -- Scott County scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning to blow past Sikeston, 10-4, in the opener of the Senior American Legion District 14 Tournament at Harmon Field in Chaffee on Tuesday.

Scott County (13-15) broke open a tie game at 4-4 with a bases-loaded walk to Rusty Hendrix plating the game-winning run.

Joey Williams, Sikeston starter and losing pitcher, threw nine strong innings but ran of gas in the 10th. After walking leadoff hitter Luke Dirnberger and hitting the next batter Chad Friend, Williams was pulled for Scott Droddy.

"Joey was done," said Sikeston coach Todd Baker. "He pitched one heckuva game, but he just didn't have anything left."

Droddy, having trouble finding the plate, hit the first batter he faced, then walked Hendrix to send Scott County up 5-4.

Next up, Jacob Essner singled home an insurance run to increase the Scott County lead to 6-4. Back-to-back hits by Shane Menz, a two-run double, and Trent Moses, a two-run single, closed the scoring.

Ryan Adams, on in relief of Droddy, finally shut Scott County down on an inning-ending double play.

Adams' single opened the bottom of the 10th, but Scott County's Jon "Hoss" Simpher buckled down to set Sikeston down in order for the win.

Simpher allowed four runs -- two earned -- on 10 hits with nine strikeouts and one walk in a gutsy, distance-going effort.

"You've got to give that team credit," said Baker. "They don't quit and "Hoss" threw a great game."

Simpher seemed to gain strength as the game progressed, hurling shutout ball the last five innings.

Said Scott County coach Tom Dirnberger, of Simpher, "He was up in the 145 to 150 pitch count (range), but he was throwing good. He didn't struggle and his arm was feeling good."

Williams was charged with six runs -- all earned -- on seven hits with five strikeouts. five walks and three hit batsmen.

Sikeston (10-11), which came in as the bottom seed in the five-team tournament, took charge early with single runs in the first, second and third innings to go up 3-0 against No. 2-seed Scott County.

Ryan Adams' RBI double drove home Jordan Kimball, who had singled and stole second, with the first run, then, in the second, Austin Williams' RBI single sent Josh Jackson home for a 2-0 lead.

Sikeston tacked on an unearned run in the third, but Scott County retaliated with two in the top of the fourth to cut the margin to 3-2.

Another unearned run in the fifth pushed Sikeston to a 4-2 advantage.

Hendrix' one-out single ignited Scott County's game-tying rally in the seventh. An error followed by Blake Dirnberger's RBI single allowed Scott County to crawl within one at 4-3.

Moses' sacrifice fly to right field plated the tying tally.

Sikeston, the home team, had a final chance to win the game in regulation. "We had it set up, then went out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth," Baker said. "We didn't get the job done."

Adams and Dexter Moore led Sikeston's offense with two hits apiece, while Moses, Menz and Hendrix paced Scott County with two hits each.

Sikeston also missed a golden opportunity to take the fast track to the winner's bracket final. In a quirky bracket alignment, the winner of Game 1 is in.

Now Sikeston must defeat No. 3-seed Jackson, 5-3 losers to No. 4 Cape Girardeau, on Wednesday at 8 p.m., then get by the loser of the No. 1-seed Dunklin County/Cape Girardeau game on Friday to reach the final.

Scott County coach Dirnberger, obviously appreciating the gravity of the situation, said, "I'm just glad to get the first win."