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Sikeston sweeps Fulton County
SIKESTON -- Sikeston Post 114 maximized its scoring opportunities and received another solid pitching performance to keep its American Legion record unblemished.
Sikeston upped its record to 3-0 with a 5-2 win in the opener of a two-game set against the Fulton County (Ky.) Xpress (4-4) at VFW Stadium on Friday.
Post 114 fell behind early as it has in two of its previous wins, but not for long.
Trailing after Fulton scored two in the second inning, Sikeston tallied three in the third to overtake the Xpress.
Jacob Lawrence dumped a leadoff single over shortstop and was forced at second on Matt Smith's grounder. Joey Bickings, an Oran High School graduate, walked ahead of Tyler Stahl, who ripped a drive deep to right-centerfield to plate Smith and advance Bickings to third base.
Bickings trotted home with the tying run on a passed ball, then Stahl scored on NMCC's Jordan Kimball's fielder's choice groundout with what proved to be the game-winner.
Sikeston added two insurance runs in the fourth.
Brandon Crook led off the inning with a single to leftfield ahead of Lawrence's double to the right-centerfield wall. With runners on second and third, Crook trotted home on another Fulton County passed ball and Lawrence later scored from third on Smith's infield single.
Pitching has been a staple thus far and Sikeston's Lance Rhodes continued the string with a complete-game victory. Rhodes held the Xpress to four hits, struck out six, walked four and hit two batters.
"Lance just took care of business," said Sikeston manager Charlie Dye. "He had one inning when he was a little out of kilter, but after that he threw the ball well."
Crook and Lawrence led the eight-hit Sikeston offense with two hits apiece. Stahl, Kimball, Smith and Brad Deere had the other Sikeston hits.
"I think we're swinging the bats a little better," said Dye. "We hit many more balls hard tonight than we have in the past."
Noble Carter paced Fulton County with two hits. Starter Cassidy Rogers suffered the loss.
In the nightcap, Sikeston (4-0) routed Fulton 14-2 in five innings.
Rhodes led a prolific 17-hit attack with a 4-for-4 night, hitting for the cycle.
"I don't know if I've ever had a kid hit for the cycle,' said Dye. "That's a hard thing to do."
Stahl went 3-for-4, while Ben Pyles, Jordan Penn, Lawrence and Kimball added two hits apiece.
Ben Walters was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs and two hits in four innings.