Sikeston All-Stars romp at Cal Ripken regional

BAXTER, Minn. -- The Sikeston All-Stars, running roughshod over opponents, march toward the championship of the Cal Ripken 10-and-under Midwest Plains Regional.

The All-Stars routed the Minnesota and North Dakota state champions, both in four-inning run-rule wins, on Sunday.

Sikeston, the Missouri state champion, defeated Waite Park, the Minnesota state champion, 14-0 in the opener.

Drew Harper was named Player of the Game with a 2-for-2 performance, including two doubles and three RBIs.

Tyler Anderson picked up the win, allowing one hit and striking out two in three innings of work. Harper kept the shutout intact, hurling a scoreless fourth frame.

Later in the day, the All-Stars romped over Dickenson (N.D.), 20-0, behind Cord Sheehy's three-inning no-hitter. Sheehy struck out four.

Caleb McCord tossed a scoreless fourth to close the win.

Lucas Houchin was the Player of the Game with two hits in three trips, including a double and a triple with six RBIs.

Sikeston meets the host team Baxter (Minn.), today at 11 a.m. in a semifinal matchup.

Sikeston and Baxter are the lone undefeated teams left in the tournament.

The Midwest Plains Regional championship game will be held on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

SENATH -- Sikeston's Senior American Legion Post 114 team was dealt a stunning defeat without playing a single inning.

Scheduled to meet Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons on Saturday in a losers bracket district semifinal game, Sikeston was forced to forfeit because of a new rule, enacted this season, which states that a team must have 12 players available to start a game. Sikeston had 11.

Had the game been contested, a Sikeston win would have earned the team a spot in the upcoming zone tournament since the host team Jackson was already in with an automatic berth.

Jackson went on to claim the district championship with a 7-1 win over Ford & Sons.

The Standard Democrat was unable to reach Sikeston coach Todd Baker for comment.

FULTON, Ky. -- The Sikeston Bootheel Bombers could reach none of five Fulton pitchers as they fell 6-0 to the Railroaders on Saturday.

The Kitty League pennant race heated up as the Union City (Tenn.)

Greyhounds closed the gap on the front-running Farmington Firebirds.

With two wins on Sunday, Union City pulled to within 1 1/2 games of Farmington, the season-long leader.

The Greyhounds shut out Farmington 4-0 in a make-up game opener, then knocked off Fulton 9-5 in a regular-scheduled game.

In Kitty League action on Saturday, Farmington and Union City (Tenn.) split a doubleheader with Union City taking the first game 2-1 and Farmington winning the nightcap 4-1.

The Bombers resume action with a home game against Union City on Thursday.