Late boost assures Sikeston win over East Prairie 7-2

sports@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- Adding five insurance runs in their final trip to the plate, the Sikeston Bulldogs took down East Prairie 7-2 Thursday to push themselves two games above .500 on the season.

"We can't wait until the sixth inning to get the bats going," Sikeston head coach Alan Scheeter said. "Fortunately our pitching and defense kept us in it. We got the two runs we needed in the third and our pitching kept us in it. We have to find a way to score more runs."

An Eagle run in the first inning left the Bulldogs (7-5) trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third when they first got on the board.

With runners on first and third, an overthrow to second base on a steal allowed Audie Hay to score from third and tie the game. A sacrifice fly from Blake Wolferding brought Sam Cox home from third to give Sikeston a lead, 2-1, they wouldn't relinquish.

It was still a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth when another East Prairie (6-6) error gave the Bulldogs some breathing room.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Sikeston hit a grounder that looked to be the third out, but the Eagles struggled fielding it, leading to a run scoring and the bases still loaded.

Hay and Cox followed up with back-to-back doubles to bring in two runs each and make it 7-1.

"You don't have to (field) a strikeout," Scheeter said of the importance of putting the ball in play. "You put it in play they have to catch it, throw it and catch it again. More times than not they'll make those routine plays, but you never know. That one they didn't and that allowed us to score a run on that play and four more right after it."

East Prairie added a final run in the seventh off a Mack Marcum single to make up the final.

East Prairie first baseman Dalton Coots hauls in a wide throw as Sikeston runner Trey Smith safely reaches first base Thursday at VFW Stadium in Sikeston. (Brent Shipman photo)

East Prairie first baseman Dalton Coots hauls in a wide throw as Sikeston runner Trey Smith safely reaches first base Thursday at VFW Stadium in Sikeston. (Brent Shipman photo)

Marcum took a hard luck loss on the mound as only one of the Bulldogs' runs were earned. He gave up six hits, four walks and struck out five.

The Eagles committed three errors in the contest, but the overthrow in the third and misplayed ball in the sixth resulted in a total of six runs for the Bulldogs.

"Mack pitched like an ace today," East Prairie head coach Jason Aycock said. "He pitched a heck of a ball game. I don't think the score recalls how well he pitched. There was six unearned runs. What happened to us is high school teams are going to make errors, but our errors just came at the wrong time in the game."

For the Bulldogs, Sebastian Matos picked up the win in his first start of the season. He went four innings where he gave up one hit, four walks and fanned five.

His only blemish was when a single from David Wells scored a run for the Eagles in the first after Matos surrendered a pair of walks.

"He had as relief appearance in Kentucky against Windsor where he threw two really good innings," Scheeter said of Mato's only other appearance on the mound this season. "He threw four quality innings today. Probably a few too many pitches, but he was effective."

Trent Sidwell picked up the save with three innings of work, allowing one run on two hits, a walk and four strikeouts.

"He throws off-speed stuff, stuff that moves and his ball is difficult to see coming from sidearm," Scheeter said about Sidwell. "Everything he throws moves, nothing is straight. He's been doing a really good job for us all year long."

Out-hitting the Eagles 6-3, Sikeston got doubles from Hay, Cox and Wolferding. Trey Smith, Wyatt Pratt and Cody Rodgers each had singles.

For East Prairie, Marcum went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Well's single plated a run.

East Prairie 100 000 1 - 2 3 3

Sikeston 002 005 x - 7 6 1

WP -- Sebastian Matos. LP -- Mack Marcum. S -- Trent Sidwell. Multiple hitters: (E) Mack Marcum 2-3. 2B -- (S) Audie Hay, Sam Cox, Blake Wolferding.