Alton Tops Cape 9-0

From the Alton River Dragons:

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Houston High pitched seven dominant innings, and Alec Nigut followed with two scoreless out of the bullpen and the Alton River Dragons earned a 9-0 shutout win at the Cape Catfish Wednesday.

It's the first shutout win for Alton this season and completed a two-game sweep of the road series.

High went a personal best seven innings, scattering seven hits, walking none and striking out five.  He was rarely in any trouble during the game.

At the plate, the River Dragons scored in the top of the first when Gage Mestas's two-out bases loaded infield single plated a run.  In the sixth, Bryce Zupan's and Mestas again delivered two-out RBI singles and it was 4-0 with another scoring on a wild pitch.

Then in the ninth, Kurtis Reid's three-run homer highlighted a five run inning that put the game away.

Mestas finished the two game set with six hits and five RBI.

Alton has won consecutive games, and after an off-day Thursday, is back in action Friday at O'Fallon.  The River Dragons next play at home on Saturday at 6:35pm vs. Normal with post-game fireworks at Lloyd Hopkins Field.

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From the Cape Catfish:

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Cape Catfish fell to the Alton River Dragons 9-0 Wednesday night at Capaha Field in spite of a strong performance by Cape starting pitcher Colten Weber.

The Catfish trailed 1-0 heading after five innings, but the Dragons scored three in the sixth and capped off the night with five more in the ninth including a three-run bomb off the left-field scoreboard by shortstop Kurtis Reid. It was the University of Louisville redshirt freshman's third long-ball for the Dragons this season, increasing his RBI total to 16.

Weber, a graduate of Jackson High School and a senior at Oral Roberts University, struck out 10 Dragons in his five innings of work. He allowed just one run on three hits, but took the loss, dropping his record to 1-2 in his six starts this season.

Meanwhile, Alton starter Houston High, a 6-foot, 5-inch redshirt freshman at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee, picked up his first win of the season in his third mound appearance. High scattered seven Catfish hits, all singles, over seven innings, striking out five and walking none.

The loss dropped Cape to 2-4 in the second half of the Prospect League season, 14-23 overall, while Alton improved to 21-18 overall and 3-5 in the second half.

The Catfish travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, to play a single game against REX Baseball Thursday night followed by a trip to Danville, Illinois, to take on the Danville Dans Friday. The Catfish return to Cape Saturday for a 6:35 p.m. game against REX Baseball.