Community Sports

Mother Nature took away the Cape Catfish's chance at revenge Friday. A day after Springfield (Illinois) dealt the Catfish their first home loss of the season, the Catfish led 6-3 over the host Sliders after two innings when play was suspended due to rain...

The Cape Catfish have become quite familiar with the Springfield (Illinois) Sliders. Just last Saturday, the Catfish turned a deficit into a seven-run win, in spite of a rain delay. This time they trailed again, but they could not produce the same comeback magic as before, losing 3-2 Thursday at Capaha Field...

Willie Lucas and Jacob Shoemaker both walked into their respective Gene Bess Basketball Camp sessions for the first time as kids. They were eager to learn fundamentals and get better at the game they love while getting lessons from Three Rivers men's basketball coaches and players...

In its previous three games, the Cape Catfish have proven to be indomitable, as it put across 30 runs against its Prospect League foes.

As the summer continues to roll along, it has not slowed down a pair of Saxony Lutheran state qualifiers on the diamond. Hunter Bilek and Mason Lewis combined for four hits and five runs batted in, as the two helped Jackson Senior Legion Post 158 to a 13-5 victory over Cape Ford and Sons Senior Legion Post 63 in the first game of a doubleheader at Jackson Indian Stadium on Tuesday...

You'll have to forgive Cape Catfish left fielder Ellison Hanna II if he isn't intimidated by having to make an adjustment to Prospect League pitching this summer. After all, this is a guy who made a seismic adjustment in his life as a then-17-year-old, so not hitting breaking balls aren't going to be something he can't overcome...

All of the people invested in the creation of the Cape Catfish baseball squad for its 2019 inaugural season hoped for the club's success this summer, both on and off of the diamond. However, winning at a 70 percent clip right from the opening pitch may have exceeded even the highest of expectations...

The Gene Bess Basketball Camp is back for its first of three week-long summer sessions. NBA talents such as Otto Porter and Ben and Tyler Hansbrough have attended camps in the past. This year, it has a member from as far away as coaches Gene and Brian Bess can remember...

The formula for success implemented by the Cape Catfish in the early portion of the 2019 Prospect League season hasn’t been complicated. At times, the Catfish have pounded the livin’ heck out of the ball offensively, while also getting solid pitching, and the result is almost always a positive one.

KENNETT, Mo. - The summer success continued for the Kennett Indians high school baseball program Sunday afternoon at Indian Park. Kennett improved to 7-1 on the summer as it beat the visiting Mineral Area Orioles in both games of a doubleheader. Kennett edged Mineral Area 2-0 in Game 1 before run-ruling Mineral Area 12-2 in five innings in Game 2...

One day after being slowed on the road and with rain in the forecast for Cape Girardeau, the Cape Catfish were back on the field again to face Springfield. Taylor Pridgen produced a record-setting performance, Ellison Hanna II homered and Austin Hicks was solid on the mound despite a brief storm delay as the Catfish emerged from the damp elements victorious 15-8 over Springfield (Ill.) on Saturday at Capaha Field...

So far in this early season, as the Cape Catfish have swung the bat, success has followed. What has been its calling card in the words of Catfish manager Steve Larkin, “aggressive” at-bats and putting the ball in play to score as they have in its previous three wins.

SIKESTON — “Together we can.” That’s the motto that Sikeston assistant football coach Treston Pulley has for his brand new flag football league. A league that began play on May 26, Pulley is eager to get younger kids into the game that he loves. Being from the area is a bonus as well, which Pulley talked about being one of the essential reasons for starting what he hopes will be a summer tradition...

The past three nights have left a great taste in the mouths of the Cape Catfish. After a sweep of DuPage, the Catfish turned their attention to the Springfield Sliders and remained perfect at home at Capaha Field Thursday with a 6-3 victory. In just seven games, the newest team in the Prospect League has began to gel, currently sitting in first place in the West Division with a 5-2 record...

KENNETT, Mo. - FCC Behavioral Health, local businesses, and local golfers teamed up to raise money for a wellness program in Dunklin County Thursday afternoon. FCC Behavioral Health held its fifth annual golf scramble benefit Thursday at Kennett Country Club...

KENNETT, Mo. - The two-out success the Kennett Indians offense experienced proved to be the difference in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the visiting Southeast Tropics Thursday evening. Kennett drove home all 11 of its runs with two outs as it pounded its way past the Southeast Tropics 11-1 in six innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Indian Park...

Cape Catfish manager Steve Larkin didn't sing, but he hummed a tune yet again. It could be a driving force that is helping his team build momentum. "I'm going to make a request for Earth, Wind & Fire," Larkin said with a smile. Just one day after winning their first home game in team history, the Catfish (4-2) were back on the diamond hoping to build on that victory, as well as get to know one another...

The annual Kelso Klassic fast-pitch softball tournament scheduled for this weekend has been canceled due to an ominous weather forecast. The announcement came in an email from tournament founder Rick Heuring, who noted there did not appear to be a clear window to play any games and did not want teams, most not from the immediate area, to spend time and money sitting in hotel rooms...

A win is a win. Even if Earth, Wind & Fire is playing. "Do you remember the 21st night of September?" As Cape Catfish manager Steve Larkin wrapped up his radio interview Tuesday following his team's 9-4 win over DuPage in Prospect League action, he heard the classic tune "September" over the speakers and was in a singing mood...

You can't fault the DuPage Pistol Shrimp for getting whacked by the Cape Catfish 9-4 on Tuesday at Capaha Field. Sometimes you simply can't mess with the "baseball gods." The Pistol Shrimp entered the night having won four consecutive games, but Tuesday belonged to not just the Catfish, but the entire Cape Girardeau community...

KENNETT, Mo. - Kennett Indians starting pitcher Marshall Brown went the distance on the hill but did not receive the run support he needed to knock off the defending Senior Babe Ruth national champion Charleston Fighting Squirrels Tuesday evening at Indian Park...

Patience. Consistency. Those are words one Southeast Missouri woman describes as ideal when it comes to bodybuilding. She reflects upon them in the gym and also on stage. For Tamatha Crowson, she's not scratching the surface in the sport, she's dominating...

The Cape Catfish haven't had to wait long for its pitching staff to turn in some impressive performances during this Prospect League season. The club also hasn't had to look far to find the talent necessary to do so. Four games into the season, the Catfish have split their four games and aside from an opening-night loss at Quincy, they have gotten a strong pitching outing each game from someone different...

The home-opening game for the Cape Catfish tonight (against DuPage at 6:35 p.m.) is expected to draw 1,000-plus fans to Capaha Field and somewhere amidst that throng, Braden Cox hopes there are some college scouts in need of another arm on their roster...

SIKESTON — Costly mistakes hurt the Sikeston Silver Sox in its opening night matchup against Perryville Post 133 on Monday night. In the first game of the doubleheader, Perryville Post 133 scored three runs on three errors, as it went on to defeat the Silver Sox 7-2...

In the previous two outings, the Cape Catfish had been able to generate 19 runs from its 29 hits and the result was a pair of victories. However, in Sunday’s Prospect League road game at Terre Haute, the hits were still occurring, but bringing those base runners home proved problematic.

CHARLESTON, Mo. — A season to remember was recognized on Saturday evening, as the Charleston Fighting Squirrels season kicked off by celebrating the 2018 Senior Babe Ruth World Series championship, at Hillhouse Park. The introduction of all of the Fighting Squirrels’ affiliated teams, followed by a ceremonial first pitch from former Fighting Squirrel and Sikeston Bulldog Will Pratt— who was a member of the championship team — started the evening. ...

The offense is proving early in this Prospect League baseball season not to be an issue for the Cape Catfish.

One night after the Cape Catfish couldn’t put together enough offense to make-up for struggling pitching, the Catfish got enough quality pitching to go with an abundance of offense and fight their way to an 11-6 victory in 11 innings at Quincy Friday.

There are good and bad parts to David Lawson’s job as the pitching coach for the Cape Catfish. He has some talent to work with, as Catfish General Manager Mark Hogan has secured the services of some nice players. However, Lawson hasn’t had the luxury of an extended period of time to prepare his pitchers, nor figure out just what he has at his disposal.

I have only been in Cape Girardeau for a few days, but I am experienced enough to know good people when I interact with them. In my multiple dealings with the Cape Catfish baseball organization, it is nothing but quality people throughout.

Charles Chilcutt and Pat Evans shot a 59, winning via a scorecard playoff to claim first at a two-person handicap four-ball Memorial Day golf tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club. Brevn Giebler and Terry Bozzay also shot a 59 in the 18-hole event but lost on the scorecard playoff...

Too many times, I will plead guilty, I have stood in locker rooms or sat in press conferences and figuratively rolled my eyes as an athlete delivered praise to a higher being for having played a part in their success on the court, diamond, field or course. ...

There are a lot of new components to the Cape Catfish organization this summer, not the least of which is its actual existence. "The whole thing is brand new," Catfish General Manager Mark Hogan said. The team will open its inaugural season Thursday at Quincy (6:35 p.m.), in advance of its home opener (June 4) at the newly- (and significantly) renovated Capaha Field. The coaching staff is also new to the players and vice versa...

With a roster full of new faces, the Cape Girardeau Capahas begin their 125th season Friday and look to build on last year's success in their inaugural Mon-Clair League campaign. The Capahas joined the summer baseball league last season after operating independently for years and won the regular-season title before falling in the playoff semifinals...

Who says football is just a man's sport? Don't tell that to Chelsea Vinson because she's doing that in the professional ranks. "I've been a fan of the game and actually played as a kid," Vinson said. That love for the game has given her an opportunity to play for the St. Louis Slam in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA), which bills itself as "The world's top professional league" on its website, although it does not pay its players...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Had the 73rd Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational lasted much longer, it might have had its first tie. With the sun already set and the last of its light quickly fading, Drew Eaton and Ian Barnes played five sudden-death playoff holes to decide a winner. ...

Players said the first round of the 73rd Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational was the hardest the tournament has ever been. About noon on Saturday, the wind picked up and was consistently blowing around 25 mph, with gusts forcing player after player to step away from their ball and wait until things calmed down to hit their shot. Good shots were flying long and falling short, but where it was the worst was on the greens...

In came down to one swing of the bat. Defending champion Jeremy Patton had one out remaining in the final round and trailed by a home run. Except Patton was on the bonus ball, which counted as two home runs. So either he was going to win, or he was going to lose...

The crowd at the inaugural Louie Smith Memorial Home Run Derby charity event last year was 5-6 people deep with packed stands. Organizers think there could be twice as many people this year. “I think we are at the tip of the iceberg with what we can do with this. ...

After two successful seasons at Jackson High School Alexis Allstun has signed her National Letter of Intent with Missouri Baptist University of St. Louis to continue her basketball career while furthering her education...

It'll be a season of firsts for the Cape Catfish. Not only is it the inaugural season for the collegiate summer league baseball team, it's the first head coaching job for manager Steve Larkin. The longtime professional player has spent the past three summers coaching in the Prospect League. This time around, he won't be the hitting coach. Instead, he's the headman...

Baseball season is here. The St. Louis Cardinals' season, an unofficial marker of spring for many in Southeast Missouri, is underway. That means summer, and more baseball, is that much closer. There's always been plenty of local baseball in June and July to satisfy area connoisseurs, from the Capahas to legion and Babe Ruth baseball. This summer, add a new team to the mix...

Peace. A place of zen. Perseverance. Those are a few words Gavilan Bland uses to describe the world of Mixed Martial Arts. He, along with teammates, Caleb Woodside and Tommy Wood, will compete today at War in the Cage in Paducah, Kentucky. Bland, a Sikeston, Missouri, native now living in Cape Girardeau, and his team, ISD Missouri, have one goal in mind: Train like a champion. The team compared the phrase, "Train like a champion" with enduring...

Over 600 people attended the Celebration of Youth Sports Awards Banquet, hosted by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department on Friday. Listed below are award winners. There were also four special awards handed out. Mike Payne received the Youth Sports Lifetime Achievement Award...

Headline Wyatt Sisters Spring to the Top Each year, Cape Central hosts one of the largest high school Swimming & Diving events in the state of Missouri. The 17th annual City of Roses Invitational was held on January 19th, under the direction of Dayna Powell, Central’s head Swimming & Diving coach...