David Jenkins, Staff Sikeston Post 114 hurler Josh Stevens delivers a pitch to a Ste. Genevieve hitter on Wednesday night at VFW Stadium. (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat) [Click to enlarge]

SIKESTON -- Ste. Genevieve Post 150 came to town Wednesday evening and handed Sikeston Post 114 an eight-inning loss by a final score of 14-4.

Josh Stevens took the defeat on the hill for Sikeston as he lasted six-plus innings, giving up eight earned runs on 12 hits, three hit batters and two walks. He struck out three in the loss.

Through the first three innings, Ste. Genevieve roughed up Stevens for six runs on seven hits. Four of the runs came in a big third inning that began with a double by Tyler Thomure to right-center field off of the wall. Post 150 rallied around the two other hits in the inning, two hit batters and a walk, leaving the score sitting at 6-1 going into the bottom of the third.

The offense never really got going for Post 114 as they collected eight hits on the night with only one being for extra bases when Seth Baker pegged a double to the wall in the sixth inning. Sikeston came up with one run in the fifth and two in the sixth but in the final two innings Post 114 only rattled off one single by Austin Williams.

Ste. Genevieve tacked on one run in the fifth, six in the seventh and one in the eighth as they pulled away for the mercy-rule defeat.

Jeremy Vaeth picked up the victory for Post 150, as he made it through five innings, giving up one earned run on six hits, one hit batter and two walks. Vaeth struck out two in the win.

"Jeremy's not going to overpower anybody," said Ste. Genevieve head coach Junie Basler of his starting pitcher. "He's going to come in and throw strikes and that's what we need. We need to let our defense work."

Offensively for Post 150, Zach Bauer, Thomure and Casey Koller led the way. Bauer was 3-for-3 with three singles, was hit by two pitches, scored two runs and recorded an RBI; Thomure was 4-for-5 with a single, two doubles, a triple, two runs scored and three RBIs and Koller was 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a home run, a walk, four runs scored and two RBIs.

"Right now it's time for a gut-check," said Sikeston head coach Todd Baker following the loss. "We didn't pitch that terrible, but we didn't pitch well enough, we didn't play defense, we didn't hit, and we didn't run the bases."

At the plate, Post 114 was led by Seth Baker, David Hessling and Williams. Baker was 2-for-3 with a single, a double, was hit by a pitch, scored a run and had two RBIs, Hessling was 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk and an RBI and Williams was 2-for-4 with two singles.

Sikeston is off until July 8 when they will battle Cape.