Capahas baseball team's offense knocks out Fairview Heights

The Plaza Tire Capahas' offense took a while to break through Friday night.

It took until the Capahas knocked Fairview Heights (Ill.) pitcher Stephen Siegel out of the game.

Siegel was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of Cole Bieser in the bottom of the third inning. The scary incident resulted in Siegel suffering a likely broken nose and being taken to a hospital.

"It was a sad sight. You hate to see that," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said.

The Capahas, who were held without a hit before Siegel's injury, went on to beat the Redbirds 6-0 in the opener of a five-game weekend homestand.

Capahas shortstop Kenton Parmley tags out a Fairview Heights baserunner during Friday's game.

But winning pitcher Jason Chavez was more concerned about Siegel than the victory after a play in which the Redbirds actually recorded the second out of the third inning.

Bieser's line drive appeared to barely nick the tip of Siegel's glove before crashing into his face. The ball ricocheted to the first baseman, who stepped on the bag for the out.

"It definitely very easily could have been me," said Chavez, who had a line drive up the middle come precariously close to nailing him. "That ball went between my legs. ... You just hope everything works out for him."

The Capahas didn't exactly hammer Siegel's replacement, Andrew McCarty. But they went ahead for good with two runs in the fourth inning, and that was enough for Chavez and two relievers.

Chavez, who was coming off a one-hit, seven-inning shutout of Perryville last Sunday, turned in his second straight strong start. He allowed six hits with six strikeouts and two walks over seven innings.

"It was a little shorter rest than I wanted, but tonight was the only time I could fit it into my schedule this weekend," said Chavez, who is the Capahas' elder statesman at 29 years old in his 11th season with the team. "But I felt way better than last week. My timing was a lot better. I was hitting my spots. And I've got such a good defense behind me."

Said Bolen: "Jason just keeps rolling."

Jordan Kimball, an infielder for the Capahas, fired a perfect eighth inning in his first mound appearance of the season. He struck out one.

Kenton Parmley, a shortstop who joined the Capahas on Friday after completing a standout career at Southeast Missouri State and somewhat surprisingly was not drafted, finished with a perfect ninth inning that featured a strikeout.

Bolen said he doesn't expect Parmley, who has an upcoming tryout with the independent Gateway (Ill.) Grizzlies, to be with the Capahas long.

"He just wants to get a few at-bats to stay sharp," Bolen said.

The Capahas got three of their seven hits in their two-run fourth inning. Parmley led off with a single. He stole second and went to third on Dylan Drury's one-out single.

Mark Hagedorn brought home both runners with a triple into the left-field corner.

The Capahas broke open things with four runs in the sixth inning to make it 6-0. All were unearned thanks to a two-out error, and McCarty aided the cause by hitting two batters.

Kimball had the big blow in the sixth, a two-RBI single, which was one of just two hits by the Capahas in the frame.

The Capahas, who did not commit an error, outhit Fairview Heights 7-6. Drury and Kimball both had two hits for the Capahas.

Fairview Hts 000 000 000 -- 0 6 3

Capahas 000 204 00x -- 6 7 0

WP -- Jason Chavez. LP -- Andrew McCarty. 3B -- Mark Hagedorn (C). Multiple hits -- Fairview Heights: Mickie Sellers 2-4. Capahas: Dylan Drury 2-3, Jordan Kimball 2-4. Records -- Fairview Heights 4-7, Capahas 5-1.