Capahas eliminated from NBC World Series with 3-1 loss

One of the stranger and more trying seasons in the 48-year tenure of Plaza Tire Capahas manager Jess Bolen came to a close Sunday morning at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas.

The Capahas' stay in the double-elimination tournament lasted two games, ending with a 3-1 loss to the Southern California Outlaws.

Plaza Tire closed its season, which started with uncertainty about its sponsorship and the ability to even field a team, with a 17-8 record.

"It was a strange season in a lot of ways with the sponsorship, then all the rainouts -- we had 10 rainouts, and last year we had none, which was totally off the wall," Bolen said. "The whole thing was a little bizarre. It was the fewest games we played in 30, 40 years."

Blake Slattery and Chase Simmons both had two hits for the Capahas, who had seven hits overall for the second consecutive game.

The Capahas had lost 5-2 to Puerto Rico in its opening contest.

"We just didn't hit enough," Bolen said. "We scored three runs in the two games, and that just isn't going to get it done. It seemed like when we hit the ball hard, we hit it right at people. That's baseball."

Bolen cited a line drive by Sean Bard in the first inning Sunday with runners at first and third that resulted in a 6-4-3 double play.

"Bard steps up and hits a ball like a bullet, but right at the shortstop for a double play," Bolen said. "If we could have got a break or two, we could have won today's game especially, but that's baseball. That's the way it is."

Back-to-back doubles by Drew Morecraft and Alex Heuring to open the bottom of the fifth inning netted Plaza Tire's lone run that made the score 3-1. Heuring was stranded as the next three batters grounded out.

The Outlaws took a 2-0 lead in the third inning and added a run in the fifth off Capahas starting pitcher Tyler Borski, who allowed eight hits and three runs -- all earned -- over 4 2/3 inning and took the loss. He walked six and struck out five.

Riley Calvird took over with two outs in the fifth and held the Outlaws scoreless the remainder of the game. He gave up four hits, struck out three and walked one.

The Outlaws scored the game's first run when Ryan Perez opened the third inning with a triple and Mike Zidek immediately followed with a single. The next two batters singled before a walk to David Odle plated Zidek to make it 2-0.

Borski escaped the bases-loaded, nobody-out jam by striking out Daniel Romo before inducing a double-play grounder off the bat of Julio Espinoza.

"There was a couple of innings where they had a chance to bust the game wide open," Bolen said. "We got some good pitching at that moment, and actually escaped and had a chance to win."

Odle tripled with one out in the fifth inning and scored on Romo's sacrifice fly to left field for a 3-0 lead.

The Outlaws collected 12 hits, with Perez, Ryan Dixon, Kory Weeks and Kamal Muhammad each finishing with two hits apiece.

Javier Alvarez pitched six innings for the win, allowing one run and six hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. He was followed to the mound by Ricky Schafer, who surrendered just one hit over the final three innings. Schafer struck out two and did not issue a walk in picking up the save. He retired the final eight batters in order after giving up a one-out single to Simmons in the seventh inning.

"It was good pitching, but it wasn't just blow-you-away pitching," Bolen said.

The Capahas found themselves in the elimination game after the loss to Puerto Rico -- a contest that started late Friday night and ended early Saturday morning.

The Capahas made three errors in the late-night game but did not commit an error Sunday against the Outlaws.

"We could have won either game," Bolen said. "Just a little better defense in that first game, we could have won that one. And a little bit better hitting in the second game and we could have won that one. We got good enough pitching in both games to win.

"As long as you have a chance to win, you feel like you're competing. And we had a chance to win either one of those games."