Capahas extend streaks with pair of shutouts

The Plaza Tire Capahas continued to roll Sunday as they extended their lengthy home winning streak.

This time the Capahas, whose strength so far this season has undeniably been pitching, might even have outdone themselves.

Plaza Tire pulled off a rare doubleheader shutout, sweeping the I-70 Thunder from Flora, Ill., 2-0 and 7-0. Both wood-bat games were seven innings.

"I didn't think we'd shut them out both games. You don't see that too often. Our pitchers were outstanding," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said. "But I thought they were a pretty solid team."

The Capahas, who improved to 20-1, have won 13 straight. The Thunder, a third-year program that Plaza Tire had not previously faced, fell to 14-5.

The Capahas’ Jake Pewitt bunts home a run against the I-70 Thunder during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader at Capaha Field. Pewitt reached base safely with a single on the play. (WAYNE MCPHERSON ~ Special to Southeast Missourian)

Perhaps more impressively for the Capahas, they have now posted 43 consecutive home victories. Their last loss at Capaha Field came on June 11, 2011 -- more than two years ago.

"We were actually talking in the dugout, we want to eventually push the [home] winning streak to triple digits, 100 games," said the Capahas' Jake Pewitt with a laugh.

That would take several more seasons of perfection at home, something Pewitt acknowledged might be a bit outlandish.

But the Capahas can't be blamed for feeling pretty good about themselves these days.

"Everyone is doing their job and really contributing," Pewitt said.

The Capahas’ Kyle Marshall pitches to an I-70 Thunder batter during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader at Capaha Field. Marshall allowed five hits in pitching a seven-inning shutout.

Kyle Marshall and Andrew Williams were the latest Plaza Tire pitchers to excel as they fired complete-game shutouts. They were backed by error-less defense and timely hitting.

"Our pitching has been very good, and I think we put a really good defense on the field," Bolen said. "We're playing good baseball."

Marshall did the honors in the tight opener that also included an impressive mound performance by the Thunder's Chris Koontz.

"I thought their pitcher was really good," Bolen said.

Marshall, who improved to 3-0 with his first shutout of the season, allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked one.

"I felt good. The curveball ... it worked really well. I pretty much stayed with the fastball and curveball," Marshall said. "The defense worked really well behind me. They made some plays."

Marshall, a New Madrid County Central High School graduate, finished up his studies at Southeast Missouri State this year although he never played college baseball. He tried out for the Redhawks as a fifth-year senior but didn't make the final cut.

"I didn't really have time my first four years because of classes," Marshall said.

Marshall has found time to play for the Capahas the past two summers. He has performed well for them, highlighted by Sunday's gem.

"This is probably the best game I've had," he said.

Koontz also was on top of his game as he allowed an unearned run and only two hits in five innings. He struck out eight and walked four.

The Capahas broke a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the fifth inning.

With one out, Pewitt's ground ball to second was first bobbled and then thrown away for a two-base error.

Pewitt advanced to third on a ground ball and came home on a two-out RBI single by Christian Cavaness.

Plaza Tire tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning off reliever Brandon Hemmen.

Mark Hagedorn led off with a double. Courtesy runner Grant Gray, on third with two outs, scored on Pewitt's RBI bunt single.

The speedy Pewitt, who drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt single during Saturday's 4-3 win over the St. Louis Golden Spikes in the opener of a doubleheader, also added a bunt single in Sunday's nightcap.

Williams starred in the lopsided nightcap, along with an offense that banged out 11 hits.

Williams, a 2011 Central High School graduate in his rookie season with the Capahas, improved to 5-1 with his second shutout. He allowed five hits, struck out three and walked none.

"Just pretty much getting ahead, first-pitch strikes," said Williams, who will be entering his junior season on the baseball team at Lindenwood-Belleville in Illinois. "The fastball was working, the curve was working."

As was the Capahas' stout defense, which Williams pointed out.

"It's just nice to know the defense is always behind me," he said.

Williams was the pitcher of record during the Capahas' only loss, 3-2 at the St. Louis Raging Bulls on June 14, but he hardly could be blamed as he went the distance and allowed just one earned run over eight innings.

Still, Williams said with a smile: "I got the only loss of the season. I don't want to break the home winning streak."

The Capahas scored two first-inning runs -- on Hagedorn's two-RBI double -- and never looked back. Ahead 4-0, they broke things open with a three-run sixth.

Adam Blum went 2 for 2 with an RBI double and a sacrifice.

Hagedorn and John Logan Zink added two hits apiece. Zink scored twice.

The Capahas return to action Thursday, facing Belleville (Ill.) at 11:30 a.m. in the opening round of the Valmeyer (Ill.) tournament.

Thunder 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1

Capahas 000 011 x -- 2 4 0

WP -- Kyle Marshall, 3-0. LP -- Chris Koontz. 2B -- Mark Hagedorn (C). Multiple hits -- Thunder: Connor Walters 2-3. Records -- Capahas 19-1, Thunder 14-4.

Thunder 000 000 0 -- 0 5 2

Capahas 210 103 x -- 7 11 0

WP -- Andrew Williams, 5-1. LP -- Cole Braunecker. 2B -- Connor Walters (T), Mark Hagedorn (C), Adam Blum (C). Multiple hits -- Capahas: Blum 2-2, Hagedorn 2-4. Records -- Capahas 20-1, Thunder 14-5.