Capahas fall in championship game of Florida tournament

~ A team from Jacksonville, Fla., beat Plaza Tire for a second time in the title game

A squad from Jacksonville, Fla., had the Plaza Tire Capahas' number at the Union Printers tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The Capahas lost to Jacksonville twice during the five-team event, including 7-4 in Thursday night's championship game.

Jacksonville also beat the Capahas 10-8 earlier in the week. The defending champion Capahas ended the tournament with a 3-2 record and a second-place finish.

"They've got a good team, and they played good baseball," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen, whose squad is 23-5.

The Capahas scored a run in the top of the first inning, but Jacksonville answered with four in the bottom of the frame. Three of the runs were unearned after two errors.

"We just couldn't recover after they got those four runs," Bolen said. "We kept pecking away but couldn't get over the hump."

Jacksonville's lead never dipped under two runs. The Capahas threatened with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh inning but scored just once. They brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth before the game ended.

"We had plenty of chances," Bolen said.

Jordan Underwood took the loss, allowing seven hits and seven runs, four earned, in seven innings. He struck out five and walked five.

Trent Wise pitched a scoreless inning.

The Capahas outhit Jacksonville 9 to 7. Ky Burgess and Jake Pewitt both had two hits.

The Capahas began Thursday's action by finishing round-robin play with a 7-0 win over the St. Louis Printers.

James Leigh pitched six dominant innings for the victory, allowing one hit on a first-inning single. He struck out eight and walked five.

"James threw really well," Bolen said.

Kenton Parmley worked a perfect seventh inning. Jordan Kimball allowed a hit in the eighth and Wise hurled a perfect ninth.

Plaza Tire had 15 hits, led by a 3-for-3 performance from Burgess.

Kody Campbell went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Sean Bard also went 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Kimball and Pewitt both added two hits. Pewitt stole two bases.

The Capahas scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings. They led just 3-0 after seven innings before breaking the contest open.

"It wasn't the same St. Louis Printers team we faced several times this year," Bolen said. "They beefed up for this tournament. They started a pitcher who just got released from the Mariners organization."

Plaza Tire finished the tournament with 89 hits, an average of nearly 18 per game. Campbell led the Capahas with a .577 average (15 for 26) and nine RBIs.

The Capahas return to action Sunday when they make their 30th consecutive appearance at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan.

Plaza Tire begins the 32-team, double-elimination event against the St. Joseph (Mo.) Mustangs with a 10 p.m. first pitch.