CAPAHAS GUN DOWN ONE-ARMED OUTLAWS

After a doubleheader with the McDowell Capahas Saturday afternoon, Evansville Outlaw pitcher Nate Shepherd probably would've done anything to have had better defense behind him.

And when he got up this morning, he probably would've done anything for an ice pack, a couple of Advil and a tube of Bengay.

Shepherd started and completed both games of a doubleheader Saturday, but his defense let him down in both contests as the pesky Caps managed a 6-5, 4-3 sweep over the Outlaws (50-11) to improve to 30-8 on the season.

In all, Shepherd threw 13 innings and gave up just three earned runs. And he was winning 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh in the second game when his team made three errors behind him as the Caps rallied for the win.

Darin Kinsolving led off the bottom of the seventh by reaching on a throwing error by the shortstop. Chris Sledge followed with an RBI double and Shane Allen singled him home. Marc Wroten then hit a chopper up the middle which was booted by the second baseman. It was a potential double-play ball. Tom Bolen was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.

Zach Borowiak then hit a fly ball to right field and Allen failed to tag up on the play. With two outs and a soft ground ball to the first baseman off the bat of Steve Kress, it looked like Allen's miscue would prove costly. But the first baseman booted the ball, allowing the winning run to score.

"That was a gift," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen. "Their defense had a lot to be desired, I thought."

The defense was the biggest difference between the two clubs. In the two games, the Caps were sharp, committing just one error -- and that could've easily been ruled a hit -- and turned five double plays. The Outlaws, meanwhile, committed seven errors in two games which led to seven unearned runs.

The Caps scored their first run in the second game on back-to-back doubles by Nathan Taylor and Wroten.

The Capahas, again playing with wooden bats against a team using aluminum, managed just six hits in the second game and didn't have any player with more than one.

Shepherd, obviously exhausted after pitching his 13th inning of the day, was disappointed but not bitter that his team let him down. In fact, he was grinning and laughing with his teammates in the dugout after the game.

"They were both tough losses," he admitted. "But that happens in baseball sometimes."

Shepherd said the he was the only pitcher available for his team Saturday and that he had thrown 12 innings once before.

"I just have a good arm, I guess," he said.

Matt Palmer picked up the win in the second game in relief. He hurled the final three innings and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two.

In the first game, Jeffrey Hilz pitched six full innings to pick up the win. He allowed four runs -- all coming in the fifth inning -- on seven hits.

The Capahas scored five runs -- four earned -- in the second inning of the first game on three hits, two errors and a walk. Kress singled and walked twice for the Caps in the opener, while Sledge had two hits and scored twice.

Shepherd allowed nine hits and three walks in the first game and six hits and two walks in the second. He struck out two in the opener and five in the second game.

Brent Self pitched one inning of relief for the save in the first game.