Capahas lose first game of World Series

WICHITA, Kan. -- Five unearned runs in the second inning proved too big of a hill to climb as the Craftsman Union Capahas dropped their first game at the National Baseball Congress World Series Tuesday, an 8-6 loss to the Wichita (Kan.) Braves.

Two errors in the inning, coupled with five hits, a walk, a balk and two stolen bases, helped end the Capahas' NBC winning streak at two games.

"You put it all together and it spells loss," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said.

It dropped the Capahas (29-10) into a 10:30 a.m. elimination game today against the Beatrice (Neb.) Bruins. The Braves are 3-0 in the tournament.

While all but two of Wichita's runs were unearned, the Capahas worked hard for their runs with three sacrifice flies, an RBI single and a two-run home run by Denver Stuckey.

"It's not the way you want to lose," Bolen said. "All six of our runs were earned, which is what makes it bad."

Wichita scored a single run in the first off Jason Chavez and broke the game open in the second.

With the score 3-0 and runners at second and third with two outs, Chavez was chased on a broken-bat pop fly that dropped behind first base for two runs. The damage was compounded when Wichita cleanup-hitter Grier Jones greeted reliever Matt Bennett with a two-run home run for a 7-0 lead.

The Capahas chipped away with two runs in bottom of the second on sacrifice flies by Jake Tippee and Stuckey, who finished with three RBIs.

The Capahas pushed across two more runs in the third on a bases-loaded walk to Tippee and a Tom Bolen sacrifice fly, but further damage was prevented when Josh Eftink was robbed on an inning-ending diving catch in the right-center field gap by the Wichita center-fielder. The Capahas crept to within 7-6 in the sixth on Stuckey's home run to left field.

Wichita scored an unearned insurance run in the seventh to close out the game's scoring.

"When you spot a team a 7-0 lead, with wood bats it's hard to catch up," Bolen said. "But our guys didn't give up and we still had a chance in the ninth."

The Capahas put the tying run on in the ninth when Steve Kress opened with a single. But Tristen McDonald hit hard into a double play and Chris Sledge, who was 2-for-5, struck out to end the game.

Kress went 2-for-4 for the Capahas, who had nine hits overall. Stuckey has seven hits through three NBC games.

Wichita had five of its 13 hits off Chavez, who walked one and struck out two. He was charged with six runs, but just one earned, in 1 2/3 innings. Bennett surrendered eight hits in 5 2/3 innings and Mark Frazier finished up with 1 2/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief.

Jones and Terry Blunt each had three hits for Wichita. Scott Chew, Wichita's second of three pitchers, allowed three hits and two runs in six innings for the win.

The Capahas will send left-hander Craig Ringwald to the mound today against Beatrice.