Capahas nip Buds 5-4 with ninth-inning uprising

~ Plaza Tire tallied twice in its last at-bat.

The Plaza Tire Capahas managed to string back-to-back hits together just twice against the Waterloo (Ill.) Buds on Friday night at Capaha Field.

The second of those occasions came with the Capahas down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Chris Gibson and Dustin Pritchett led off the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back triples to tie the game at 4-4, and Bryan Kurt brought home the win with a one-out sacrifice fly for a 5-4 victory.

"That was a great game," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said. "I love a game like that. We beat them like that the last time we played them here."

Pritchett just beat the throw at home to cap off the victory for the Capahas (3-2). Scott Hubbard, who made his first plate appearance in the ninth after Levi Olson left the game after being hit by a pitch in the seventh, flew out to left following Pritchett's triple.

Kurt's fly out to center may have been more shallow than Hubbard's fly, but Bolen decided to send Pritchett from third.

"With one out you've got to score there," Bolen said. "I told Pritchett 'Tag up, we're going to make them throw you out.'"

Kurt and Gibson each had two hits to lead an eight-hit attack for the Capahas. Kurt also drove in two runs.

Josh Parham pitched the final four innings to pick up the win. Parham allowed four hits, struck out three, walked two and allowed one run in relief of starter Jason Chavez.

The Buds lineup featured six straight left-handed hitters, a big factor in the move to Parham.

"With all those lefties, I thought Parham might be the guy," Bolen said.

Chavez labored through five innings, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks. Chavez also struck out three.

"Chavez threw 97 pitches and this was his second time on the mound," Bolen said. "When you get around there, even if he's throwing great, you have to take him out."

Plaza Tire scored first in the second inning on a fielder's choice by Josh Ford with the bases loaded. Former Southeast Missouri State pitcher Jamie McAlister, who did not get an at-bat for the Redhawks this past season, doubled in a run in the sixth after walking his first two times up.

Waterloo scored single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to grab a 4-2 lead. Jake Frederich had three hits for the Buds, and Eric Caby added two.

Mike Fitch started for the Buds, but walked five batters in 3 2/3 innings. Brandon Waeltz held the Capahas to just one run and two hits over 4 1/3 innings, before losing pitcher Brian Fess took over in the ninth.

Plaza Tire will play a home doubleheader against Fairview Heights (Ill.) at 1:30 p.m. today.