CAPAHAS, PRINTERS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER

Greg Rubel has been better known for his pitching than his hitting over the years.

Friday night, Rubel used both attributes to make a triumphant return to Cape Girardeau.

Rubel, a former star athlete at Notre Dame High School, now competes for the St. Louis Printers summer baseball team. He lives in St. Louis and works as a physical therapist after starring in baseball for Maryville University.

During the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the McDowell Capahas at Capaha Field, Rubel played a big role as the Printers salvaged a split with a 6-4 triumph. The Capahas won the opener 4-0 behind the brilliant pitching of Chad Bogenpohl.

Rubel came in to pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning of the nightcap with the Printers leading 4-1.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander wasn't all that sharp on the mound, allowing two runs and five hits over the final three innings.

But he was able to nail down the victory in large part because of his two-run double in the seventh inning that put the Printers ahead 6-3.

"My pitching wasn't really there, but I was glad to get that hit," said a grinning Rubel. "I love playing here. I got the ball up too much but they (the Capahas) always hit the ball well."

Bogenpohl didn't get much of anything up in the opener. The Oak Ridge High School product, who completed his eligibility for Southeast Missouri State University this year, had a perfect game through four innings.

The right-hander wound up with a four-hitter. He struck out six and walked one.

"Chad was really on tonight," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen. "He kept the ball down good and moved it around. He had a good fastball going."

The Capahas are now 13-5. The Printers have handed McDowell a pair of defeats this season.

"They were two good games," Bolen said. "They (the Printers) have a decent team. We just didn't do enough in the second game."

Darrick Smith had five hits in the two games to lead the Capahas. Ben Margowski, seeing his first action for the Caps, had four hits.

"He's a good pickup for us," said Bolen of Margowski, who played for Belleville (Ill.) Area College and has signed with Southwest Missouri State.

Steve Kres and Tom Bolen added three hits apiece.

McDowell's Darin Kinsolving homered in the second game while the Printers' Don Jolliff also homered in the nightcap.

Lance Wilson got the win by pitching four innings in the second game. He allowed four hits and one run.

Todd Pennington took the second-game loss, allowing seven hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Capahas return to action tonight, hosting Goreville (Ill.) at 8 o'clock.