Capahas ride Smith's gem at National Baseball Congress World Series

The Plaza Tire Capahas managed just two hits Monday in their opener at the 78th annual National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan.

Zack Smith didn't even need the pair of singles since they didn't figure into the scoring. That's how dominant he was on the mound.

Smith continued his impressive summer for the Capahas with arguably his best outing.

Smith, a left-hander who pitches for Southeast Missouri State, worked all nine innings and allowed just three hits to help the Capahas slip past the Topeka (Kan.) Golden Giants 1-0 thanks to an unearned run in the seventh inning.

"It was 107 degrees out there when the game started, and you're thinking give me five [innings]," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen, whose squad is making its 31st consecutive appearance at the prestigious amateur baseball tournament. "He was so poised and so relaxed out there. He just pitched great. He was at his best."

Smith has had several notable outings this summer during his first season with the Capahas, including a 17-strikeout performance. He now is 6-0 with four nine-inning complete games.

Bolen rates Monday's game as Smith's best given that it came on such a big stage and that the Capahas (26-7) were just 1-6 in their previous three NBC World Series appearances.

"I told him I think this was his best outing, and he said he did too," Bolen said. "He was just in command. They never had a hard-hit ball."

Smith struck out seven and walked two while throwing 107 pitches. He faced only four batters over the minimum thanks in part to a pair of double plays the Capahas turned.

Topeka, the champion of the Walter Johnson League in Kansas, managed just two baserunners in one inning, the eighth.

The Golden Giants threatened when a one-out error and a two-out walk placed runners on first and second. A ground ball to third got Smith out of the jam, and he retired Topeka in order in the ninth inning to close out things.

"He finished it off great," Bolen said. "They're a good team. They were 31-12. You don't win 31 games without being good."

Bolen lauded Capahas catcher Mark Hagedorn for his work behind the plate.

"Mark caught the best game he has all year," Bolen said. "Zack's curve was really working, and we were telling him to bounce it in there with two strikes. Mark blocked everything. He was a wall back there."

Topeka's pitchers nearly were as impressive as Smith. Starter Kyle Burkhardt allowed one hit, struck out three and walked two over six scoreless innings. Kody Campbell drew both walks.

"The kid [Burkhardt] was hitting 91, 92 [mph]," Bolen said. "He was outstanding. He was dealing."

The Capahas finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning against reliever Drew Mobley.

Jason Blum drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Campbell's ground out to first pushed Blum to third, and Blum scored on a passed ball.

"I had a good feeling we were going to score when Jason got to second," Bolen said.

The Capahas, like Topeka, had more than one baserunner in just one inning, the decisive seventh.

Joe Campbell had the Capahas' first hit, a leadoff single in the sixth inning. He was sacrificed to second but was stranded there.

Brandon Bennett had the Capahas' other hit, a two-out single in the eighth inning. He was stranded at first.

The Capahas resume play in the 32-team, double-elimination tournament Thursday at a time to be determined against either the El Dorado (Kan.) Broncos or Katy (Texas) Collegians.

El Dorado and Katy played late Monday night in a game that still was under way at press time.