CAPAHAS SAVOR FATHER'S DAY VICTORIES

Jess Bolen, longtime manager of the Craftsman Union Capahas, got the perfect Father's Day gift from son Tom.

Tom's five RBIs, on a three-run homer and a two-run double, led the Capahas to an 11-5 win in the second game of a doubleheader sweep over the St. Louis Printers at Capaha Field Sunday afternoon.

"It's ironic," said Jess, "but I talked to him during that game and told him out of all the gifts I got for Father's Day, I'd like most to have a good, solid base hit or a home run. That's as good as it gets."

In the opener, the Capahas (10-4) won a 1-0 pitcher's duel against the Printers (6-6) behind Brad Purcell's complete-game gem.

Displaying pinpoint control throughout, Purcell shut down the Printers on three hits while striking out six and walking only one in seven innings.

"This is the best I've seen Purcell, including college and his time with the Capahas," said Jess Bolen of the Southeast Missouri State University hurler.

Printers starter Brian Beckman nearly matched Purcell pitch for pitch as he also went the distance, allowing only three hits with nine strikeouts, no walks and one hit batsman.

But the opportunistic Capahas managed to bunch together two of their hits in the fifth inning when Kevin Meyer doubled with two outs and scampered home with the winning run on a RBI single by Jody Gajewski.

The Capahas jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second game on a first-inning solo homer by veteran center fielder Steve Kress, in his ninth year with the team.

With Lanson Debrock on the hill, the Printers came back with two unearned runs in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead.

But in the third inning, the Capahas broke the game wide open with seven big runs to move ahead 8-2.

Hot-hitting Shawn Yarbrough stroked a two-run homer following Denver Stuckey's lead-off hit and Bolen capped the seven-run outburst with a three-run shot to left field.

The Capahas pushed across three more runs in the fifth with Bolen's two-run double the key hit..

The Printers tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings to account for the final margin.

Debrock went five innings for the win. He allowed four runs, two earned, on eight hits with no strikeouts or walks.

Aaron Gurley, experiencing some control problems with four walks and a hit batter, pitched two hitless innings in relief and allowed the final Printer run in the seventh.

"Our pitching speaks for itself. I think you can see that we've got decent pitching," Jess Bolen said.

The Capahas, having played 10 games in nine days, will have a few days off before meeting the Waterloo Buds in Waterloo, Ill., Friday night. The Capahas' next home action will be Saturday afternoon against Springfield, Ill.