Capahas' season ends after one-run loss

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Craftsman Union Capahas were eliminated from the National Baseball Congress World Series by the slimmest of margins Wednesday.

The Beatrice (Neb.) Bruins scored a run in the bottom of 10th inning to win 2-1 and hand the Capahas their second straight tournament loss.

The Capahas, who went 2-2 in the tournament, finished tied for 12th in the 48-team event and finished the season with a 29-11 record.

"It was another tough loss for us," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen, whose squad allowed six unearned runs and fell to the Wichita (Kan.) Braves 8-6 Tuesday. "It happens so much, when you lose that tough game like yesterday, when you have to play again the next morning, it's tough to come back and get motivated."

The defeat spoiled a pitching performance by Capahas starter Craig Ringwald, who allowed seven hits and an unearned run in 8 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

"Ringwald pitched a masterpiece," Bolen said. "He just did a great job and he should have had a shutout."

Mark Frazier, who had been strong in relief for the Capahas throughout the tournament, gave up the run in the 10th and suffered the loss. He allowed two hits in 2/3 of an inning, with two strikeouts.

Tristen McDonald and Jake Tippee both had two of the Capahas' seven hits.

The Capahas grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI by Chris Sledge and the Bruins tied it with an unearned run in the third. That's the way things stood until the 10th.

"We had our chances," Bolen said. "One time we left the bases loaded with one out and another time we left runners on first and third with one out. We just couldn't hit the ball."

Joe Gullion and Alex Gordon each had two hits for the Bruins. Seth Johnston drove in both runs.

Denver Stuckey finished the tournament with eight hits, including a home run. Sledge followed with seven hits.

Overall, Bolen said he came away pleased with the season.

"We had a good ball team, a good team to watch," he said. "I would liked to have finished higher here, but 12th isn't bad."