Capahas take driver's seat

~ Plaza Tire won two games Saturday, including a no-hitter.

Pitching has been the Plaza Tire Capahas' strength all season.

And that area certainly stole the show Saturday as the 2006 National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional got under way.

Jason Chavez fired a no-hitter to highlight a day that saw the Capahas win both their games in the revised round-robin format.

Chavez hurled his gem during a 5-1 victory over the Springfield (Mo.) Generals in the finale of three contests at Capaha Field.

Earlier, Anthony Maupin and Josh Parham pitched the Capahas past the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Braves 7-2.

Also Saturday, the Braves defeated the Generals 8-4.

The Generals were bounced from the three-team, double-elimination tournament after going 0-2, while the Capahas (18-8) emerged with a 2-0 record and the Braves went 1-1.

The Capahas and Braves will square off at 1 p.m. today in the championship round. Pine Bluff will have to beat Plaza Tire twice in order to capture the title.

"We're in good shape, but we've still got to win another game," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said.

Originally, the Capahas were going to receive a first-round bye, with the Braves and Generals playing in the only true opening-round game.

But, following Friday's rain that pushed the start of play back a day, Bolen thought the fairest way was for the tournament to take on a round-robin format on the first day, with all three teams playing two games.

"It's really the best way to do it, so nobody gets an advantage, especially in this kind of heat," Bolen said.

Plaza Tire closed in on its second straight NBC Mid-South regional title. The winner earns an automatic berth in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan. The Capahas have participated in that event the past 23 years.

Chavez sparkled in the night matchup with the Generals. He struck out 13, walked five and hit a batter. His own error in the fourth inning led to Springfield's lone run.

The only time the Generals really came close to a hit was in the third inning, when right fielder Tom Bolen made a nice sliding catch.

"I've had a few no-hitters in high school and Legion ball, but this felt good," said Chavez, a Central High School product who pitched at Southern Illinois-Carbondale. "It was pretty exciting."

Against the Braves in the heat of the day, Maupin allowed seven hits and two runs in 7 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and one walk. He carried a shutout into the eighth inning.

Parham finished with 1 2/3 hitless frames, fanning three.

"Our pitching was great, like it has been all year," Bolen said. "What can you say about a no-hitter? And Maupin and Parham also did really well."

The Capahas had 12 hits against the Braves and eight against the Generals.

Plaza Tire entered the tournament with one home run all season, by Levi Olson. They had two Saturday, from Chris Gibson against the Braves and Olson against the Generals.

Gibson, Olson, Josh Ford and Scott Hubbard all had three hits on the day. Gibson added a triple, while Olson doubled and had three RBIs.