Capahas walk off winners Friday

Cape Girardeau native Billy Roll, who spent one season with the Plaza Tire Capahas, has pitched some strong games against his hometown team over the years.

What took place Friday night at Capaha Field probably tops the list, despite Roll coming out on the losing end after a walk-off home run by Kenton Parmley.

"It was a lot of fun," Roll said. "I love coming down here, seeing the family and friends, pitching against the Capahas."

Parmley's hit that sneaked over the left-field fence leading off the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Capahas past the St. Louis Printers 3-2.

That did little to detract from the complete-game performance by the 33-year-old Roll, a 1996 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School.

The Capahas' Jake Pewitt steals second base as the throw gets past St. Louis Printers second baseman Casey Shaw during the third inning Friday, July 8, 2011 at Capaha Field. (Fred Lynch)

"Any guy that goes into the 10th inning ... that's a pretty quality start," Parmley said in admiration. "You can't ask for much more."

Roll, who has made his home in the St. Louis area for a while, spent one season with the Capahas in the early 2000s but has played for the Printers the past several years. He has been facing the Capahas at least once annually the last few summers.

"It seems like he always pitches good against us," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said. "He's a good kid and he still throws the ball real well."

Roll, who allowed eight hits, struck out eight and walked one. He said he didn't expect to last nearly so long since he had to leave his most recent outing about four weeks ago after just four innings due to a sore elbow.

"I was surprised. My arm was hurting at the beginning of the game," said Roll, who lives in O'Fallon, Mo., where he has a family and works for that community as a parks and recreation department supervisor. "It started loosening up a little bit and I started feeling pretty good."

Capahas pitcher Brad LaBruyere delivers to a St. Louis Printers batter during the first inning Friday.

The Capahas scored two third-inning runs on three hits, then managed just two hits over the next six frames, which allowed the Printers to rally for a 2-2 tie to force extra innings.

Roll said blisters on his feet began bothering him more than the elbow and he would have come out after the 10th inning had the Capahas not ended the game.

"I was done. I couldn't hardly walk," said Roll, who pitched for a junior college in Maryland then Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

Parmley made that a moot point with what he said was his first game-winning home run on any level.

"It was an inside fastball. I left it up too much," said Roll, who somewhat stunningly also pitched one inning in relief against the Capahas on Saturday, this time giving up four hits and six runs, although just two were earned.

Said a smiling Parmley, the Capahas' shortstop, of his first homer this summer: "That [a walk-off] will never happen again. It was a fastball. ... It seemed like I hit it good but I don't hit very many, so I wasn't sure."

The home run made a winner of reliever Trent Wise, who worked the final three innings. He allowed no runs and one hit while striking out four and walking one.

Brad LaBruyere matched Roll for seven inning before being replaced by Wise after allowing a leadoff double in the eighth. That man wound up scoring the tying run on two errors.

LaBruyere, who allowed eight hits, struck out seven and walked two.

"Brad pitched good. He got a little tired at the end," Bolen said. "It was a good ballgame."

Jake Pewitt led off the third inning with an infield single. He stole second with two outs and scored on Blake Slattery's double. Sean Bard's single made it 2-0.

The Printers got on the board in the seventh inning and could have done more damage. They had runners on first and third with one out, then had the bases loaded with two outs before the rally died on a pickoff.

Another missed opportunity came in the eighth inning when the Printers tied things. They had runners on first and third with nobody out but could not push across the go-ahead tally, setting the stage for Parmley's winning shot.

Printers 000 000 110 0 -- 2 9 1

Capahas 002 000 000 1 -- 3 8 3

WP -- Trent Wise. LP -- Billy Roll. HR -- Kenton Parmley (C). 2B -- John Bridges (P). Multiple hits -- Printers: Cubby Bryan 2-4, Adam Smith 2-4. Capahas: Parmley 2-5. Records -- Printers 6-13, Capahas 12-3.