Capahas win opener in Wichita

Sizzling heat failed to deter pitcher Dylan Lynn and the Capahas in their first-round game in the National Baseball Congress World Series on Friday in Wichita, Kansas.

Dylan, who yielded three runs in the first inning, withstood temperatures in the 90s throughout the game to throw a seven-hit complete game in the Capahas' 6-4 victory over the Jasper (Indiana) Reds.

Lynn struck out 11 batters and walked three as the Capahas (16-4) advanced to a second-round game against the top-seeded Liberal (Kansas) Bee Jays at 7 p.m. today.

"To be able to throw nine innings, it is just unheard of in that kind of heat," Capahas manager Jess Bolen said.

The Capahas broke on top in the first inning before the Reds took the lead in the home half of the inning.

The Capahas pulled even in the third with two runs on three hits. Cody Gilbert opened the inning with a triple and scored on a single by Laban Petzoldt, who led the offense with four hits, three runs and two RBIs. Drew Morecraft, who had two hits, tied the game with a two-out double to score Petzoldt.

Petzoldt doubled in the fifth inning and scored the go-ahead run on another two-out hit by Morecraft.

The Capahas scored two insurance runs in the ninth inning.

Kelby Brown led off the ninth with a double and scored on a one-out single by Petzoldt. Gilbert, who had reached on a walk, later scored on a groundout by Alex Heuring, who finished with two RBIs and a triple.

The Capahas had five extra-base hits, three doubles and two triples, among their 11 hits in the game.

The Capahas, who went 0-2 in Wichita last year after finishing fourth in 2013 with a 5-2 record, will face Liberal in today's winner's bracket quarterfinal game. Lance Young will start on the mound for the Capahas.

The Bee Jays defeated the Wichita Sluggers 7-1 on Friday.

"They're really supposed to be the class of the tournament," Bolen said about Liberal.

Jasper played the Denver Cougars in an elimination game Saturday.

The Capahas are competing with 15 other teams in a double-elimination format for a spot in the championship week, which will feature additional teams that played in organized leagues and earned automatic bids into the championship bracket.