Capahas wrap successful weekend with split

All things considered, the Plaza Tire Capahas were pleased to come away from a long, hot weekend with four wins.

The Capahas went 4-1 during their three-day homestand, capped by Sunday's doubleheader split with the Springfield (Ill.) Pally's.

Plaza Tire extended its winning streak to four with a 5-4 victory in the opener before dropping the nightcap 7-6 in eight innings. Both games were scheduled for seven innings.

"We almost swept the weekend," Daryl Graham said. "But 4-1 is pretty good."

Manager Jess Bolen said his team, already shorthanded due to injury and players not being available, was just about out of gas by the time Sunday's finale ended on another sweltering afternoon.

Plaza Tire coach Tom Bolen congratlutes base runner Paul Johnson, left, for making it to third on a double by Daryl Graham during the fourth inning of Sunday's first game at Capaha Field. (LAURA SIMON ~ lsimonsemissourian.com)

"I think we were on empty and we were just about out of pitching," said Bolen, whose squad is 7-2, with both losses coming in extra innings. "But we had a good weekend and these were a couple of good ballgames.

"They've always got a strong team and they threw some really tough pitchers at us today."

The Pally's (6-3), who primarily consist of current and past players at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill., will host the Capahas in a doubleheader later this month.

Jason Chavez was the story of Sunday's opener as one of the Capahas' longest-tenured players survived the heat and humidity to pitch a complete game.

Chavez scattered eight hits, struck out five, walked two and hit two. He carried a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning before wearing down.

Capahas manager Jess Bolen speaks with his infield during the seventh inning of Sunday's first game.

"My arm felt good, but my legs ... I kind of hit a wall with my legs about the fifth or sixth inning," Chavez said.

Chavez, who has been with the Capahas since 2002, was determined to finish what he started partly because he knew Plaza Tire entered the doubleheader short on pitching.

"I really wanted to finish it off, knowing our pitching situation," said Chavez, a Central High School graduate who first attended junior college then pitched at SIU-Carbondale in 2004 and 2005.

Bolen also was hoping Chavez could make it to the end.

"I thought he might have enough to get us through. He did a great job," Bolen said.

Capahas starting pitcher Jason Chavez delivers during Sunday's first game.

After the Pally's made it 5-3 with a three-run sixth inning, they threatened to either tie or take the lead in the seventh.

Chavez started the inning with a strikeout but a walk, single and hit batter loaded the bases. After another strikeout, Kevin Bryant's RBI single made it 5-4 and kept the bases full.

Chavez then nailed down the victory by getting Mike Maziarz on a fly ball to center field.

"It felt like it was about 110 degrees out there," Chavez said. "I was tired."

Plaza Tire had only four hits but made them count. Two hits came in a two-run fourth inning and the other two hits came during a three-run fifth inning. Springfield had eight hits.

The Capahas made it four straight games in which they were outhit yet won.

"That's not going to happen very often," Bolen said.

It nearly happened again in the nightcap as the Capahas staged a furious rally. Down 6-0 after five innings, they got three in the sixth and forced extra innings with a three-run seventh.

"To come from 6-0 down the last two innings, in the last game of the weekend, as shorthanded and worn out as we were, I thought we showed a lot," Bolen said.

The Capahas got a two-run double in the seventh inning from Drew Pixley to make it 6-5. Chavez, forced into action in the field late in the contest, tied things with a sacrifice fly.

Springfield went back ahead in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of reliever Jacob Wente's wildness.

With one out, Brennan Malham -- a Lincoln Land product who played at Southeast Missouri State this year but missed most of the season due to an injury -- singled.

Malham went to second on a wild pitch and Bryant, 5 for 7 in the twin bill, was walked intentionally with two outs.

Wente then hit Mike Maziarz to load the bases and walked Dave Maziarz to force in the tie-breaking run.

The Capahas were not quite done. Clint Cashen led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and moved to third on Brad LaBruyere's sacrifice.

Paul Johnson then hit a smash right to the first baseman, who stepped on the bag for the second out as Cashen had to hold at third. Graham flied to right to end it.

"The ball Paul hit could have just as well been a double," Bolen said. "We had our chances."

Plaza Tire was outhit 8-5 and made five errors as the Pally's scored three unearned runs. That came after an impressive first-game defensive performance.

Justin Simpher started for the Capahas, allowing seven hits and six runs, three earned, in five innings. Josh Parham pitched a scoreless inning before Wente worked the final two frames and took the loss.

Malham notched the victory. Springfield's fourth hurler of the game worked the last 1 1/3 innings.

The Capahas visit the St. Louis Golden Spikes on Wednesday night.

Game 1

Pally's 000 003 1 -- 4 8 1

Capahas 000 230 x -- 5 4 1

WP -- Jason Chavez. LP -- Ross Hager. 3B -- Kevin Bryant (P) 2, Paul Johnson (C). 2B -- Dave Maziarz (P), Daryl Graham (C). Multiple hits -- Pally's: Bryant 3-3, Brennan Malham 2-3. Records -- Pally's 5-3, Capahas 7-1.

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Game 2

Pally's 000 240 01 -- 7 8 1

Capahas 000 003 30 -- 6 5 5

WP -- Brennan Malham. LP -- Jacob Wente. 2B -- Mike Maziarz (P), Sean Bard (C), Drew Pixley (C), Clint Cashen (C). Multiple hits -- Pally's: Maziarz 2-4, Kevin Bryant 2-4, Dave Maziarz 2-4. Capahas: Bard 2-3, Pixley 2-4. Records -- Pally's 6-3, Capahas 7-2.