CAPE CENTRAL TRIPS OVER POTOSI

The Cape Central Tigers locked their keys in their car.

They left their fly unzipped and spilled their coffee while checking their watch.

They endured what every human being suffers through from time to time -- a bad brain day.

Central committed five errors and made numerous mental mistakes as the Tigers fell to Potosi 9-4 in a sloppy game Friday at Cape Central High.

It was Central's third straight loss and fourth in its last five games. The Tigers, ranked 10th in the state's preseason poll, dropped to 3-4 and obviously haven't played as well as they're capable.

"We're not playing well enough to win," Central coach Steve Williams said. "We're making poor decisions, we're not hitting consistently and our pitching right now is average. Till we change those things, it's going to be a struggle."

Central's pains Friday started in the top of the first.

Starting pitcher Justin Welker walked the first batter he faced. Potosi's first four batters reached base, two by walks. A two-out error by right fielder Ricky Ogles didn't help matters and before the Tigers could blink, they found themselves down 3-0.

Welker settled down and pitched effectively the next three innings, but found himself in trouble again in the fifth.

Mike Brown, the team's No. 9 hitter, drew a leadoff walk and Central proceeded to fall apart. Robert Price, also Potosi's winning pitcher Friday, bunted. Third baseman John Snider tried to get the force out at second, but threw the ball into center field. Center fielder Zac Fidler then threw the ball away and out of play as Brown scored and Price ended up at third on two errors on a single play.

A poor decision by second baseman Rob Carr to throw home instead of taking the sure out at first allowed the third straight batter to reach safely.

That three-batter stretch was a microcosm of the day, but it was also the most costly. Potosi ended up scoring four runs in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead.

"The bad decisions is what disappoints me the most," Williams said. "You're going to have kids make errors and you're going to have kids strike out. But we have experienced ballplayers making poor decisions and that's got to stop.

"It'll get better but it's frustrating right now."

Earlier, Cape Central had been able to cut its deficit to 3-1 in the third inning when T.J. Erlacker singled and later scored on a double by hot-hitting Dusty Barrows.

In the fourth, Kyle Duncan legged out an infield single and ended up scoring on a passed ball to pull the Tigers within 3-2.

But Potosi responded with four runs to take back the momentum.

"I thought our boys showed courage when, once (Central) got back in the game, to get a couple more," Potosi coach Dennis Lawson said. "That shows maturity."

Despite its ugly play, Central never quit.

The Tigers tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Travis Wissman hit a two-run bomb into a stout wind well over the right-field fence. Wissman's second homer of the year chased Zac Fidler home and Central trailed only 7-4.

But once again, Potosi had an answer, scoring an unearned run in the sixth and manufacturing one more run in the seventh.

Potosi outhit Central 10-7, but all of the Trojans' hits were singles. Potosi hasn't hit a home run yet this season.

Wissman was the only Tiger with more than one hit. He went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.

Kaleb Juliette led Potosi, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Welker was tagged with the loss. He went four-plus innings and yielded six runs, two earned, on four hits and three walks. He struck out four.

Price went five-plus innings and gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks. He struck out one.

Cape Central's junior varsity beat Potosi 4-1.

Jason Gibson got the win, while Jake Welch got the save.

Aaron Dohogne had two hits and two RBIs.