CAPS NET MONARCHS EARLY ON, WIN 12-3

Considering the 90-degree heat and stifling humidity Friday night at Capaha Field, McDowell Capahas starting pitcher Richie Phillips hardly had visions of completing all nine innings against the Saline County (Ill.) Monarchs.

"No," Phillips said with a wry smile following the Capahas 12-3 win, "not at all."

Despite Phillips' early disposition, the Capahas right-hander was able to finish what he started, striking out 10 while scattering 10 hits to help improve the Caps to 11-4. Following the game, Phillips appeared surprised by both of those double-digit totals.

"That's a lot of strikeouts for me and I guess I scattered (the hits) out just right," Phillips said. "It's easy to stay loose when it 100 degrees."

The way Phillips finished the contest, the heat certainly didn't appear to bother him. After allowing two runs in the fifth inning that closed the score to 10-3, Phillips allowed only two more hits while fanning seven.

McDowell manager Jess Bolen explained to Phillips, who's returning from off-season rotator cuff surgery, that he thought his fatigue in the later innings helped put more bite on his breaking pitches.

"I thought (Phillips) threw better the last four innings than he did early," Bolen said. "When he's tired (his) slider does better than when he's too strong."

A 10-run lead after three innings can also prove quite helpful for a pitcher. The Capahas batted around the order in second and third innings, scoring five runs in both frames to take a 10-0 lead and chase Monarchs starting pitcher Paul McSparin.

The Caps ripped nine hits in those two innings, totalling 14 in the game. Kress, Miller and Pemberton finished with three hits each.

Despite the Capahas' big lead and nine-run victory, Bolen thought Saline County gave the Capahas a good game.

"I wouldn't really rate this game as a blowout," Bolen said. "We kind of jumped on the one (pitcher), but after that the game really calmed down."

Five McDowell hits in the second inning, along with a crucial error by Monarchs second baseman Mark Beavis, put the home team ahead 5-0.

Mike Miller opened the innings with a double and scored when Robert Kern's hard grounder was misplayed by Beavis. Ryan Murphy and Sean Pemberton followed with back-to-back RBI doubles down opposite foul lines to make the score 3-0. Lance Craft and Steve Kress added two-out RBI singles to end the inning with McDowell ahead 5-0.

Inning-opening walks to Miller and Julio Vega started a big Capahas third. Craft and Kress provided RBI hits in the frame. Kress added a towering solo home run in the eight inning for the Caps' final run.

"The second five we scored kind of broke the game open," Bolen said. "Mentally it's kind of hard to concentrate when you're 10 (runs) up."

Saline Co. (13-6) scored a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, but Phillips responded with a strong finish.