CAPS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CALL, ROLL TO 13-9 WIN

The McDowell Capahas needed a little help Thursday night.

A little help from the second base umpire and a little help from the Goreville defense.

The Capahas improved to 15-4 on the season with a wild, controversial, dramatic, 13-9 come-from-behind win at Capaha Field.

With the Capahas digging themselves into a big, early hole, they trailed 9-3 going into the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Capahas reduced their deficit to 9-7 after Shane Allen lined a three-run double to center field which should've been caught, and Nathan Taylor blooped home a run on a double.

Then, the game got real interesting.

With two on and two out and on a 2-2 pitch, Kevin Meyer was called out on a check swing by the home plate umpire. After the umpire motioned that he swung at the pitch instead of a called strike, the Capaha bench protested loudly, then Capaha manager Jess Bolen asked for an appeal. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks ran off the field.

Bolen got the appeal and the second-base umpire ruled that Meyer checked his swing.

The proverbial roof then collapsed on Goreville.

"You have a right to appeal," Bolen said. "He doesn't have to ask for it."

Meyer proceeded to walk and the Capahas would end up scoring six more runs to finish off Goreville. After Meyer walked to load the bases, Zach Borowiak chased one run home when third baseman Kyle Rinella dropped a line drive. Then Cory Crosnoe reached on an error by shortstop Joe Meeks which scored two runs. After a walk by Darin Kinsolving loaded the bases, Phil Warren -- who had two hits -- drove home three on a double.

In all, the Capahas scored 10 runs in the inning -- all with two outs.

Goreville did most of its damage in the first inning. And like the eighth inning, a fielding miscue proved costly.

The Diamondbacks scored six runs in the first off starting pitcher Jerry Woolsey, but only one of those runs was earned.

With the bases loaded and two outs, shortstop Zach Borowiak booted a play on a tough hop. A run scored on the play and the next batter, Rinella, hit a grand slam that bounced off the top of the wall and out of the park.

"They played really well early," Bolen said of Goreville. "I thought late that they made some glaring mistakes. They had three chances to close out the eighth inning and they couldn't do it. I really didn't think it was one of our better games but we kept at it and put the ball in play."

Goreville went up 7-0 in the second inning.

A triple by Borowiak and a single by Kinsolving -- the first of his two hits in the game -- put the first run on the board for the Caps in the third inning.

The two teams traded single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Caps got a solo homer by Allen in the fourth and Crosnoe singled, advanced to third on an error and scored on a passed ball in the fifth.

Allen, Borowiak and Taylor each finished with two hits. Allen had four RBIs and Borowiak scored three runs.