CHAFFEE STAYS ALIVE WITH PAIR OF WINS

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy is very much alive and kicking in the Senior American Legion State Tournament.

Chaffee, relegated to the loser's bracket after falling to Kirksville in Thursday's tourney opener, bounced back with a pair of elimination-game victories Friday.

Medicap Pharmacy received brilliant pitching performances from Scott Eftink and Adam Friga as it beat Rolla 5-0 and Blue Springs 12-1, the latter contest ending after eight innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Chaffee (49-11) has clinched at least second place in the four-team tournament heading into today's championship round against Kirksville (40-5), which has not yet suffered a tourney loss.

The squads will square off at 1 p.m. today. If Kirksville wins, the tournament is over. If Chaffee wins, then one final game to determine the state champion will be played at 7 p.m.

"We had a great day and if we keep playing like we did today we've got a good shot at it," said Chaffee manager Jeff Graviett.

Medicap Pharmacy has mound ace Matt Stroup, who has thrown just two tournament innings so far, ready to start today's opener. No. 2 hurler Justin Simpher is eligible to throw six more innings today after going six against Kirksville and No. 3 man G.P. Glueck has not yet seen action on the mound.

"Our pitching is in good shape," Graviett said.

That's because of the work of Eftink and Friga, who have seen very little postseason mound action.

But they performed like aces Friday. First, in the afternoon game, Eftink (4-2) fired a masterful two-hitter in going all nine innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Then in the night contest, Friga (7-0) allowed three hits as he went the eight-inning distance and also fanned six while walking two. Friga came within an out of a shutout before Blue Springs plated an unearned tally in the bottom of the eighth.

"I can't say enough about the job both Scott and Adam did. They both had great games," Graviett said. "We talked yesterday about needing somebody to step up and they sure did."

Against Rolla (32-15), the first team to be eliminated, Chaffee broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth inning as Stroup doubled and came home on Garrett Cook's triple.

Chaffee then opened up some breathing room with four sixth-inning runs.

Stroup had two of Chaffee's seven hits and Perry Rice drove in two runs.

Against Blue Springs (39-22), Chaffee took control early with a run in the first and four in the second. Medicap Pharmacy got two more in the sixth, one in the seventh and four in the eighth.

Rice, continuing his strong tournament, had five RBIs against Blue Springs to give him seven for the day. Rice, John O'Rourke and Travis Hanback all had two of Chaffee's 11 hits.