EASY AS N-B-C: CAPAHAS ROLL IN FIRST ROUND OF TOURNEY 13-1

The Kohlfeld Capahas received some help early but they did the late damage on their own as they romped Friday night in the opening round of the National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional at Capaha Field.

Kohlfeld improved its record to 23-2 by routing Goreville (Ill.) 13-1 in a contest shortened to seven innings by the 10-run rule.

Friday's late game, which was still going on as the Southeast Missourian went to press, pitted two-time defending Mid-South Regional champion St. Louis O.B. Clark against the Paducah (Ky.) Chiefs.

The Capahas will see their next action at 1 p.m. today when they meet the fifth and final team in the tournament, Pine Bluff (Ark.), which received a first-round bye.

If the Capahas beat Pine Bluff, they will advance on to tonight's 8 o'clock winner's bracket final against the winner of Friday's late O.B. Clark-Paducah contest.

Action today will begin at 10 a.m. with a loser's bracket game between Goreville and either O.B. Clark or Paducah. There will be another elimination contest at 4 p.m.

The tournament will continue Sunday. An elimination game will be played at 1 p.m., followed by the championship contest at 4 p.m. A final game, if needed, would be played next Friday night.

"It's good to start off with a win," said Kohlfeld manager Jess Bolen following Friday's relatively routine victory. "They (Goreville) hadn't played many games, only about seven or eight.

"They've thrown together a decent team with some pretty good pitchers. But it's hard to play somebody that's played as many games as we have."

Goreville actually might have made things interesting but they botched several outfield fly balls -- including one that turned into a two-run homer for Shawn Pemberton -- in basically giving the Capahas five runs over the first four innings.

"They helped us out quite a bit in the first few innings," said Bolen. "It could have been a pretty close game for a while."

The Capahas earned their runs late as they exploded with a five-run sixth and a three-run seventh to end things early.

Brandon West pitched all seven innings for the Capahas as he improved his record to 4-0. West scattered six hits while striking out seven and walking one.

Goreville's hard-throwing Ryan Falimer, who took the loss, gave up 10 hits and 10 runs (nine earned) in six innings. He pitched fairly well early but suffered from poor defense before appearing to run out of gas late.

Former Southeast Missouri State University pitcher Darrell Dannenmueller hurled the final inning, allowing three runs and three hits.

Kohlfeld's offense was led by Pemberton, Darrick Smith, Steve Kress and Ryan Murphy, who all had two of the Capahas' 13 hits.

Pemberton and Tom Breuer both homered, with Breuer and Smith each driving in three runs.

Brian Murley had two of Goreville's six hits.

The Capahas grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first (they were the official visiting team on the scoreboard after losing a coin flip). Lance Craft's fly ball to deep left was misplayed into a double. He stole third and continued home on a throwing error.

It became 2-0 in the second when Kress singled, Murphy's fly ball to center was misplayed into a double and Kress scored on a passed ball.

Kohlfeld got an unearned run in the third to make it 3-0. Then in the fourth Pemberton got some help when his fly ball to deep right-center went off center fielder Todd Tripp's glove and hopped over the fence for a two-run homer.

"I guess I'll have to buy him (Tripp) dinner," said Pemberton with a laugh, noting that Tripp's glove was well below the top of the fence when he tried to make the catch. "It wasn't pretty, but I'll take it."

Goreville got its lone run in the fifth as Murley doubled and scored on Dannenmueller's single.

The Capahas broke things open with those eight runs over the final two innings, including Breuer's monster three-run blast over the center-field fence in the sixth.