KRESS PLAYS VETERAN AT 29; CAPAHA RETURNS FOR NINTH SEASON

At 29, Steve Kress is still a very young man, even by baseball standards.

But on a youthful 2001 Craftsman Union Capahas team, Kress is the elder statesman, having played for the squad since 1993.

"I'm the old man of a young team," said a laughing Kress prior to Friday night's game against the visiting Waterloo (Ill.) Buds.

Kress, who missed the Capahas' first three games of the season because of work obligations, was in the lineup for the first time Friday.

And, in a game that started more than 45 minutes late when the scheduled umpires failed to show and was still going on as the Southeast Missourian went to press, Kress made his mark as he singled and doubled in his first two at-bats.

"It's good to be back out here," said Kress. "I haven't seen us play (before Friday), but I heard we have a strong pitching staff and I'm looking forward to playing."

Kress, who lives in St. Louis, was a two-year standout at Southeast Missouri State University in the early 1990s after transferring in from the junior-college ranks. He batted .377 as a junior and .325 as a senior.

A lean, fleet-footed center fielder, Kress left Southeast with his sights set on a professional baseball career but that never really materialized, although he did play one season for an independent league team about five years ago.

But Kress, who has been one of the Capahas' top performers for much of the 1990s, still loves to play the game and he's not about to give it up.

"It's hard to stop playing baseball. It gets in your blood," said Kress, who is married and the father of two young boys, ages 2 and 5. "You only have a certain amount of years to play and I want to keep playing."

Capahas manager Jess Bolen will gladly have Kress on his squad as long as he wants a spot.

"Over the years, he's made some of the best catches you'll ever see and he's been one of our top hitters over the years," said Bolen. "He's been a very good player for quite a while and he still is."

As for Friday night's game, which was dominated by pitching during the early going, the Capahas (2-1) and Buds (4-0) were tied 4-4 after nine regulation innings at press time.

Both starters were extremely strong. Craftsman Union's Kyle Perry allowed three runs and just four hits in six innings. He struck out 10 and walked three.

The Buds got all three runs off Perry in the fifth on a bases-loaded triple by Craig Ohlou that made it 3-0.

Waterloo's Brandon Musso fanned nine, walked one and allowed five hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings.

Lanson Debrock, who replaced Perry on the mound, allowed one run in three innings heading into the 10th.

Trailing 4-2, the Capahas pulled to within one in the eighth on consecutive doubles by Tristen McDonald and Chris Sledge. Then in the ninth, the Caps forced extra innings as Josh Eftink led off with a triple and Denver Stuckey singled.

Bolen had special praise for Mike McKinnis and Doc Yallaly, who were summoned to Capaha Field as emergency umpires and performed admirably, especially under the circumstances.

The Capahas will have a 5 p.m. home doubleheader today against Sauget, Ill.