LOOK WHO'S BACK IN MID-SOUTH FINAL: O.B. CLARK

After a one-year absence because it did not field a team, O.B. Clark is back in a familiar perch in the National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional Tournament.

The team from St. Louis won twice Saturday to emerge from the loser's bracket and advance to today's championship round against the host McDowell Capahas.

An original tournament field of eight teams has now been sliced to only two squads, with the Capahas the lone undefeated squad in the double-elimination event.

That means O.B. Clark will have to beat the Capahas twice today in order to claim the regional title. The Capahas need to win one game; if they prevail in the 5 p.m. contest at Capaha Field, McDowell will be the regional champion and gain an automatic berth in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

If O.B. Clark beats the Capahas, then a second and final title contest will follow.

O.B. Clark lost to the Capahas last weekend to fall into the loser's bracket. But the squad proved emphatically Saturday that it is without a doubt at least the second-best team in the tournament.

After eliminating the Southern Illinois Diamondbacks 17-12 in Saturday's first game, O.B. Clark came right back and routed the Saline County (Ill.) Monarchs 9-1 in the loser's bracket final. That contest was stopped in the bottom of the seventh inning by the mercy rule.

So O.B. Clark will renew its fierce rivalry with the Capahas today. Prior to its absence from the tournament last year, O.B. Clark had waged some classic battles with the Capahas during the NBC Mid-South Regional.

"I don't think there's any doubt these are the two most powerful teams in the tournament," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen, looking ahead to today's action. "I think this is the matchup that the fans will most enjoy seeing."

O.B. Clark won a wild, sloppy game from the Southern Illinois Diamondbacks to start the elimination action Saturday. Starting pitcher Kirk Kline allowed four runs in seven innings for the victory while Rick Mundy homered.

It was all O.B. Clark against Saline County. O.B. Clark ripped the Monarchs for five home runs, all solo shots. Reed Hartman and Aaron Ontiberos each homered twice while Mundy added his second shot of the day.

Left-hander Terry Farrar was dominant in working all seven innings. He gave up two hits in the first inning and two hits and a run in the seventh but nothing else. During one stretch, Farrar retired 14 straight batters.

O.B. Clark jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and cruised. The game ended suddenly in the bottom of the seventh on the eight-run rule after seven innings when Ontiberos led off with a homer.

So now the stage is set for today. Bolen said he plans to start Lanson Debrock on the mound.

"O.B. Clark is playing well and they've got a good ballclub, like they always do," Bolen said. "But we're also playing well. It should be really exciting and hopefully we'll have a big crowd."