MULES PACK WIN OVER TIGERS

After watching the Cape Central baseball team lose its fifth game in a row Wednesday at Tiger Field, Tiger fans must be thinking it can't get much worse for their baseball team.

Judging from Central's 15-7 loss to Poplar Bluff, the Tigers certainly hope so.

Five Central pitchers combined to walk 15 Bluff batters, allow 12 hits and throw six wild pitches in the Tigers' worst defeat of the year.

"I was embarrassed at our inability to play baseball," Tiger coach Steve Williams said flatly. "You're not going to beat anybody walking 15 people."

The loss dropped Central to 4-7 after starting the season with a 4-2 mark. The win was Bluff's first of the year and improved the Mules to 1-3. The Mules and Tigers will battle again today in Poplar Bluff.

"I don't know what the deal is," said a clearly frustrated Williams. "If it was just one thing, then maybe we could figure it out -- but its everything.

With Bluff leading 9-7, a six-run sixth inning by the Mules ended the scoring and sealed the outcome. Making matters worse for the Tigers is the fact that all six of those runs scored with two outs. Bluff loaded the bases twice in the inning and cleared them both times, the first on a three-run double by Justin Tune and the latter on a three-base error through the second baseman's legs.

Ernie Dorris (1-0) went the distance on the mound for the Mules, striking out six and walking only one. Only four of the Tiger runs were earned as Dorris pitched around five Bluff errors. Ross Bennett (1-3) started for the Tigers, lasting only 1 1/3 inning to take the loss.

With the Mules entering the game with over 20 errors in their three games, Bluff coach Pat Carda was thinking his team might give up 15 runs rather than score that many.

"I was more worried about the score being the other way the way our defense has been," said Carda with a laugh. "They (Central) didn't make a couple plays and it cost them several runs."

Central never led in the game, scoring three runs in its half of the first after the Mules opened the game with three runs. Central's Jeff Beasley rocked a two-run homer over the right-field fence to knot the score after one inning. Beasley went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Four more Bluff runs chased Bennett in the second and put the Mules ahead 7-3. Central scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, but the Mules scored two runs in the fourth to stay on top 9-5.

The Tigers looked to get back in the game when Chris Pobst hit his second double of the game to score two runs in the fifth and bring the Tigers to within 9-7.

But Bluff sealed the game in the sixth, batting around the order for the second time in the game.

Scott Lindsey led the Mules' offense with a 3-for-4 performance, including a two-run home run in the second. Bluff leadoff batter Chad Ezell had the rare occurrence of batting in every inning of the game. In seven plate appearances, Ezell went 1-for-4, with three walks and three strikeouts.

The junior varsity game at Arena Park was decided in extra innings as Central topped Bluff 16-15 with home run heroics by Matt Welker in the ninth inning.

Welker ended the game with a two-run homer. He also earned the win on the mound, improving to 2-1. The Tiger JV is now 2-3.

The game was tied 12-12 after seven innings. Central's Rick Davis sent the game into the ninth with a solo home run that tied the score 13-13.

Aaron Wolfe also ripped a home run, blasting a three-run homer to cap an 11-run fourth inning for the Tigers. Entering the fourth, Central trailed 7-0.