O.B. CLARK STEPS OVER CAPS TO TITLE

O.B. Clark left no doubt regarding who was the dominant team in the 1995 National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional Tournament.

The St. Louis squad rolled past Cape Girardeau's Kohlfeld Capahas 11-4 Saturday night in the championship game at Capaha Field.

O.B. Clark thus finished the six-team tournament that began last weekend with a 4-0 record and outscored its opponents by a combined 40-11.

The second-place Capahas, who recorded a thrilling 6-5 win over Evansville in Friday night's loser's bracket final, would have needed to beat O.B. Clark twice to capture the championship. The Caps are now 25-16.

Richie Phillips, a former hurler for the Capahas who earned the top pitcher award of the tournament, recorded his second victory over the Capahas in the tourney. The righthander worked seven innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs while striking out two and walking two. He was also the winner during last weekend's 13-2 triumph over the Caps.

Phillips struggled early in the contest but finished strong by retiring the final six batters he faced before giving way to Danny Archer, yet another former Capaha. Archer gave up three hits over the final two innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Cliff Politte, the losing hurler during the first tournament game against O.B. Clark, again suffered the defeat Saturday night. He allowed eight hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings. Politte fanned three and did not issue a walk.

Danny Simpher gave up three hits and five runs (four earned) in two innings. He fanned three and walked two.

Aaron Rider proved to be the Capahas' most effective hurler, allowing two hits and no runs in 2 2/3 innings. Rider struck out two and issued two walks.

Both teams had 13 hits but the Capahas committed five errors, although several were throwing and outfield miscues that actually led to only one unearned run.

Reed Hartman paced O.B. Clark with three hits while Joe O'Brien and Keith Kimberlin both had two.

Eddie Ross, the O.B. Clark center fielder, was named most valuable player of the tournament. He had just one hit Saturday but was a force throughout the tourney with seven hits.

Tim Ellis paced the Capahas with 13 hits, including a home run. Darrick Smith, Brian Schaefer and James Lewis all added two hits.

O.B. Clark broke on top with a run in the bottom of the second inning -- the St. Louis squad was the official home team after a coin flip -- as former Capahas' standout Cory Crosnoe singled and later scored on a single by Rick Monday.

But the Capahas answered with three runs in the fourth, getting five hits off Phillips.

Ellis led off with a home run to right field, knotting the contest at 1-1. Later Schaefer, Scott Hopper, Jon Victorian and Smith all had singles, with the hits by Hopper and Victorian driving in runs.

O.B. Clark then took control in the bottom of the fourth by scoring seven runs to go ahead 8-3 and the St. Louis team never looked back after that. Rich Alotta had the big blow of the frame, a three-run homer over the left-field fence off Simpher, who had just relieved Politte.

Kimberlin had an RBI double in the frame while Brian Binkholder and O'Brien added RBI singles. The Capahas also helped out with three errors.

The Capahas got their final run in the fifth as Tom Breuer doubled and scored on a double by Schaefer.

O.B. Clark iced the victory with three runs in the sixth. Kimberlin had a double while Ross and Hartman delivered RBI singles.