PRINTERS UNABLE TO MAKE CARBON COPY; CAPS SPLIT

The McDowell Capahas, limited to three hits in the second game of a doubleheader, scratched out a 4-3 win to earn a split over perennial rival St. Louis Printers at Capaha Field Saturday afternoon.

After losing the first game of the doubleheader by a score of 6-2, the Capahas pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and get the win.

Kevin Meyer led off the inning with a walk, stole second, and came around to score when the Printers' catcher threw the ball into left field on Meyer's attempted theft of third base.

Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Capahas (5-2) tied the score on two unearned runs.

Back-to-back walks to Brent Self and Darin Kinsolving put runners on first and second with no outs. Phil Warren then rifled a single into left field to load the bases. One run scored on a double play ball, with the runner on second advancing to third on the play. Ryan Murphy then saw his grounder to third base booted as Kinsolving scored the tying run.

Billy Houston, a Notre Dame product, relieved Capahas starter Ron Lewellen to start the top of the sixth and appeared shaky as he walked the first two batters he faced. But he induced the next batter to hit a grounder to third for a nicely-turned 5-4-3 double play and then struck out one of the Printers' hottest hitters of the day, leadoff man Scott Luczak, to end the inning with no damage.

Houston, picking up the win, continued his fine outing by striking out the side in order in the top of the seventh inning to give his team a chance to pull out the victory.

"Billy (Houston) did a great job for us today," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen. "This was his first outing ever for us and I can't say enough about the way he handled himself."

In the opener, the St. Louis team jumped out to an early lead and was never seriously threatened by the Capahas. St. Louis scored three big runs in the fifth inning, keyed by a two-run homer to left field by Lance Wilson.

Trailing 6-0 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Capahas scored two runs to make the final score 6-2.

Reacting to the split, Printers manager Tony Caradona said, "I'm pleased with the way my team played. Any time you can get a split with the Capahas in Cape Girardeau, you've got to be satisfied."

Because of a rainouts, Saturday's doubleheader was the season debut for the St. Louis squad.

The Capahas return to action today when the defending National Baseball Congress champion, the Memphis Royals (66-1 record in '99), visits Capaha Field. It will be the sixth game in four days for the Capahas.

"That's the way we play every year," said Bolen. "We have a 40-50 game schedule to complete in about two months, so we have games bunched in a short time frame."