TIGERS TUMBLE TO HARRISBURG 9-7

Looking over the Cape Central baseball results after seven games, the Tigers seem to have developed a problem with out-of-state competition.

Thursday afternoon during a home game against Harrisburg (Ill.) that trend continued. Central let an early 4-0 lead slip away on the way to a 9-7 loss.

The loss snapped a three-game win streak and dropped Central's record to 4-3 overall. All of the Tigers losses have come against teams from outside of Missouri. Harrisburg improved to 5-2.

"Harrisburg's a quality program," Tiger coach Steve Williams said. "They have two or three kids that are going to be good college baseball players."

Harrisburg shortstop Josh Hodge plated the eventual winning runs with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth off of Tiger reliever Paul Dobbins that put Harrisburg ahead 8-6.

Harrisburg added an unearned insurance tally in the seventh to make it 9-6, then held on as the Tigers attempted a late rally against reliever Cameron Rumsey.

Jeff Beasley started the rally in the seventh by striking out for what appeared to be the final out of the game. But the Harrisburg catcher dropped the final strike, then his throw to first was dropped, allowing Beasley to reach safely.

Tiger center fielder Ross Bennett (2-for-3) scored Beasley with his second RBI-triple of the game to bring the tying run to the plate. But Tatum Kitchen flied out to center field to end the game.

Kitchen (2-1), who pitched the first five innings and suffered the loss, had an up and down game. The hard-throwing righthander didn't allow a hit in his first three innings of work as the Tigers held a 4-0 lead. He allowed seven runs on seven hits with seven walks and six strikeouts.

Kitchen was also responsible for three of the Tigers' first four runs with a three-run home run to left field in the first inning. Kitchen went 2-for-4 with four RBI.

Derek Hiett and Chris Pobst strung together consecutive two-out hits in the second off of Harrisburg starter Matt Wright to make the score 4-0.

"We jumped on them 4-0 and could have just kept on going but we didn't," Williams said, noting the Tigers seemed a little flat. "Anytime you let up, and let a good ball club have a chance, they're going to come back."

Harrisburg did come back, scoring four runs on five hits to knot the score in the fourth and then took the lead 6-4 with two more runs off Kitchen in the fifth.

Central came back to tie with two runs on three hits in the fifth. But Harrisburg scored in each of the final two innings to take the win.

In JV action at Arena Park, Tiger pitcher Matt Welker pitched a five-inning complete game as Central beat Harrisburg 11-1.

Welker also went 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI.