CAPAHAS `SEAL' SAN FRANCISCO'S FATE; CAPS WIN NBC SERIES GAME 10-4

WICHITA, Kan. -- Cape Girardeau's Kohlfeld Capahas are slowly but surely picking up steam in the National Baseball Congress World Series.

The Capahas made it two straight victories in the double-elimination event as they rolled past the San Francisco (Calif.) Seals 10-4 Saturday night. The game was stopped in the bottom of the eighth inning on the six-run rule, which goes into effect any time after the seventh.

After losing their opener 11-10 to the Clarinda (Iowa) A's last weekend, the Capahas bounced back two days later to down the Austin (Texas) Gold Sox 8-5. Then came Saturday's triumph.

The Capahas will face yet another elimination game today at 2 p.m. when they take on the loser of Saturday's late game between the Tacoma (Wash.) Timbers and the Kenai (Alaska) Oilers.

"The guys came out and really played well," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen. "We had a good ballgame."

Danny Simpher was the winning pitcher for the second time in the NBC World Series as the Capahas improved their overall record on the season to 32-6.

Simpher, who had hurled 8 2/3 innings in last weekend's win over the Gold Sox, worked all eight innings Saturday. He scattered 10 hits while striking out six and walking three.

"Danny pitched great. He was around the plate all day and really had his breaking ball going," Bolen said.

The Capahas continued their strong tournament showing offensively by banging out 14 hits, giving them 46 in their three tourney games.

Darin Kinsolving led the way with three hits, including a home run, and three runs batted in. Kinsolving's homer was his second of the tournament.

Cory Crosnoe also had three hits for the Capahas while Steve Kress and Tom Breuer both added two hits. Julio Vega had two RBIs while Kress, Crosnoe and Kinsolving all scored twice.

"We hit the ball well again," said Bolen. "That's 46 hits in three games now and that's about all you can ask for."

Kyle Woods, Anthony Bagoco and Jason Herttel all had two hits for the Seals, who were eliminated from the tournament. Tony Lopresti homered for the Californians.

The Seals got off to a strong start, scoring single runs in each of the first two innings to grab an early 2-0 lead.

But the Capahas soon stormed back. Kinsolving's home run leading off the bottom of the second got Kohlfeld on the scoreboard, then the Capahas broke the game open with a six-run third that made it 7-2.

That big third inning featured doubles by Kress, Breuer and Lance Craft and singles by Kinsolving and Vega.

The Seals got one back in the fourth, but the Capahas answered back with a run in the bottom of the fourth to go back ahead by five at 8-3.

Kohlfeld made it 9-3 in the fifth and had a chance to end the game in the seventh, but the Seals struck for their final run.

The Capahas then got one more run in the eighth as the contest ended on the six-run rule.