Caps breeze to sweep

Plaza Tire Capahas manager Jess Bolen isn't about to read too much into a three-game, season-opening domination by his team.

Still, Bolen has liked what he's seen so far from the Capahas, who swept a doubleheader from the visiting Valmeyer (Ill.) Lakers Saturday afternoon, romping 10-5 and 12-1 in five innings.

The Capahas, who opened the season Friday night by blasting the Lakers 10-0, play their fourth straight home contest today when they face their Cape Girardeau rivals, the Riverdogs, in a 1 p.m. matchup at Capaha Field.

"I thought we played pretty decent these first few games," Bolen said. "We weren't in a lot of tight situations, and when you're not in tight situations, it's hard to tell a whole lot.

"But I think we'll have a good team. The main thing is if the team stays together and we don't have injuries. I like this ballclub."

Plaza Tire's offense has started off strong, which really isn't surprising since most of the Capahas' players recently finished their college seasons.

"A lot of these guys have gotten 150 or 200 at-bats this spring, so they've swung the bats a lot," Bolen said. "The thing is, Valmeyer wasn't throwing their best pitchers because of league games coming up, but you still have to come out and hit the ball."

After getting 10 hits Friday night, the Capahas had 20 more Saturday, led by Seth Hudson and Bryan Kurt with four apiece. Kurt also drove in four runs, as did Robby Moore, who had three hits.

"A lot of guys just finished playing [college seasons], so you figure we'd hit the ball pretty good, but it's nice to keep the momentum going," Hudson said. "It's good to get off to a solid start. We've got a lot of guys back from last year, and I think overall it was a good first three games."

The Capahas had 13 hits in Saturday's 10-5 opener. Kurt went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Hudson and Lance Seasor also both went 3-for-4. Moore added two RBIs.

Derek Herbig pitched five innings for the victory, allowing four runs -- just one earned -- and six hits in five innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.

Dusty Renfro, a first-year Capaha from Jefferson Junior College, finished up, allowing one run and two hits in two innings.

After the Lakers (8-5) helped Plaza Tire with four first-game errors, they continued their generosity in the 12-1 nightcap with five more errors. Add that to plenty of walks and hit batsmen, and it meant the Capahas only needed seven hits to reach double figures in runs for the third straight time.

Moore was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Bryan Ingram went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Ingram had three hits on the day.

Matt Stroup pitched the first three innings for the win, allowing an unearned run and three hits, with three strikeouts and one walk. Chad Bogenpohl finished up with two innings of two-hit, shutout relief.

Chris Maschbacher was Valmeyer's main offensive weapon Saturday, as he went 6-for-7 with two doubles to account for nearly half of the Lakers' 13 hits.

Bolen said Ryan Forsyth, a late addition to the squad after completing his career at Southeast Missouri State, will start today against the Riverdogs, who have never beaten the Capahas since starting a team seven years ago.