The Cape Central Tigers looked like they'd been playing baseball all winter as they opened the 1997 season Monday at Tiger Field with an impressive all-around performance against Chaffee.

The Tigers pounded out 13 hits in only six innings, including two home runs, on their way to a 12-2 win. Central scored five runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to end the game via the 10-run rule. Pinch hitter Jeff Michel's two-run double ended the game.

Central coach Steve Williams was pleasantly surprised by the offensive production of the Tigers in just the first game of the year.

"Usually we come out and our offense is a little behind everything else so I was pleased the way we swung the bats," Williams said.

Jeff Beasley and Chris Pobst led the Tigers' attack with two hits each. Beasley was especially sharp for the first game of the year, cranking a first-inning solo home run into a stiff wind in right field. The blast knotted the score at 1-1.

"He really put a charge in it and the wind was tough then," Williams said of Beasley's homer.

Beasley hit the ball hard all game, lining out to right field and getting robbed on a nice defensive play by Chaffee first baseman David Little.

"It feels good getting off on a good foot," said Beasley about his home run. "I just stayed back and hit the ball, and it just went for me."

Tatum Kitchen (1-0) started for the Tigers, allowing one run in three innings for the win. He struck out five, but walked four. Three other pitchers -- Craig Ringwald (three strikeouts), Michael Minner (two) and Paul Dobbins (two) -- followed Kitchen on the mound for the Tigers, pitching one inning apiece.

Josh Hanlon (0-1) started for Chaffee, going five innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits and seven walks. He struck out five.

Central held a 2-1 lead after the first inning and didn't score again until a five-run eruption in the fourth.

Pobst started the fourth inning with a bunt single. Beasley and Ross Bennett followed with base hits to load the bases. Clean-up batter Chris Bradshaw then walked to score Pobst, making the score 3-1.

Beasley later scored on sacrifice fly by Shane Gipson and Bennett came home on an RBI single by Kitchen.

With two outs and the score 5-1, Craig Ringwald got the big hit of the inning when he pulled a double down the right-field line to score two and make the score 7-1.

Chaffee got a run back in the fifth on a two-out single by Hanlon to score Tom Stidham, who had walked to open the inning. Stidham, just a freshman and the Red Devils leadoff batter, scored both Chaffee runs.

Sophomore Dusty Leggett accounted for two of the Red Devils' hits.

"We've got five sophomores and a freshman starting out there and I couldn't be more proud of the kids," Chaffee coach Bruce Qualls said. "I told them coming up here we had to make all the routine plays and then throw in a couple of great plays for us to be competitive."

In the sixth, Greg Craft marked the beginning of the end with a two-run homer to left field for a 9-2 lead. Andy Sweet followed with a triple to right, followed by an Adam Bertrand walk and an RBI single by Sweet. Michael then ended the game with his two-run double.

*On Wednesday, Central will travel to Millington, Tenn., for the USA Classic Tournament. The Tigers will play four games in four days starting with an 8:30 p.m., contest Wednesday against Hendersonville, Ky.

The tournament features three nationally-ranked teams and also three defending Tennessee state champions. The nationally ranked teams are ninth-ranked Key West, Fla., 10th-ranked Christian Brothers of Memphis and No. 24 New Hope, Miss.