CAPS Season ends with 12-3 loss to E. Chapel Hill HS in first round Of State Playoffs

The #3 Cap 8 seed Caps Baseball Team hosted the Pac 6 #3 seed E. Chapel Hill HS in the opening round of the State 4A East Playoffs and for six innings looked like they were up to the task poised to make it to the second round. The rain and E.CH.HS had something to say about that with E.CH. HS coming out in the 7th after a long rain delay putting 10 spots on the board taking the wind out of the Caps sails. E.CH.HS advances on to the second round with a 12-3 win to play Tri-9 #2 seed Athens Drive.

Starting Pitcher Sr. Brandon Saunders held the strong hitting E.CH.HS team scoreless the first 5 innings with solid pitching and excellent error free defensive effort backing him up. The Caps bats came out swinging with So. Wilson White starting things off in the 1st with a single and scored on Sr. Saunders RBI double, his first of 3 RBI’s on the day. The Caps load the bases on two consecutive walks only to see the threat end on a 3rd out pop out to first base. Scoreless in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings, the Caps score 2 more in the bottom of the 5th inning. Jr. Will Cooper reached first on a single and scored on Sr. Brandon Saunders’s 2nd and 3rd RBI’s off a 2 run home run to deep left center field. In the top of the 6th, E.CH.HS scored their first runs of the day with 2 runs off Saunders with three consecutive hits, who had given up only three prior hits in the first 5 innings. Sr. Saunders settled back in and got the remaining three outs on a fly ball, a pickoff and a big strikeout for the 3rd out stranding a runner at third.  Up 3-2 after 6, the game was temporarily suspended due to rain and lightening. After a long break, the skies finally cleared and the sun came out deciding to shine on E.CH.HS vs. Broughton. Due to a long delay and a cooling arm, So. Joe Bialkowski, took the mound to preserve the lead relieving Sr. Saunders who left the game surrendering only two runs off 6 hits, with 3 walks, 1 HB and 3 strikeouts. The first E.CH.HS batter reached first base on a no man’s land pop up single in short right field that proved to be the beginning of the end for the Caps. With 2 consecutive walks, a single, one strikeout and 2 more walks, losing Pitcher Bialkowski was credited with 6 runs and relieved by Sr. Pierce Jensen. Sr. Jensen picked up outs 2 and 3 but not before surrendering 4 more runs off 3 hits, including a three run HR, one strikeout and no walks. The Caps mounted a threat in the bottom of the 7th refusing to die, loading the bases with one out, before E.CH.HS rolled up a game ending 6-4-3 double play.

This team accomplished a lot and exceeded expectations finishing third in the Cap 8 and battled for first place all year, almost obtaining their preseason goal. A few breaks, and one or two more defensive stops and hits were all that separated this team from realizing their dreams. Congratulations Caps on a GREAT SEASON and good luck for next year.

Broughton leading hitters – Brandon Saunders 2-4 (HR, 2B, 1 run, 3 RBI’s); Wilson White 2-3 ( 2-1B’s, 1 run); Payne Eller 2-3 (2-1B’s); Will Cooper 1-4 (1B, 1 run); Tanner Parker 1-3 (1B); Joe Bialkowski 1-4 (2B); Max Magallanes 1-3 (1B)

Final  Record
Conference (9-5) Overall (12-12)