Capital City’s offense could not be stopped Friday.
After scoring 12 runs Thursday, the Cavaliers put up a 21-5 win against the Rolla Bulldogs and a 5-3 win Friday against the St. Charles West Warriors at Capital City High School.
With their 3-0 record in pool play and allowing only nine total runs in the three games, the Cavaliers (5-6) advance to the championship of the Jays Baseball Classic where they will play Timberland (7-9) at 10:30 a.m. today at Jefferson City High School.
“We just need to continue to stay focused like we are and having good at-bats,” Capital City coach Brett Skinner said. “… Have fun with it and good things are going to keep happening for us. Focus and energy tomorrow, it’s an exciting time. … We’re trending in the right direction.”
Gallery: Jays Baseball Classic -- Capital City vs. Rolla, St. Charles West
The runs started coming early for the Cavaliers in their first game, scoring three in the top of the first on a Justin Sullens walk, a sacrifice bunt from Noah Nicklas, singles from Brock Miles and Caydin Engelbrecht and a double for the first of Ben Turner’s four hits on the day.
Capital City added two more in the third after Engelbrecht was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a Blake Holtmeyer single. Holtmeyer stole second and scored on one of Jamison Schwarzer’s three hits.
Then the Cavaliers piled on.
Capital City put together 11 hits, five walks and four hit batters to send 22 batters to the plate and score 16 runs. Before Thursday’s 12-1 win, the Cavaliers had not scored more than four runs in a game.
“The first game was awesome,” Skinner said. “Scoring 16 runs in one inning, that’s a good day at the ballpark. The offense is clicking right now, the pitching did great and our defense did what it needed to do.”
The big inning put the game past the 15-run rule, ending the matchup after four innings.
Rolla scored three runs in the second with the help of some defensive miscues from Capital City to go with two walks and two hits.
The Bulldogs brought in two more in the bottom of the fourth when Davy Watkins walked, Colton Petersmith singled him in from third after he advanced on two groundouts and Brett Yarger tripled to the wall in right to bring home Petersmith.
Brian Pace started on the mound for Capital City, allowing five runs -- three earned -- on six hits and four walks, while striking out one in 3⅔ innings. Just like Thursday night, the Cavaliers went to the bullpen for the final out, with John Langston coming on and throwing one pitch to induce a flyout.
Against the Warriors, the Cavaliers -- looking for their third consecutive win after not winning consecutive games since the end of the regular season last year -- got on the board first once again with two runs in the top of the second.
Schwarzer doubled, Zach Brown collected the second of his four hits Friday, Luke Skinner singled to bring home Schwarzer and Sullens singled to score Brown.
The Cavaliers added two more in the fourth when Brown singled, stole second and scored on the last of Sullens’ three hits and six times reaching base. Then Sullens scored on a Miles single, his seventh in the three games of the Classic.
It was all the help Blake Holtmeyer would need, as he pitched 5⅔ innings of scoreless ball while striking out six and allowing five hits and two walks.
Kaiden Menning relieved Holtmeyer in the sixth and pitched 1⅓ innings, allowing three runs on two walks and two hits.
Cavalier starters have pitched 16 of the 18 innings the Cavaliers have played in the Classic, combining to allow six total runs.
“They’ve been getting ahead, getting ahead and not walking people and letting their defense work,” Skinner said. “They’ve done a great job of that, that’s what they’ve been doing all year. Continue to do that and we’ll continue to have success.”
Capital City added an insurance run in the seventh when Miles walked, stole second and came around when Engelbrecht sent a line drive to center, which was dropped for an error.
“We told them after the first win, they’d have to forget that and focus on the next one,” Skinner said. “And they did that. The focus is there. The energy, I’ve got to give kudos to the dugout, they’re providing it, they’re keeping everybody engaged and keeping everyone in it.”
Sullens reached base six times on three hits, two walks and he was hit by a pitch to total four RBI and four runs scored. Nicklas reached six times with three hits and two runs scored. Miles had four hits, two walks, five RBI and four runs scored, while Turner had three hits and three runs scored. Engelbrecht reached four times with one hit and two RBI, while Blake Holtmeyer had two hits, a walk, three runs scored and two RBI.
Schwarzer had three hits, two walks and two RBI, while Brown had four hits, a walk and reached when he was hit by a pitch, while scoring five runs.