Ross Tieman contributed to the Chiefs' 12-4 win over Harrisonville with an RBI single in the fifth inning. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

ALMA -- Brett Case's grand slam homer broke open a tight game Monday as the Santa Fe baseball team won the opener of a Mid-Missouri Rivers League doubleheader against visiting Harrisonville, 12-4.

The Wildcats took the nightcap against the home club's reserves, 23-0, whacking three balls out of the park and getting a three-hit shutout from Dylan Eppert.

The Chiefs broke out on top in the bottom of the first inning when Max Capps led off with a single and came in on a grounder. A solo homer by Robert Vaughn tied the contest in the top of the third, but some shaky Harrisonville defense in the bottom half of the frame put Santa Fe ahead -- this time for good.

Capps drew a lead-off walk and came in on Ben Catlett's dinger. An error led to a third run when Case stroked a two-out single with the bases loaded.

Sam Riggs singled and scored in the 'Cats' fourth, but the Chiefs answered with six runs. Matt Lovercamp and Logan Kirchhoff had RBI singles and Case cleared the full sacks with his slam to make it 10-2.

Riggs knocked in the second of two fifth-inning runs with a single, but Santa Fe got those tallies back when Ross Tieman singled and Max Hollingsworth walked with the bags packed.

Kirchhoff, recovering from a wrist injury to his throwing arm suffered at work, tossed four innings and Lovercamp relieved for the final two stanzas -- each allowing only one earned run.

While Harrisonville -- with a shorter roster -- returned seven of its 10 starters to field for the second game, the Chiefs went with their youngsters in all but three line-up slots. The Wildcats rolled, with all of their starters scoring at least two runs and the team scoring five or more times in each of the last four innings.

Garrett Kliewer hit a two-run single in the second inning, Jesse Fox began the third with a solo blast and Vaughn and Johnny Roam each had two-run singles during Harrisonville's eight-run fourth.

The 'Cats (5-5) smacked two homers in the fifth, Kliewer with two runners on base and Vaughn with one.

Eppert didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, which Derek Giffen started with a single. Jake Hollingsworth and Derik Russell also had base hits during the frame, but Santa Fe (4-4) didn't score.

The Chiefs will be off the rest of the week before taking on the host team Saturday in the first round of the MMRL Tournament at Holden.