HAYS – The Hays Senior Eagles used a couple of solid pitching performances Saturday to go 2-0 in pool play and gain the No. 1 seed heading into bracket play at the USSSA Sports America July Blast in Oak Grove, Mo. The Eagles knocked off DuraStar out of Missouri 10-0 by run-rule then beat the Raytown Diamondbacks 5-2.
Dalton Dale didn’t allow a hit in the opener which was called after four innings by run-rule. He struck out seven and walked two for the quick complete game victory.
The Eagles wasted little time taking control, scoring twice in the bottom of the first on a Carson Jacobs single. They added seven runs, all with two outs, in the second. Hays took advantage of three errors and a passed ball in the decisive frame. Brock Lummus drove in two of the runs with a single.
The second game with Raytown was scoreless until Colby Dreiling scored on an error in the fourth. The Eagles added another run on a passed ball in the fourth then after a hit batter and two walks loaded the bases, they tacked on three more runs in the sixth for a 5-0 lead.
Raytown scored twice in the top of the seventh before Brady Kreutzer came in relief to get the final out and the save.
Starter Garrett Wellbrock allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over 6 2/3 with seven strikeouts and three walks for the win.
The Eagles were held to two hits but took advantage of three Diamondback errors. Josh Haynes and Dawson VonFeldt had the lone RBIs for Hays, both in the sixth. Haynes with a single and VonFeldt on a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
The Eagles begin bracket play at noon Sunday.
The Junior Eagles went 0-2 in pool play at the same tournament, losing 17-8 to the Briarcliff Red Sox and 12-0 to the KC Saltdogs.
They begin bracket play at 8 a.m. Sunday.