Hays Post Sports
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Hays Larks blasted four home runs, built a 10-run lead and then held off a late Fort Collins rally for a 15-10 victory over the Fort Collins Foxes Wednesday night at City Park Field, completing a two-game Rocky Mountain Baseball League series sweep.
Rayner Beene homered twice and drove in five runs, while Brayden Huebner added a grand slam and Dylan LaRue also went deep as the Larks improved to 18-1 overall and 14-1 in the RMBL.
Fort Collins (15-8, 4-5 RMBL) jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Larks answered with a barrage of home runs.
LaRue put Hays on the board with a solo homer in the second inning to cut the deficit to 3-1. Beene followed with a solo shot in the third to make it 3-2, then gave the Larks the lead for good with a three-run homer in the fourth.
The Foxes hit a pair of home runs in the fifth inning to trim the deficit to 6-5, but the Larks broke the game open with a seven-run sixth.
Cade Green started the rally with an RBI double before Sean Keenan delivered a two-run double. Huebner then capped the inning with a grand slam — the Larks' third grand slam of the season and their second in as many games — stretching the lead to 13-5.
Hays added two more runs in the seventh on a fielder's choice and an RBI double by LaRue to build a 15-5 advantage.
Fort Collins made things interesting with four runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, but the Larks' bullpen shut the door over the final two innings.
LaRue finished 4-for-5 to lead the Larks' 11-hit attack. Beene drove in five runs, while Huebner collected four RBIs.
Ty Schmeidler (2-0) earned the victory in relief, allowing four runs on three hits while striking out one and walking three over two innings.
Starter Trent Baker gave up five runs, only two of them earned, on seven hits while striking out seven and walking two in 4 2/3 innings. Hunter Cowgill and Carson Liles combined to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one unearned run to secure the victory.
UP NEXT
The Larks are in Parker, Colorado for the first of two with the Gameday Angels Thursday night.
RMBL
Scoreboard
Colorado Lumberjax 11, Boulder Collegians 9
Hays Larks 15, Fort Collins Foxes 10
Liberal Bee Jays 21, Gameday Angels 7
Thursday’s
RMBL Schedule
Boulder Collegians at Fort Collins Foxes, 7:00pm
Hays Larks at Gameday Angels, 7:00pm
Liberal Bee Jays at Dodge City A’s, 7:00 pm