By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post
HAYS - Hays High took a big step towards winning the Western Athletic Conference title with a sweep of Liberal on Thursday at Leo-Harper Field.
Game 1: Hays 10, Liberal 5
Liberal jumped out in front with five runs over the first two innings. Two Hays errors in second inning helped the Redskins to four runs. Liberal added a run in the top of the third inning for the 5-0 advantage.
The Indians started to battle back in the bottom of the third. Ian McGuire and Cam Sanders led off the inning with singles. Landon Hardman reached on a fielders choice that drove in McGuire for the Indians' first run. Johnny Cano followed with a run scoring single that scored Weston Werth who was running for Sanders. Carter Graham and Brett Rhoades each drove in a run to close the gap down to 5-4.
Hays took the lead in the fifth inning. Jalen Smith sent a ball over the outfield fence on one hop for a ground rule double that brought Brett Rhoades home to tie the game. McGuire lifted a ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly that gave the Indians a 6-5 lead.
The Indians added four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth despite not recording a hit for the 10-5 victory.
Highlights
Johnny Cano (3-1) earned the victory in relief throwing four innings. He allowed no runs on three hits, struck out one and walked one.
Jalen Smith was the only Indian to record two hits.
Game 2: Hays 4, Liberal 1
Two Hays pitchers combined to allow one run and strikeout nine batters in front of an excellent defensive day by the rest of the team for a 4-1 victory.
Trenton Welch (1-0) worked through two outs in the fifth inning for his longest outing of the year and first career victory. The tall lefty allowed one run on three hits, walked three and struck out six. Brett Rhoades by every definition earned his first career save. He came into a bases loaded top of the sixth inning and slammed the door shut with a strikeout.
Liberal then loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk in the top of seventh inning. Rhoades ended the Redskins' hopes and the game with another strikeout.
Each team scored a single run in the first. Hays took advantage of two Liberal errors for their run. A Bennett Smith single in the fourth inning scored Trace Jacobs for the go ahead run. Johnny Cano and Tiger Johnson led off the fifth inning with a single and walk. Carter Graham and Brett Rhoades drove them in with singles for the 4-1 difference.
Highlights
Hays High (10-6, 9-1) moves within a game of winning the Western Athletic Conference title. They have that chance when they host Garden City on Friday. Liberal (6-15, 2-6) will host Hays in a single game on May 15th.
Coach Dustin Dreher