Hays Post
LIBERAL – The Hays Larks moved within a game and a half of first place Liberal in the race for the Rocky Mountain Baseball League title Tuesday with an 8-5 win over the Bee Jays in six innings as the storms moved in to southern Kansas.
The Larks struck early and scored a pair of runs in the first inning on an error and a bases loaded walk.
After Hays added another run in the second inning, for a 3-0 lead, Liberal hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the third for a 5-3 lead.
Hays answered the five runs scored in the third inning by Liberal with five of their own in the fourth inning building an 8-3 lead.
The Larks took advantage of a pair of errors and back-to-back RBI singles for Tabor Stokes and Thomas Lyssy for the five runs.
The Larks held off the Bee Jays the rest of the way before the game was called after the sixth inning when the storms rolled into the Liberal area.
Hays scored six unearned runs and Liberal committed four errors.
Hays is 23-8 overall and 18-6 in the RMBL. Liberal is 22-5 overall and 20-5 in the RMBL.
The same two teams will square off again Wednesday night in the series finale, and the final match up between the two in Liberal.