HAYS – A pair of bases loaded walks in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled the Hays Larks to a 6-4 victory over the Liberal Bee Jays.
With the win the Larks (30-7, 21-3) have won seven straight and pulled within a game and a half of the Bee Jays in the race for the Rocky Mountain Baseball League title. The win also snapped Liberal’s 19-game win streak.
After the two teams were retired in order in the first the Larks got on the board in the second inning when Garrett Gruell, who reached on an error to lead off the inning scored on an RBI single from Cade Brown.
Hays added a second run on Hunter Rosson’s fourth homerun of the summer in the bottom of the third inning.
In the fourth inning Gruell reached on an error for a second time and with one out in the inning Austen Jaslove drove in a pair of runs with a second to left putting Hays up 4-0.
Hays starter Brady Rose turned in his best performance of the summer, with six shutout innings. He allowed just one hit with one walk and struck out six but did not factor into the decision.
Liberal was able to plate three in the seven off reliever Caden Hare and they then tied the game at four with a single run in the top of the eighth inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the game tied at four, Hays took advantage of two Liberal errors and three walks in the inning to take the lead.
Dylan Dreiling was the first to walk with the bases loaded putting Hays up 5-4 and driving in his 57th run of the season. He has now moved into a tie for third in single-season Larks history with 57 RBIs.
With Hays leading 5-4 Cade Brown drove in his second run of the game on a bases loaded walk putting the Larks up 6-4.
Liberal threatened in the ninth inning with back-to-back single to start the inning but Hays’ Preston Tabor struck out the final two hitters of the inning securing Hays’ 6-4 victory.
Tabor earned the win with two and a third innings of relief. He allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts.
Dylan Dreiling collected the only multi-hit game for the Larks and Cade Brown and Austin Jaslove each drove in two.
The same two teams will wrap up the two-game series Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Larks Park.