Hays Post Sports
HAYS – The Hays Larks scored double-digit runs for a 12th time this season in a 17-5 run-rule victory over the Colorado Collegiate Roughriders Friday night at Larks Park.
While the Larks (21-4-1) ran their win streak to six straight, with a blowout victory Friday night, it wasn’t an easy victory for the home team.
Colorado jumped out to a 5-0 lead through an inning and a half, but the Larks answered in a big way, scoring 17 unanswered runs.
The Larks used a hit by pitch and back-to-back walks to load the bases. Kaleb Duncan followed that with a two-run double, cutting the Colorado lead to 5-2.
CJ Reid added a two-run triple in the next at-bat, pulling the Larks within a run at 5-4.
Two batters later, Lane Sparks connected on a two-run home run to right field, putting the Larks up 6-5.
Later in the inning, Brady Kreutzer singled home the seventh run of the inning, giving the Larks the 7-5 lead.
The Larks continued to pile on the lead in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three more times.
Reid homered, Sparks doubled and scored on a wild pitch, making it 10-5 Larks through three innings.
Following on their second scoreless inning of the game, Hays’ offensive outburst continued in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five times.
Tabor Stokes led off the inning with a solo home run. After a Sparks triple, Jackson Babcock drove him home with an RBI single for a 12-5 Hays lead.
A sacrifice fly made it 13-5, Hays and then Kreutzer hit a two-run home run to left, making it 15-5.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hays plated a pair of runs on RBI groundouts for a 17-5 lead, and they went on to secure that run-rule victory in the seventh.
Lane Sparks hit for the cycle. He finished 4-for-5 with a home run, triple, double and single. He also scored four times and drove in three runs.
Brady Kreutzer homered and drove in four runs. Jackson Babcock was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored.
Trent Baker was awarded with victory for Hays.
He allowed five runs in four innings with five strikeouts and one walk.
Hays and the Roughriders play game three Saturday at 7 p.m.