HAYS – The Hays Larks ran their win streak to 14 games Wednesday night as they completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Roughriders with a 12-2 run-rule victory in eight innings at Larks. Park.
The Hays (26-4, 14-2 RMBL) offense was held in check through the first three innings but their bats would come alive in the fourth as they outscored the Roughriders 10-0 over the next five innings for the run-rule victory.
Trailing 2-0 Grant Schmidt led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his seventh homerun of the season cutting the deficit in half at 2-1. Four hitters later, with the bases loaded, Cade Brown tied the game at two with a sacrifice fly.
Hays took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as they took advantage of three straight hit-by-pitches that loaded the bases. They took the 3-2 lead on a wild pitch and then Cam Pehrson singled in a run putting Hays up 4-2. A Brady Evans ground out put Hays up 5-2.
Leading by three runs heading into the bottom of the eighth inning the Larks sent 10 men to the plate as they scored seven runs for the run-rule victory.
After scoring their sixth run of the game on a wild pitch Tyler Palmer hit his seventh homerun of the summer, a three-run blast, putting Hays up 9-2.
With the bases loaded again Perhson drove in two more runs with a double to left field giving Hays an 11-2 lead. Evans followed that up with a triple that brought in the 12th run of the game for Hays giving the Larks the 12-2 run-rule victory in eight innings.
Tyler Palmer and Cam Pehrson drove in three runs each and Grant Schmidt and Palmer Hutchison scored three times each.
Hunter Parker improved to 3-0 on the year with the win. He allowed two runs on six hits over five innings. He struckout four with a pair of walks.
The 14 straight wins in the most in the last 25 years.
Hays has Thursday off before hosting the Denver Cougars for the first of three games Friday night.