By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
WICHITA – Pitching once again led the way as the Hays Larks advanced to the semifinals of the NBC World Series with a 4-2 win over Tulsa Sandlot Thursday at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Larks starter Ismael Cordoba allowed two runs, just one earned, on four hits in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. He did not factor into the decision.
While he was holding the Sandlot bats at bay, the Larks were able to scored single runs in four of the first six innings of the game.
The Larks got on the board first when Kaiden Ashton connected on the first of his two triples and then scored on a Kaleb Duncan infield single putting Hays up 1-0 in the top of the first inning.
In the third inning the Larks loaded the bases, for the second time in the game, but just like in the first inning, they were held to just one run. Houston Russell drove in a run with an RBI groundout for a 2-0 Hays lead.
Ashton led off the fourth with an infield single and then stole second and third base setting up an RBI single for Garrett Gruell giving Hays a 3-0 lead.
Tulsa cut Hays’ lead to one, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
But in the top of the sixth Ashton tripled again and Duncan drove him home for a second time in the game, with an RBI groundout, putting Hays up 4-2 and the bullpen did the rest as Hays moved to 4-0 at the NBC and back to the semifinals for the second time in three years.
Aiden Schmidgall earned the win with 3 2/3 innings scoreless relief and Garrett Hicks picked up the save with a perfect ninth.
Offensively, Ashton finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two stolen bases and two triples. Duncan drove in two runs and Gruell and Will Carpenter each collected two hits.
Hays will take on Lonestar and Seattle in the 8:30 p.m. semifinal game Friday at Eck Stadium.