Hays Post Sports
HAYS – Six years, six titles. The Hays Larks continued their dominance in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League after clinching a tie for their sixth-straight championship with a 10-0 rout of Liberal Tuesday at Larks Park and Dodge City’s 14-2 loss to the Gameday Angels.
The Larks (24-4-1, 16-4 RMBL) scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first. Taber Stokes led off the inning with a walk followed by a Lane Sparks single. Trent Baker then doubled to score Stokes. Sparks scored on Jackson Babcock’s sacrifice fly, the first of his three RBIs. Dylan LaRue then drove in Baker with another sacrifice fly.
Pitchers Nolan Wilson and Brooks Jones combined on a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Larks won their ninth straight overall and ran their home winning streak to 11 games.
Meanwhile, Liberal (15-16, 10-12 RMBL) has lost three straight and four of their last five.
Starting pitcher Nolan Wilson (3-0) set the tone early by retiring the first seven Bee Jays he faced. The only hit he allowed was a one out single in the third. The junior from the University of Cumberlands struck out six and walked only one over five scoreless innings and picked up the win.
Brooks Jones allowed only a one out single in the seventh with four strikeouts and a walk over the final two frames.
The Larks scored five n the fourth to blow the game open. CJ Reid singled which scored courtesy runner Brady Kreutzer. Stokes singled which scored Thomas Lyssy who reached when he was hit by a pitch. Babcock drove in two with hard hit single then LaRue followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-0.
Kaleb Duncan singled with one out in the fifth, stole second, moved to third on a Stokes single then stole home. Sparks followed with a single to push the lead to 10-0.
END THE NIGHT EARLY
Tuesday's victory was the Larks third run-rule win in their last four games and their seventh overall this summer.
DOUBLE DIGIT DOMINANCE
Tuesday's win over the Bee Jays marked the 10th time this summer the Larks have won a game by 10 or more runs. It was also the 15th time this season they've scored 10 or more runs in a game, going 14-1 on those contests.
UP NEXT
The Larks and Bee Jays close out the two-game series on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Larks Park. Admission is free courtesy of Emprise Bank, Taco Shop, Nex-Tech and Bright Minds Academy.