Hays Post Sports
WICHITA – The Hays Larks remained unbeaten at the NBC World Series in Wichita Monday as they knocked off the Lonestar Kracken 7-4, in a battle of 2-0 teams, and claimed a first-round bye with a 3-0 record.
The Larks (31-4-1) jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch. They scored single runs on a hit by pitch by Lorenzo Rios, a bases-loaded walk by Kaleb Duncan and a ground out by Thomas Lyssy.
Nolan Wilson got the start for the Larks and held the Kracken bats at bay. He didn’t allow a run until the top of the fifth and then was lifted in the sixth. He allowed three runs on five hits, five walks and three strikeouts in five plus innings.
The Larks led 3-1 through four and a half innings before adding two more in the bottom of the fifth. Lyssy drove in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly, and Tabor Stokes doubled in a run, making it 5-1 Larks.
The Kracken scored two runs in the sixth inning, cutting the Larks' lead to 5-3.
Hays’ Jackson Babcock added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-3.
Lonestar got another run back in the top of the seventh, but Hays answered with a run on a wild pitch for a 7-4 lead.
Nolan Wilson earned the victory.
Six different Larks collected one hit each.
Thomas Lyssy drove in two runs for the Larks.
Hays, by winning pool A, gets a bye in the first round of single elimination, which begins on Wednesday.