By Dustin Armbruster
Hays Post Sports
GREAT BEND - Hays High opened the Western Athletic Conference schedule with a 6-4 road victory in Great Bend on Tuesday and in the process picked up their first win of the season.
Hays (1-4, 1-0) struck first with a Cade Jennings run in the top of the third inning on a ground ball by Kal Lonsdale. Great Bend (2-2, 0-2) was quick to respond. A triple in the bottom of the third by the Panthers scored a pair of runs for a 2-1 advantage. The Indians got emptied the bases with a double play on the plate appearance. Great Bend hit back-to-back singles before Brett Rhoades ended the inning with a strike out.
A four-run fourth inning provided a lead for the Indians they never gave back. Rhoades led off with a single followed by Bennett Smith wearing 2-0 pitch. A Paxton Shaw single loaded the bases and set the stage for a Jace Dreher double that scored two runs for a 3-2 advantage. Beau Dreiling brought Shaw home on a fielder's choice and Jennings followed with the same to score courtesy runner Keenan Brazda and a 5-2 lead.
The damage of the inning was all done before the first out of the inning was recorded.
Hays added their final run in the top of the fifth. Smith recorded a single folowed by Shaw and Dreher walks. Dreiling was the third consecutive walk and with it brought the score to 6-2.
Great Bend threatened in the bottom half of the inning. An error with runners at first and second brought home a run for a 6-3 game. Rhoades got a strikeout swinging and a fly ball to Jarek Purdy in center field to end the inning.
A pair of singles by the Panthers in the bottom of the sixth inning was the final tally of the game at 6-4. Pitching in relief, Paxton Shaw recorded the final six outs. He got the final three in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Hays had just five hits compared to Great Bend's thirteen. Dreher had two of the hits and drove in two runs for the Indians. Smith scored two of the five runs.
Brett Rhoades (1-2) earned the victory going five innings. He scattered eleven hits but allowed just three runs, two earned, walked two and struck out four. Paxton Shaw worked two innings allowing just two hits, one run which was earned, walking none and striking out one.
Hays will host Dodge City in a single game on Thursday. The junior varsity will play first at 4:00.