Hays Post Sports
HAYS – The Hays Larks broke open a tie game with a four-run fourth inning and defeated the Boulder Collegians 7-4 in their final home game of the regular season Sunday night at Larks Park.
Despite the victory, the Larks finished second in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League standings after Liberal completed a weekend sweep of Dodge City.
The Larks (25-7, 17-7 RMBL) scored the game's first two runs in the second inning. Dylan Haselhorst drew a bases-loaded walk before Max Flowers was hit by a pitch to force home another run.
Boulder (10-14, 8-14 RMBL) answered with two runs in the top of the third when Britian Fox lined a two-out, two-run single down the right-field line to tie the game at 2-2.
Hays regained the lead for good with a four-run fourth inning. Austin Crawford put the Larks back in front with an RBI single, and Max Flowers followed with a two-run single. The fourth run scored when Rayner Beene grounded into a double play, giving the Larks a 6-2 advantage.
The Collegians cut the deficit to two with a pair of runs in the sixth, but the Larks answered in the bottom half of the inning when Hutch Russell drove in a run on a fielder's choice to cap the scoring.
Trent Baker (4-0) earned the win, allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings while striking out four and walking two. Hunter Cowgill tossed three scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit and striking out four. Rayner Beene worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.
Haselhorst, Flowers and Beene each collected two hits for the Larks. Flowers drove in a game-high three runs.
Up Next
The Larks close out the regular season Monday night with a non-league game at Dodge City before opening play in the NBC World Series later this week in Wichita.