Hays Post
DODGE CITY - The Hays Larks got a split in their Sunday doubleheader with the Dodge City A's at Cavalier Field. They won the completion of Saturday’s suspended game 8-0 but dropped Sunday's regularly scheduled game 9-5.
The Larks (20-5, 15-4 RMBL) led Saturday's game 4-0 when storms moved into southwest Kansas and the game was suspended.
Garrett Gruell, who hit a tw0-run home run in the first inning Saturday, added another two-run blast when the game resumed in the fifth inning Sunday.
Gruell finished with three hits and four RBIs.
Blake Lehmbeck (4-0) pitched four scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts and three walks and picked up the win. Lehmbeck and starter Nolan Wilson combined on a tw0-hitter.
The Larks raced out to 4-0 lead in the regularly scheduled game. An RBI double from Wilbert Espinal and RBI single from Garrett Gruell got them on the board in the top of the first. Gruell added another run-scoring single in the third to push the lead to 4-0. CJ Reid drove in the fourth run on a fielder's choice in the fourth.
The A's took the lead with six runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Larks closed the gap to 6-5 on Taber Stokes RBI single in the sixth but the A's tacked on three more runs in the eighth for the final margin.
The Larks loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth but a line drive off the glove of the A's first baseman was gathered up for the final out.
MULTI HOMERS
Garrett Gruell's two home runs in game one was the first multi-homer game for the Larks since Tyler LaRue hit two against the Western Nebraska Pioneers on July 21, 2023.
ROAD SHUTOUT
The Larks shutout in game one was their first on the road since Jul 4, 2022 when they beat the Colorado Springs Outlaws 11-0.
UP NEXT
The Larks return home Tuesday for the first game of a two-game series with the first-place Liberal Bee Jays.
Liberal had their 13-game winning-streak snapped in a 13 inning loss to the Fort Collins Foxes Sunday night. The Bee Jays lead the Larks by one game in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League standings.