WICHITA - Brady Rose pitched a gem and the Hays Larks got some timely hitting and beat the Lonestar Baseball Club out of Austin, Texas 5-2 Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the 88th National Baseball Congress World Series at Eck Stadium.
Rose (3-0) pitched a season-high seven innings and allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The Dallas Baptist product gave up two singles which resulted in a run in the bottom of the second. He retired the next 11 and 17 of the final 18 batters he faced.
Preston Tabor allowed a run on three hits over 1 1/3 innings relief. Wyatt Divis got the final two outs, stranding two runners on base to end the game and pick up his second save of the season.
After Lonestar (25-3) scored a run in the bottom of the second, the Larks answered in the top of the third when Hunter Rosson homered to left with one out.
The game would remain tied until the seventh when the Larks struck for two. Wyatt Divis and Dylan Dreiling both singled to open the inning. Brady Evans was intentionally walked after gaining a 3-0 count. Austen Jaslove then followed with a two-run single to right.
The Larks (37-9) tacked on two more in the eighth. After a leadoff walk to Jack Torosian, Wyatt Divis singled to left. He was forced out an second on fielders choice but Leo Jiminian and Cade Brown came through with RBI singles with two outs to push the lead to 5-1.
Lonestar scored a run in the eighth and had two on with one out in the ninth but couldn't get any closer.
Divis, who was the designated hitter after Ben McLoughlin missed the game because of food poisoning, went 2-for-3 at the plate. Rosson also had two hits with a homer and a double.
RMBL SHOWDOWN
The Larks will play RMBL rival Liberal in the semifinals at 6:00 p.m. Friday. The Bee Jays advanced after a 6-1 win over the Haysville Aviators in Thursday's first quarterfinal.
The Bee Jays won the Rocky Mountain Baseball League title by two-games over the Larks this summer. The two split their four games with all four decided by two runs or less.