Hays Post
HAYS – Taber Stokes hit a grand slam to highlight a five run fourth inning and led the Hays Larks to a 9-4 win over the Denver Cougars in the opening game of their three-game series Friday night at Larks Park.
With the win, the Larks moved into a tie for first place with idle Liberal atop the Rocky Mountain Baseball League.
The Cougars (6-25, 5-21 RMBL) scored two in the second to grab the early lead. They added two more in the seventh to pull within a run but the Larks (25-8, 20-6 RMBL) answered with three in the bottom of the inning. Wilbert Espinal drove in two with a single. Stokes drove in the other on a fielder’s choice.
Aiden Schmidgall (2-1) pitched four scoreless innings of relief and picked up the win. Trent Baker recorded the final seven outs and got the save.
UP NEXT
The Larks play the middle game of the three-game set with the Cougars Saturday at 7 p.m. at Larks Park.