HUTCHINSON – The Hays Larks had the bats going again on Saturday as they advanced into the winner’s bracket semifinals of the 87th National Baseball Congress World Series after a 13-1, five inning run-rule win over the Hutchinson Monarchs.
After Jake Fitzgibbons worked a 1-2-3 top of the first, the Larks offense took care of business in the bottom of the inning. The first five batters all reached safely and scored in a five-run first. Hays would add four in the third and four fourth to move to 2-0 in the tournament.
Zak Henry opened the inning with a walk. Cortland Lawson singled then Wyatt Divis doubled to give the Larks a 1-0 lead. Grant Schmidt walked followed by a Grant Lung RBI single to push the lead to 2-0. After Palmer Hutchison popped out to short right field, Leo Jiminian singled to left to make the score 3-0 and drive Monarch starter Zak Gould from the game. Brady Evans drove the first pitch from Hunter Meche down the left field line which scored two to give the Larks a 5-0 lead.
After loading the bases but failing to score in the second, the Larks loaded them again in the third thanks to leadoff hit by pitch and followed by two walks. Lawson doubled to left which scored two to make the lead 7-0. DIvis added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 8-0. Grant Schmidt followed with a double to right for a 9-0 lead.
Hays loaded the bases again in the fifth then Wyatt Divis cleared them with a grand slam over the right field wall. Divis finished 2-for-3 with six RBIs and two runs scored.
Fitzgibbons (4-0) gave up a run in the top of the fifth but got a groundout to end the game early. The Tennessee product held the Monarchs (32-12) to a season-low two hits with ten strikeouts and three walks.
ALL-TIME AGAINST HUTCH
Saturday’s game marked the fifth time the Larks and Monarchs have played in the NBC World Series, all in the last 10 years. The two had split the first four meetings with Hutchinson eliminating the Larks with an 11-3 run-rule win last year.
FITZ FANS
Jake Fitzgibbons has struck out 41 batters in his last four starts. After fanning 13 over five innings in a win over the Fort Collins Foxes on July 11th. He followed that with a 15 strikeout performance against the Colorado Rough Riders on July 20th. He struck out the side in his only inning in his last start in the regular season finale against the Gameday Saints on July 28th before striking out 10 in five innings against the Monarchs.
GRAND FINALE
Wyatt DIvis final at-bat at Hobart-Detter Field was a grand slam. The Larks designated hitter and pitcher called the ballpark home for two seasons while a member of the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons.
UP NEXT
The Larks will play the Santa Barbara (CA) Forester in Monday’s winner’s bracket semifinals at 6:00 p.m. at the new Riverfront Stadium. The Foresters beat the 316 (KS) Sluggers 9-4 in a game that was suspended due to rain late Saturday night and finished Sunday morning.