GARDEN CITY — Twice the Hays High baseball team was three outs away from a run-rule victory in game two of their doubleheader with Garden City Friday night. The Buffs rallied both times to extend the game then scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Indians 23-22.
Hays won the first game 16-6 in five innings and is 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. Garden City is 6-2 overall and 2-2 in the WAC.
Game 1: Hays 16, Garden City 6 (5 innings)
The Indians scored seven runs in the top of the first and led 8-0 after an inning and a half.
The Buffs scored four in the second but the Indians quickly answered with three in the third, a run in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Dylan Dreiling, Garrett Wellbrock and Dalton Dale each had three of the Indians 15 hits. Wellbrock drove in three runs while Dale, Dalyn Schwarz and Jack Fields knocked in two.
The Indians had five extra base hits including a home run from Dreiling, triples from Dale and Dominic Bainter and a double from Wellbrock. HHS also had five stolen bases.
Starter Garrett Wellbrock allowed all six runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks over four innings and picked up the win.
Game 2: Garden City 23, Hays 22
Garden City scored 16 runs in the final three innings to rally from a 17-7 deficit.
The Indians had control early after scoring seven runs in the second, six in the fourth and four in the top of the fifth. They led 17-7 entering the bottom of the fifth and were three outs away from the run-rule victory but reliever Dalton Dale hit the leadoff batter who would later score on a fielders choice to short stop to extend the game.
Hays again pushed their lead to 10 on Dalton Dale's two-out double to center which scored Dylan Dreiling in the top of the sixth.
Garden City took advantage of two errors, a hit batter and two walks to score 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 18-18.
The Indians scored four in the top of the seventh. Garrett Wellbrock drew a walk after Dylan Dreiilng was intentianally walked to load the bases. Remington Cox singled to left scoring Jack Fields and Dreiling. Dale singled to load the bases again. Dalyn Schwarz sac fly to center scored Wellbrock to give the Indians a 22-18 lead.
A leadoff walk followed by back-to-back doubles and another walk opened the door for the Garden City rally in the bottom of the seventh. Following a strikeout for the first out, Dawson VonFeldt hit a batter with the bases loaded which pulled the Buffs within a run. A single from Jesse Baltazar drove in two for the game winner.
VonFeldt, the Indians fifth pitcher in the game, allowed five runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeouts and takes the loss. Sophomore Carson Spray made his varsity debut on the mound and allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks over 2 2/3 innings.
The Indians had 20 hits in the game, 10 of them went for extra bases including Spray's first career home run. Dale and Bainter both tripled, Dale and Remington Cox both added a pair of doubles along with VonFeldt, Wellbrock and Spray.