HAYS – Grant Schmidt and Zach Henry both drove in three runs and starting pitcher Hunter Parker pitched three scoreless innings to lead the Hays Larks to a 12-2, seven-inning run-rule victory and three-game sweep over the Colorado Roughnecks Sunday night at Larks Park.
Schmidt, who will be a senior at Fort Hays State, singled to right which scored Leo Jiminian and gave the Larks the lead in the first. Henry pushed the lead to 3-0 with a two-run single in the fourth. Schmidt’s two-run homer jump started a five-run fifth inning. Core Jackson and Brock Lummus also drove in runs. The Larks put the game away with four in the sixth.
Jiminian, Schmidt, Cade Brown and Brady Evans all had two of the Larks 11 hits. Lummus added two RBIs.
Starting pitcher Hunter Parker (1-0) allowed two hits in two scoreless innings for the win. The sophomore to be at Fort Hays State struck out five and walked one. Tyler Palmer allowed two hits but no runs in the fourth. Dylan Dreiling struck out four with one walk and one hit over two scoreless frames. Maxx Casellucci allowed two runs on one hit with two strikeouts and two walks in the seventh.
The Larks are off until Friday when they begin their first road swing and league play at the Game Day Saints in Colorado.