HAYS – Jake Fitzgibbons struck out 13 batters in his start against the Fort Collins Foxes. He outdid that on Tuesday. The Tennessee product struck out 15 while allowing only one hit in the Hays Larks 5-0 win over the Colorado Rough Riders in game two of their doubleheader Tuesday at Larks Park. The Larks rallied to win game one 10-5 and with the sweep clinched their second straight Rocky Mountain Baseball League title in their second season in the league.
Fitzgibbons (3-0) walked two and hit a batter and took a no-hitter into the seventh where it was broken up on Noah Ghiselli’s one-out single.
It’s the Larks’ second complete game shutout in a little over a week. Hunter Parker pitched a nine-inning complete game shutout last Tuesday against Fort Collins.
Wyatt Divis, who had his 17-game hit streaked snapped in game one, had two hits and drove in their first run with a first inning double. Cortland Lawson also doubled and Sam Crowell homered.
The Larks had to rally from an early 4-1 deficit in the first game. Down 4-2, they scored four runs in the third then added two in the fourth before getting a couple of insurance runs in the sixth. Brady Evans reached on an error which scored two to give the Larks the lead for good in the third. Evans finished with three hits and four RBIs.
Luuk ter Beek (3-1) allowed four earned runs on seven hits with four walks and no strikeouts but picks up the win. Jose Velazquez pitched three scoreless innings of relief for his third save.
UP NEXT
The Larks and Rough Riders wrap up the four-game RMBL series Wednesday night at
7:00 p.m. You can hear the game on KAYS (1400-AM, 94.3-FM).