Hays Post Sports
HAYS – Lane Sparks and Brady Kreutzer each connect on eighth-inning grand slams as the Larks knocked off the Denver Cougars 12-1 Friday night at Larks Park.
The Larks (26-4-1, 18-4 RMBL) and the Cougars played an evenly matched game for six inning with the Larks holding a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Hays’ lone run coming on a Wilbert Espinal RBI single in the fourth inning.
Leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning the Larks added two more runs, scoring on back-to-back RBI singles by Trent Baker and Jackson Babcock.
Denver got a run back in the top of the eighth inning but with the Larks leading 3-1 Hays blew the game wide open in the bottom of the inning.
The Larks offense exploded for nine runs in the inning.
The Larks loaded the bases with a single and back-to-back walks and then after an out, Sparks homered to right field for a grand slam, making it 7-1 Larks.
After another walk, a Jackson Babcock singled home a run putting Hays up 8-1.
Two batters later, after back-to-back walks, Kreutzer delivered a grand slam to left, giving Hays the 12-1 walk-off run-rule victory.
Kreutzer finished one-for-one with two runs scored and a grand slam. Four Larks collected a pair of hits and Kreutzer and Sparks each drove in four runs.
Nick Gray earned the win for the Larks, allowing just two hits with two strikeouts in five shutout innings.
Hays hosts Denver in the second of a three-game series Saturday at Larks Park.