HAYS - Hays High baseball hosted Garden City in a non-league double header to finish out the regular season on Thursday. The Indians ended the year with 18 games played after two games in Ulysses were canceled due to weather.
Hays also entered the final day knowing they would finish in the top four spots in the west half of 5A. That positioning allows Hays to host a regional tournament next week.
Game 1: Hays 2, Garden City 0
Dylan Dreiling threw a complete game shutout for the third time this season beating Garden City 2-0. Dreiling had thrown 55 pitches through the first three innings before settling in over the next four. He has now thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
Garden City loaded the bases in the second inning with two outs but struck out twice to end the threat. The Buffaloes had runners in scoring position in the third and sixth inning but could not push a run across the plate.
Dreiling allowed just one hit, walked four and struck out eleven as he moved to 6-0 on the year. It is the fifth time this year he recorded double digit strike outs.
Highlights
The Indians recorded just four hits against two Garden City pitchers. They walked five times and only struck out twice. Ben Krannawitter doubled with one out in the third inning. He scored on Dreiling's two out single for the games first run.
Hays loaded the bases in the fifth but scored just one run when Garden City couldn't complete a double play allowing Carson Spray to score the final run of the contest.
Game 2: Hays 13, Garden City 7
Hays High scored 11 of their 13 runs in just two innings of game two, taking advantage of wild pitching from Garden City. The Indians scored four runs in the second and seven runs in the fourth.
Garden City led after the first inning 2-1. The Indians took the lead in the bottom after the second inning 5-3 and never trailed again. The Buffaloes tied the game up in the top of third 5-5 before Hays tallied a single run to take a 6-5 lead. The Indians seven run fourth blew the game open.
Highlights
Garrett Wellbrock worked six innings to pick up his fourth victory of the season. Carson Spray pitched the seventh to close the game out.
Hays was walked ten times in the the second game and hit by pitches on three occasions.
Garden City drops to 10-8 on the year. Hays improves to 15-3 and will be the three seed in next week's regional. The Indians will host a four team regional tournament next Wednesday.