Fast Start Lifts Larks Past Liberal

The Hays Larks built an 8-1 lead after three and held on to beat the Liberal Bee Jays 9-7 Wednesday night at Brent Gould Field.  Hays moves to within a half game of first place and now owns the tie-breaker in the Rocky Mountain League.  If Hays wins two home games with Denver and a home game with Dodge City, they win the league.  The Bee Jays will now need help and need to win their last two games against Dodge City.

The Larks scored one in the first.  The Bee Jays countered with a run of their own in the first.  Ryota Kusumoto ripped a double to right center and scored on Miller Durham’s RBI single to center.  But the big inning for Hays was a five run second inning.  The Larks added two in the third to lead 8-1.  The Bee Jays rallied with three in the bottom of the third.  Ben Merriman, Miller Durham, and Robert Orr singled before Lane Snow hit a sac fly and Julius Ramirez stroked a two RBI double to right center to make it 8-4.  Hays scored one in the fifth to lead 9-4.  Liberal crept closer with a three run seventh.  With two outs, Ryota Kusumoto cracked a sole home run to right center.  Ben Merriman and Robert Orr walked and Miller Durham singled.  Lane Snow lined a two RBI double to left to make it 9-7.  The Bee Jays had two on with two outs in the eighth but did not score.   The Jays were retired in order in the ninth.

Miller Durham was 3-5.  Ryota Kusumoto was 2-4 with a home run and a double.  The B.J. bullpen was solid Wednesday night.  Brooks Kappelmann worked four innings allowing one earned run with five strikeouts and two walks.  Trevor Steele went three scoreless innings.

Hays out-hit Liberal 13-10.  Liberal committed two errors and Hays was errorless.  In the two game series, the Larks did not have an error and Liberal had five.

Hays is 24-8 overall and 19-6 in the Rocky Mountain.  Liberal is 22-6 overall and 20-6 in the RMBL.  Liberal plays a non league game at Great Bend Thursday night at 7pm.