Larks hold off Liberal late, move to 8-0 on season

By NICK McQUEEN

Hays Daily News

It’s only June, and already the Jayhawk League is heating up.

For the Hays Larks, the intensity is aided by the fact that one of its biggest league rivals, the Liberal Bee Jays, are in town early in the season for a four-game league series at Larks Park.

Thanks to the relief outing by Steven Mazur on Tuesday, the Larks are off to their best start since at least the 1996 season. Hays defeated Liberal 4-2 to move to 8-0 on the season, 4-0 in the Jayhawk.

With a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning, Mazur, a right-hander from Notre Dame, came on in relief after Liberal (3-3 overall, 3-3 Jayhawk) loaded the bases with nobody out. Mazur got out the jam, allowing only one run to score.

“Steven Mazur’s relief performance was huge,” Larks manager Frank Leo said. “You come in with the bases loaded and you have to minimize. He minimized, but I thought we could have turned that double play.”

Hays starter Mark Tanner walked two batters to start the inning, then hit Jeffery Jones with a pitch to load them up and bring in Mazur.

Kyle Maxie lined out to Larks third baseman Kyle Carney for the first out of the inning, Liberal’s Whit Barkley reached on a fielder’s choice as the Larks almost turned a double play, allowing one run to score.

“Outstanding job, though. Mazur was the hero of that ball game for us,” Leo said.

Hays got a three-hit night from Eric Morrison. The Duquesne outfielder was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. The Larks got a run in the first inning when Tyler Barnett walked, moved up to second on another walk, stole third, then scored on an error when Liberal third baseman Jones made an error on Dusty Washburn’s RBI grounder.

“We had key hits, but again it’s our running game,” Leo said. “We have to keep playing that part of our game. That will keep carrying us. We’ll get those fast guys in scoring position and we have to produce.”

Liberal tied the game when Maxie singled up the middle in the top of the fourth to score Walker Moore from second. Hays answered with two runs in the home half, getting RBIs by Brownstein and Ricky Angel.

Rich Michalek’s bunt single with two out in the fifth scored Morrison from third base.

Tanner (1-0) worked five-plus innings, allowing two runs on two hits, with five walks and five strikeouts. A.J. Dunn, the fourth Larks’ pitcher, worked the ninth to earn a save.

The two teams are scheduled for a 6 p.m. doubleheader today at Larks Park. The Larks, the defending Jayhawk League champions, edged Liberal for last year’s title.

“It’s going to be like that all season long. There is no easy team in the Jayhawk League,” Leo said. “You have to come out every game and be prepared to win. You have to execute and we executed tonight.”

Derby (6-2, 4-1) is in second place in the league standings.

Right-handers Gary Pierpont (1-0) and Bobby Lewton (2-0) are the Larks’ probable starters for tonight’s doubleheader.

Sports reporter Nick McQueen can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 128, or by e-mail at nmcqueen@dailynews.net.