Larks take 3 of 4 in league road series

By The Hays Daily News

EL DORADO — The Hays Larks have been a streaky team so far this season.

Hays started out the summer with a nine-game winning streak, then dropped its next five, including Tuesday’s opener of a Jayhawk League series with El Dorado. But the Larks won their next three with the Broncos, sweeping Wednesday’s doubleheader, 8-7 in 12 innings and 9-1, then won again Thursday night, 6-5.

Hays (12-5 overall, 8-5 Jayhawk) will take a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. league game against Dodge City at Larks Park.

In Thursday’s game, Hays scored a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5. and Brock Nehls kept El Dorado scoreless in three innings of relief. The Larks scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth. Rich Michaelek walked to lead off the inning, then stole both second and third before Tyler Barnett and Mike Brownstein both struck out. Pinch-hitter Ryan Lush’s bunt single scored Michalek to give the Larks the lead. Nehls (2-0) struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth after allowing a leadoff single.

Ricky Angel hit a three-run homer in the top of the fourth, but El Dorado scored four in the home half to take a 5-3 lead.

Hays got single runs in the fifth and seventh to tie the game. Michalek walked to lead off the fifth and stole second. One out later, he stole third and scored on Brownstein’s groundout.

In the seventh, Michalek singled with one out and moved to third on an error and scored on Barnett’s groundout.

In Wednesday’s first game of a doubleheader, the Larks scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th. Barnett led off with a bunt single, advanced to second on a passed ball and stole third. Brownstein was hit by a pitch, and Kyle Carney grounded out, with Barnett holding at third and Brownstein moving up to second. Eric Morrison was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Dusty Washburn scored Barnett with a groundout to second.

Richard Timbrook (1-0), who got the last out in the 11th, picked up the win in his first appearance for Hays. Eric Rose got the final three outs to earn a save.

El Dorado scored two runs in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. It remained that way until the 11th, when both Hays and El Dorado scored three runs to send the game to the 12th.

Washburn had three RBIs, while Brownstein and Angel each drove in a pair.

In Game 2, Hays broke open a close game with six runs in the seventh inning, capped by Washburn’s grand slam, his first homer of the season.

Barnett had three hits, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Gary Pierpont (2-1) pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits, with no walks and six strikeouts.

Larks Notes

The Larks changed their batting order starting with Wednesday’s doubleheader. Michalek, who had been hitting ninth, moved up to the leadoff spot, with Barnett batting second and Brownstein, third. In the three games since the switch, Michalek has seven steals and five runs scored, while Barnett has three runs and five steals and Brownstein has two runs and three steals. ... Outfielder Eric Morrison leads Hays in hitting at .357, with Barnett at .354 and Michalek at .333.

Hays has 54 stolen bases, with Barnett 18-of-21, Michalek 15-of-15 and Brownstein 11-of-14. ... Pierpont leads the Larks in earned-run average at 1.96.