Joplin pounds Larks, 10-0

Joplin pounds Larks

in Game 1 of DH

By NICK McQUEEN

Hays Daily News

The Hays Larks have not started out at all like they would like in their 15-game home stand.

Hays dropped two of its first three games in the home stand, including a 10-0 loss to Joplin, Mo., in Saturday night’s first game of a doubleheader at Larks Park.

The Larks showed some inconsistency after a win 13-1 Friday to open up the five-game series with the Slashers. Hays let a late lead slip away to drop the second game Friday night, 3-2, then lost big in Saturday’s opener.

“We’re just not swinging the bats and playing with any consistency,” Hays manager Frank Leo said after Saturday’s Game 1 loss, where the Larks managed seven hits, all singles, against Joplin starter Matt Morgal, who went the distance. The Larks Larks were shut out for just the second in league play this season.

“The only thing we can hope for is to be able to do what they did to us Friday,” Leo said. “We had a great first game and then lost it in the second game.”

In Saturday’s opener, Larks starter Mark Tanner (1-2) was roughed up in just three innings of work, giving up four runs to the Slashers before being replaced by Travis Crow, who pitched into the sixth before giving way to Eric Rose. For the 15-game home stand, Leo plans on using an eight-man rotation, a task that could be difficult without offense.

“The rest of these games (Saturday’s late game and today) will come down to pitching,” Leo said. “But we have to get some offense to back it up.”

Tyler Barnett managed three hits for the Larks in Saturday’s opener, but the Larks failed to get an extra-base hit. Joplin cranked out 10 hits in the win and capitalized on two Lark errors, one at home plate in the first inning when Joplin scored its first run.

“We need to start playing with a sense of urgency. These losses could come back to hurt us,” Leo said.

Going into the late game Saturday, the Larks were 41â„2 games behind league-leading Derby, and just a half a game ahead of third-place El Dorado, which won its opener Saturday night at Dodge City. Derby has already secured a spot in the National Baseball Congress World Series with its runner-up finish last season and the next two best finishers in the league are also given invitations.

Hays and Joplin are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. game today to wrap up the series. Richard Timbrook is (3-1) is the probable starter for Hays.

Friday

Game 1

Hays 13, Joplin 1

Uncharacteristically for the 2007 version of the Larks, Hays blasted out 13 hits and scored 10 runs in the fourth inning to claim a 13-1 win over the Slashers in the first of the five-game series. Barnett had a 3-for-4 night with two runs scored and two runs driven in to lead Hays.

Brock Nehls (5-0) picked up the win, pitching six innings, giving up just one earned run.

Barnett, Mike Brownstein and Dusty Washburn each drove in two runs. Washburn also hit a home run, his team-leading third of the season.

Game 2

Joplin 3, Hays 2

The Larks broke a scoreless tie with Mark Rockey’s homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth.

But right-hander Bobby Lewton (4-1) couldn’t hold it. Lewton, who had a one-hitter through five innings, gave up a pair of two-out RBI singles to surrender the lead in the Joplin sixth.

Joplin added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Hays got a run back in the home half and had the tying and winning runs on base, but Brownstein popped out to first base to end the game.

Larks Notes

Before Tuesday’s scheduled 6 p.m. doubleheader against El Dorado, the game sponsor for the night, Hays Medical Center and Dreiling-Schmidt Cancer Center, will be conducting free skin cancer screenings. Pepsi is also sponsoring Tuesday’s games.

Today’s game sponsors are Nex-Tech Wireless and APAC. Monday’s free admission is sponsored by Keith Harper.

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

nmcqueen@dailynews.net