Larks drop opener

By RANDY GONZALES

Hays Daily News

Larks Park was far from being home, sweet home for the Hays Larks in Saturday night’s first game of a Jayhawk League doubleheader against the Nevada (Mo.) Griffons.

The Larks were the visiting team on the scoreboard, as the two teams were making up part of a series that was rained out in Nevada earlier in the season, Hays, which was the home team in Saturday’s second game, lost 5-2 in the opener.

After winning Friday’s series opener 3-0, Hays let a lead slip away in the second game of the doubleheader and lost 10-3, victims of an eight-run inning.

“We’re still feeling the effects of the 10-3 loss (Friday) night,” Hays manager Frank Leo said.

The Larks’ hitters also had trouble against Nevada right-hander Connor Lambert, who picked up his first win of the season. Lambert (1-2) had a two-hitter with just one unearned run heading into the seventh, and finished with a four-hitter. He had three walks and five strikeouts.

“We’re just having one of those funks again,” Leo said of his club’s hitting woes. “We need to get out of it.

“When you get down, you’ve got to fight,” Leo added.

Hays (29-15 overall, 24-14 Jayhawk) scored an unearned in the top of the first when Tyler Barnett got aboard on an error and scored on Rich Michalek’s single.

Nevada (29-18, 22-17) evened the score with a run in the second off Hays starter Mark Tanner, then took the lead with another run in the third.

Tanner (1-3) was knocked out of the game in Nevada’s three-run fourth. The Hays left-hander allowed five runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, with two walks and one strikeout.

Hays tried to rally in its final at-bat against Lambert. Pinch-hitter Clayton Karst doubled to lead off the seventh inning, and advanced to third on Eric Morrison’s fly ball to the warning track in right field. Kyle Carney singled to right to score Karst, but Lambert got out the jam, inducing a pair of groundouts to end the game.

Right-handers Gary Pierpont (3-2) and Brad Hutt (1-1) are the probable starters for today’s 6 p.m. doubleheader with Nevada at Larks Park.

Sports editor Randy Gonzales can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 130, or by e-mail at rgonzales@dailynews.net.