Larks win big
Aug. 5, 2007
By MIKE KESSINGER
Hays Daily News
WICHITA — It was as if the Hays Larks had stumbled onto a pot of gold Saturday morning.
Through a 22-minute top half of the first inning, the Larks scored four runs, with the help of just two hits. But three walks to lead off the inning, and a Bombers error, helped Hays in its second game at the National Baseball Congress World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
Hays ended up taking a 12-2 win in seven innings, because of the run-rule.
“Their pitcher was having trouble throwing strikes, and we took advantage of it,” Larks shortstop Mike Brownstein said. “We got our fast guys on base, and we took care of it. We scored four runs in the first inning, and we never really looked back.”
Led by Brownstein with three stolen bases in the game, the Larks finished with seven steals. They were perfect on every stolen base opportunity, and it all started with the first inning, when at times, the Bombers seemed to still be asleep for the 10:30 a.m. start.
Rickey Angel opened the Larks’ scoring with a two-RBI single. Rich Michalek then came home when Bombers catcher Mike Perry threw to second base on a double steal to catch Angel, but neither the second baseman or shortstop went over to cover as the ball sailed into center field. Angel would then make it 4-0 on a wild pitch by starter Brian Sizemore. In the first inning alone, Sizemore threw 50 pitches.
“We started the game the way we like to start a game,” Larks manager Frank Leo said. “It starts with our baserunning to put pressure on the other team, and make them be aware of us.”
The Bombers were able to get on the scoreboard with a run in their half of the first on a Mike Zarlengo double off Larks starter Gary Pierpont, scoring J.T. Putt.
In the bottom of the second inning, the game stopped for a scary moment as home plate umpire Mike Lentz was hit on the corner of his mask by a foul ball that jammed the mask into his jaw. Lentz fell to the ground, and Larks assistant coach Keith Harper ran out to help him. After 10 minutes, Lentz was able to leave the field with the help of Harper, and a replacement umpire was brought in.
“The umpire going down, you hope he’s going to be OK, he got pretty banged up in the jaw,” Leo said. “It broke a little bit of momentum, and you hate to lose that in a World Series ball game.”
Whatever momentum the Larks might have lost, Colorado didn’t seem to pick up any advantage from it. Pierpont (5-2) shut down the Bomber offense after the first inning as he gave up just one more run, and just two hits in his six innings of work. He had 11 strikeouts, and three walks.
“I never had any doubts on Gary,” Brownstein said. “He did start out a little slow, but he was going to be fine. They only got (two) runs, and I didn’t expect much more.”
With a 6-2 lead after five innings, the Larks put up four more runs in the sixth, then added the final two the seventh. The final run came on a double by pinch-hitter Chase Schippers that scored Angel. Hays (36-17) finished with 13 hits.
“It was nice to give Chase that opportunity,” Leo said. “He had a great at-bat. He got an opportunity to see a lot of pitches, and they made a mistake, and he hit it hard.”
The Bombers used four pitchers. The Larks used just two, as Jarrad Watkins finished the game in the seventh in 1-2-3 order.
Brownstein and Washburn were both 3-for-4. Brownstein scored four runs and Dusty Washburn knocked in three. Eric Morrison had two hits, both doubles, and two RBIs.
The Larks will play Monday against Saturday night’s late-game winner.
Sports reporter Mike Kessinger can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 127, or by e-mail at
mkessinger@dailynews.net.
Hays 12, Colorado 2
(7 innings)
Hays (36-17) 410 104 20 — 12 13 1
Colorado 101 000 0 — 2 2 3
Pierpont, Watkins (7) and Rockey; Sizemore, Burks (3), Kelley (6), Berning (7) and Perry, Harris (5). W — Pierpont (5-2). L — Sizemore. 2B — Morrison 2, Carney, Schippers, Hays; Zarlengo, Colorado.
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