Broncos turn out the lights on Larks
July 16, 2003
By NICK SCHWIEN
Hays Daily News
The lights went out.
Then Dave Haehnel turned out the lights on the Hays Larks.
Haehnel, a left-handed relief pitcher for the El Dorado Broncos, dominated the Hays batters after a nearly 1 hour, 40 minute delay because of a blown fuse with the field's lights Tuesday night at Larks Park.
But once the lights came back on, Haehnel used a blazing fastball to keep Hays' summer-collegiate baseball team from mounting a rally as the Larks dropped the Jayhawk League game, 3-2.
"They brought out that lefty, and we've seen him a couple of times," said Aaron Batlle, who went 1-for-4 with a solo home run but was 0-for-2 against Haehnel. "Last time we played them, we got to him a little bit. But we just couldn't hit him, get to his fastball. He was throwing them in there. ... We just couldn't get it done on offense tonight."
In front of a large crowd, the early action lived up to the hype of the top two teams in the league standings. Hays (30-7 overall, 21-6 Jayhawk) won its third straight league crown a day earlier with a win over the Topeka Capitals, while El Dorado (28-15, 14-9) entered with the second-best mark in the league.
And just like the first three meetings this year between the two rivals, Tuesday's game turned into another pitcher's duel.
"It was a good ball game, a good pitcher's duel," Hays manager Frank Leo said. "If you get a couple guys with good stuff throwing strikes, things like that are going to happen."
El Dorado starter John Brownell and Hays starter Tommy Hottovy were a combined 7-1 entering the contest. And just when each pitcher was starting to get into a rhythm, the lights -- which initially started to warm up before going off -- caused the long delay.
The Broncos took a 1-0 lead on Hottovy when he allowed back-to-back singles to start the game before a groundout by Drew Moffitt -- Hottovy's teammate at Wichita State University -- drove in the game's first run.
Hays tied the game in the second when Batlle led off the inning with a homer to right field on the first pitch.
"I've faced (Brownell) before, and I know the first couple of innings he likes to throw a lot of fastballs," Batlle said. "So I was sitting dead-red fastball and got my pitch and got a pretty good swing on it. I didn't think it was going to go. It barely cleared (the wall)."
El Dorado got its first two batters to reach base in the third -- a leadoff walk followed by a single -- and both runners eventually scored when Eric Thornton hit a bloop single to left to give the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
Hays pulled within 3-2 when Seth Fortenberry walked to lead off the bottom half of the third and eventually scored on a fielder's choice by Dan Schwartzbauer.
The Larks had opportunities to tie the game or pull ahead in the inning, but Brownell got a strikeout for the second out with runners at second and third, then -- after allowing a walk -- got another strikeout to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Both Brownell and Hottovy were forced to come out of the game after the long delay hit during the bottom of the fifth.
Hottovy (5-1) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits in five innings, with six strikeouts and three walks. It was his first loss for the Larks since July 21, 2001, when he was the pitcher of record in the Larks' 16-12 setback to El Dorado at home.
With both starters gone, the game turned into a battle of bullpens. Haehnel (5-0) dominated the Larks, striking out 11 of the 17 batters he faced over the final five innings. He allowed only two hits -- singles in the sixth and eighth. Haehnel struck out at least two batters in four of his five innings.
"It's two good pitching staffs, and we've seen that each time we've played them," Leo said. "That's a lot of the same guys we've seen, and the last guy (Haehnel) was pretty fast and tough. We got to him a little bit down there mainly because he walked a guy and we used the bunt game. But he's pretty tough. Against a guy like that, you have to get a break. ... Maybe if we get one, something happens. But he's awfully good."
Andy Pape relieved Hottovy in the sixth and allowed only two hits and no runs in three innings, with three strikeouts and one walk. Jim Popp pitched the ninth and allowed a check-swing single before eventually striking out the side.
" ... Andy Pape did a real nice job to match zeros for us," Leo said. "We had to stay within one run to have a chance to at least tie it up. I thought Andy did a real good job of giving us an opportunity to do that."
Pete Maropis went 2-for-3 at the plate for Hays.
Hays will host the Newton Bandits for a 7:30 p.m. nonleague game today at Larks Park. Right-hander Bryan Engle (2-1) is the probable starter.
NOTES: Hays picked up a forfeit victory over Topeka when the Capitals didn't want to turn Monday's scheduled single game into a doubleheader to help make up a doubleheader rained out June 23 in Topeka. The other game will not be rescheduled.