Larks end road trip with split
July 11, 2003
By The Hays Daily News
EL DORADO -- The Hays Larks finished off their road games for the season Thursday night after a Jayhawk League doubleheader at El Dorado.
Now Hays' summer-collegiate baseball team is just ready to get home -- literally.
The Larks, after splitting the league doubleheader Thursday, were stranded in El Dorado after difficulties with the team bus.
"It's the last road trip, if we get home ... ," Hays manager Frank Leo said from the south-central part of the state this morning. "It's going to be good to finish at home."
El Dorado won Thursday's opener 3-0 before Hays rebounded with a 5-2 victory in the late game.
But when the Larks boarded the bus to head home, it wouldn't start. Then when it did, the bus stuck in gear.
That meant a long night for the Larks before hotels and other arrangements were finally made.
But despite the transportation problems, Leo was pleased with the way his team responded after dropping the opener.
"That was kind of the goal," Leo said about playing .500 ball on the road. "Minimum down here, we had to split the doubleheader. After we lost the first game, the guys responded. I was proud of that."
El Dorado (25-13 overall, 12-7 Jayhawk) scored all three of its runs in the sixth inning to take the win in Game 1. Andy Pape (3-1) took the loss for Hays (27-5, 18-4), allowing the three earned runs on six hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out six.
"Pape did a great job," said Leo, whose team managed only three hits in the game. "He gave us five strong innings, then tired a bit at the end. But he was a bright spot for us in the first game."
It was the first time this season the Larks had been shut out and the first time since Aug. 1, 2002 -- a 2-0 loss to the Nevada (Mo.) Griffons in the NBC World Series -- that Hays failed to score a run.
After El Dorado built a 2-1 lead after the second inning of Game 2, Hays tied the game with a run in the top of the fifth, then pulled ahead with two runs in the sixth.
Adam Cox walked to start things in the sixth and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ben Tinius. Mark Lyons walked, then both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch.
Cox scored on a squeeze bunt by Dan Schwartzbauer, and Pete Maropis drove in Lyons with a two-out single.
The Larks added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Tom Hottovy (5-0) battled back after allowing the two early runs. He shut out the Broncos over the final five innings, striking out two batters each in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
Hottovy allowed four hits in the complete-game outing, while walking four and striking out eight.
"He provided us with a great effort in Game 2," Leo said of Hottovy.
Maropis went 2-for-3 at the plate, and Aaron Batlle went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Hays will host the Elkhart Dusters for a 6 p.m. league doubleheader Saturday at Larks Park. Landon Harper (5-0) and Chris Ofat (3-0) are the Larks' probable starters.