Rally comes up short for Hays

6-15-04

By MIKE KESSINGER

Hays Daily News

Unable to pull off a second straight late-inning rally, the Hays Larks fell to Jayhawk League rival Liberal at Larks Park Monday night, 8-6.

The Larks trailed by five runs in the seventh inning, but closed the gap with three runs. Then the Larks looked for more in the eighth.

J.C. Field, who hit the game-winning winning single Saturday night in a 10-9 comeback win over the Wichita Dawgs, started the eighth with a single, followed by another single by Seth Fortenberry. However, Liberal got the next three Larks to kill the rally, then the Bee Jays didn't allow a Hays baserunner in the ninth.

“There were some errors that really haunted us,” Larks manager Frank Leo said. “You can survive with errors against some teams, but we can't get away with that in the Jayhawk League very much.”

A solo home run by Tyler Wasserman gave the Larks a 1-0 lead in the second inning. An inning later, Fortenberry scored on a passed ball, then Warren Schaeffer scored on a single by Nolan Reimold to give Hays (6-3 overall, 2-3 Jayhawk) a 3-0 lead.

Jeff Mandel's attempt for a second straight no-hitter came to an end in the fourth as Jacob Palomarez, Brett Lewis singled to start the inning. Two runs later scored on a throwing error by Wasserman at third base. The Bee Jays added another run in the inning to tie it at 3-all.

Liberal (4-5, 1-0) added two more runs off Mandel in the fifth for a 5-3 lead.

“Unfortunately for Jeff, we didn't make the big play; our defense didn't work,” Leo said of the error in the fourth that lead to two Liberal runs.

Another error in the seventh led to another Liberal run, and another run scored when Hays couldn't turn a double play.

In the Larks' seventh, they scored three runs on four hits to get within 8-6. Billy Sharp doubled after Fortenberry walked to start off the inning. Schaeffer scored Fortenberry with a sacrifice fly, then Sharp scored on a wild pitch. Reimold hit a solo home run for the final run of the inning.

Mandel (1-1) took the loss. He went five innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits. He fanned five batters.

Jake Baxter (1-0) got the win for Liberal, giving up five runs and striking out two before leaving in the seventh.

Reimold finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.

“When it's a two-run ball game you have to get the (sacrifice) bunt down, and we didn't do that,” Leo said. “(Liberal) used the sac bunt to get guys on the board, and you have to do those things.

“We'll find out a lot about this team (Tuesday).”

The Larks will play host to Liberal in a 6 p.m. doubleheader today at Larks Park.

Larks Notes

The base umpire ejected Larks designated hitter Aaron Batlle in the sixth inning and the Liberal manager in the ninth inning for arguing calls at first base.

Sports writer Mike Kessinger can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 130, or by e-mail at sports@dailynews.net.