Larks split with Broncos

6-23-04

By The Hays Daily News

EL DORADO — The Hays Larks split a road Jayhawk League doubleheader with El Dorado Tuesday night.

Hays (12-6, 8-6) won the opener 6-5 before dropping the nightcap 3-2 in eight innings.

“El Dorado's a very good club, Hays Larks manager Frank Leo said. “ We'll take the split.”

In Game 1, Hays used a pair of three-run innings to take the lead.

Hays trailed 4-0 entering the fifth. J.C. Field hit an RBI single, with another run coming home on an error; the final run scored later in the inning on another error.

Hays took a 6-4 lead in the sixth on back-to-back homers. Nolan Reimold homered with a man aboard, and Aaron Batlle followed with a solo shot.

El Dorado (10-7, 4-4) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Stephen Marek got the final three outs for the save. Matt Tokarczyk (1-0) got the victory in relief of starter Joseph Edens.

In the second game, the Larks tied the game on Kevin Russo's two-run homer the sixth, but the Broncos scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to earn a split.

With one out, Brandon Morgan reached second on a throwing error by Larks shortstop Warren Schaeffer and scored the winning run on Anthony Hatch's single to left.

Hays had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth, but pinch-runner Gabe Marchant was thrown out on a bang-bang play at the plate after trying to score from second on a single to left by Batlle.

“It was a tough loss,” Leo said. “Our top of the eighth was tough.”

Marchant bruised his shoulder sliding head-first into home plate, and Leo was unsure of his outfielder's availability.

Jeff Mandel (1-3) took the loss in relief of Larks starter Bob Reifschneider, who allowed two runs on seven hits in 62Ú3 innings, with three walks and seven strikeouts.

James Stephens pitched the eighth to get the win for El Dorado. Broncos starter Matt Green allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings, with one walk and 13 strikeouts.

Hays is off until Saturday, when the Larks will play host to the Salina Blue Jays in a 6 p.m. nonconference doubleheader at Larks Park.