Layoff hurts Larks in loss

6-30-04

By NICHOLAS McQUEEN

Hays Daily News

A week off can hurt a baseball team.

The Hays Larks felt the effects Tuesday night.

Due to a rainout Saturday, the Larks went into Tuesday's game with the Wichita Twins having not played in six days.

The Larks fell 7-4 to Wichita in a nonleague game at Larks Park.

“All we got accomplished out here was getting back on the field,” Hays manager Frank Leo said.

The Larks will be home again today for a 7 p.m. single game with the Salina Blue Jays before starting an eight-game road trip Thursday.

In Tuesday's game, Leo said his club looked a little sluggish and showed the effects of not playing.

“We'll chalk this up to inactivity. We didn't compete very well,” Leo said.

The Larks battled hard for six innings with the Twins, whose manager was ejected in the second inning for arguing a call.

After the Twins scored two runs in the top of the third inning, the Larks responded with a two-run double by Nolan Reimold in the bottom half, the only Larks' hit to go for extra bases.

Hays (12-7) took its only lead in the third inning on an RBI groundout by newcomer Hunter Mense.

Wichita (10-10) took a 4-3 lead on a two-run double by Matt Marascoe in the sixth inning. J.C. Field tied it with his sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. Hays managed only five hits, but scored four runs with four Twins errors.

“We were not taking good swings and were swinging at the wrong pitches,” Leo said. “Our pitch selection just wasn't that good.”

Wichita broke a 4-all tie with single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

Josh Blake (1-1), who came in for starter Jason Schutt to start the seventh, took the loss. Blake gave up two runs in two innings, and Bob Reifschneider allowed a run in the ninth.

The Twins took the lead for good on Jared Pitts' RBI single.

Schutt pitched six innings, allowing four runs on six hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.

Adam Bingston got the victory in relief of starter Brandon Ast. Jason Vecchio got the final three outs for a save.

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

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