Larks win opener with Nevada

7-29-04

By MIKE KESSINGER

Hays Daily News

Keep hope alive.

The Hays Larks slipped past Nevada (Mo.) 2-1 on Tuesday night to keep their hopes alive for a fourth straight Jayhawk League title.

The Larks still need to sweep the Griffons in today's 6 p.m. doubleheader at Larks Park, then win again on Thursday in the regular-season finale.

Hays broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth. Nolan Reimold tripled off the big wall in left-center field with two out and scored on Kevin Russo's single to left field.

Hunter Mense added a solo home run in the sixth for the Larks.

“This was a very good ball game,” Larks manager Frank Leo said. “It was really a good defensive game all the way through.”

Neither team committed an error, and for seven innings, the Larks' Bob Reifschneider and Nevada's Chad Beck battled in a pitchers' duel.

Reifschneider was able to get out of a jam in the first inning. He walked the Griffons' second batter, Kory Drew, then gave up a single to Nick Shay before Mickey Nichol hit into a double play to end the threat.

In the bottom of the second, Russo doubled with one out, but the Larks couldn't bring him home as Seth Fortenberry flied out and Tyler Wasserman became Beck's second strikeout victim of the inning.

After Russo's double, Beck retired seven straight Larks before Reimold's triple. Russo's single to score Reimold helped him finish with a 2-for-3 night at the plate. Russo and Reimold combined for four of Hays' eight hits.

Mense gave Hays (25-12 overall, 17-11 Jayhawk) a 2-0 lead with his homer in the sixth, his third straight game with a home run.

An inning later, Nevada (26-20, 12-17) got three hits off Reifschneider, with Ryan Bowerman's single scoring Zach Harris.

Leo replaced Reifschneider with Matt Rainey in the eighth, who sat the Griffons down in order.

Hays threatened to add more in the bottom of the eighth. Gabe Marchant led off with a bunt single and J.C. Field followed with another single, sending Marchant to third. However, Mense hit a bouncer to Beck, who threw it home as Marchant tried to score. Marchant tried to get back to third, but Beau Schultz chased him down before he flipped it to third baseman Shay, who tagged him out. The Griffons replaced Beck with Hurston Pittman, who got Jason Pfeifer and Aaron Batlle to fly out, and end the Larks' threat.

“We really had to hold on,” Leo said. “The execution when Marchant got tagged out wasn't very good, but it's something we have to work on, and get it next time.”

Stephen Marek picked up the save as he worked a perfect ninth.

Reifschneider (4-2) worked seven innings. He gave up seven hits and one run while striking out six.

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