Jason Zgardowski pitched 7 1/3 solid innings on a hot and muggy day in Wichita, leading the Hays Larks to a 6-2 win over the San Diego Stars in an elimination game Monday afternoon at the NBC World Series. The victory improves the Larks to 35-12 overall and 2-1 in the tournament where they will play another elimination game Wednesday.
Zgardowski worked out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the bottom of the second, inducing two popups and a groundout. He allowed one unearned run on seven hits, striking out three and walking two for his fifth win of the season.
Aaron Cornell would manufacture a run in the top of the third when he reached on an error then stole second and third. Cornell scored when the throw to third was wild and landed in left field.
A bases-loaded walk to Jake Placzek in the fourth pushed the Larks lead to 2-0. They would go up 4-1 with two in the seventh highlighted by Zair Koeiman’s two-out RBI single. Taylor Petersen hit a two-run double to left in the eighth to make it 6-1.
Placzek and Petersen had two of the Larks 11 hits while Cornell reached base five times. The Larks also turned four double plays in the game, giving them seven for the tournament