Gavin Schumacher drove in three runs and Ryan Ruder tossed six solid innings as the Hays Monarchs beat Iola 7-4 Saturday to advance to the AA State American Legion Championship game.

The Monarchs took an early lead, in the second inning, on a two-run single by Eston Brown. Hays added two more runs on an error by the shortstop taking a 4-0 lead through two.

Iola got a run back in the top of the third and with Hays leading 5-1 Iola scored three runs in the top of the fifth cut the score to 5-4.

Schumacher added a pair of insurance runs in the Monarchs half of the sixth giving Hays a 7-4 lead and they would go on to win by that score.

Ryan Post

Schumacher, for the second game in-a-row drove in three runs and Eston Brown finished 1-for-3 with two RBI’s.

Ryan Ruder earned the win for the Monarchs. He allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits and struck out 12 over six innings.

The Monarchs are 23-10 on the summer and will play the winner of loser’s bracket at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.