HAYS – The Hays Eagles Senior American Legion baseball team scored double figure runs for the seventh straight game as they defeated the Great Bend Chiefs 14-7 Friday in the final game of pool play at the AA/AAA American Legion State tournament.

Coach Dustin Schumacher postgame interview

Brock Lummus gave the Eagles (33-6) the lead in the first inning on nan RBI single but Hays left the bases loaded and led 1-0 after the first inning.

Great Bend took the lead in the second inning, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly and an error.

Down 2-1 through two inning the Hays Eagles sent 12 men to the plate in the third inning and scored eight runs to take a 9-2 lead. Dominic Bainter singled in a pair of runs and Trey Riggs drove in two more runs with two-out double.

Hays battered around in the fourth inning as well as the Eagles scored three runs in the top of the inning. Tate Garcia singled in a pair of runs in the inning as the Eagles took a 12-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth.

The Eagles had a couple of chances to end the game early via run-rule but Great Bend kept hanging around before Hays was able to earn the 14-7 win.

Eagles starter Cody Petersen earned the win for the Eagles. He allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits with three walks and five strike outs in six innings.

Tate Garcia finished two-for-three with three RBI’s and Trey Riggs added three RBI’s as well.

Hays advances to the semifinals on Saturday and will take on Sabetha at 10 a.m.

Sabetha lost to Iola Friday and finished second in pool B. Iola won pool B and will take on Emporia in the second semifinal game at 12:30 p.m.

The two winners will play in the championship game at 3:15 p.m.