The Hays Larks offense exploded for 11 runs on 17 hits and four pitchers combined to shut out the Junction City Brigade Thursday night as Hays earned an 11-0 win at Larks Park.
Leading 1-0 the Larks sent nine hitters to the plate in the second inning and scored four runs on four singles. Desmond Roberts, Brent Gillespie, Clayton Garland and Taylor Petersen each drove a run in the inning giving Hays a 5-0 lead.
Second basemen Zair Koeiman added to the Larks lead in the fourth with his sixth homerun of the season, a three-run shot that scored Aaron Cornell and Tyler Petersen.
Hays added three more in the sixth inning behind an RBI ground-out by Blair Beck, a Desmond Roberts RBI single and Jake Placek’s RBI double that gave the Larks an 11-0 lead and they would go on to pick up the win.
Andy Lewton made his first start of the summer and allowed just one hit over three innings. Aaron Breit allowed two hits in three innings and struck out four to earn his first victory as a Lark this season.
Nick Goza and Kyle Leroy closed out the final three innings for the Larks.
Koeiman was 3-for-5 with a homerun, 3 RBI and three runs scored. Aaron Cornell and Blair Beck were also 3-for-5 with a RBI.
The Larks are now 27-10 and begin a key three-game weekend series at home against Derby.
NOTES: Pitcher Dalton Viner has left the team due to family reasons… Andy Lewton and Aaron Breit will both be added to the roster for the NBC World Series.