HAYS – For the second straight game the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion baseball team jumped out to an early lead on their way to a big win at the AA/AAA State American Legion tournament at Larks Park in Hays.

The Eagles moved to 2-0 in pool play with a 12-3 win over Emporia Thursday.

Coach Dustin Schumacher

The Eagles wasted little time getting on the board Thursday. They sent nine to the plate and scored four runs in the top of the first inning.

Palmer Hutchison’s sacrifice fly scored the games first run and then three batters later Brady Kreutzer delivered a two-run triple to put Hays up 3-0. Jamison Martin added an RBI single giving Hays a 4-0 lead.

Emporia got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the first inning to cut the deficit to 4-2.

After allowing two runs on four hits in the first inning Hays starter Trey Riggs settled in and only allowed one more hit as he worked into the fourth inning.

Riggs allowed two runs on five hits with one strike out in 3.1 innings for the win.

Leading 4-2 Hays’ Dominic Bainter hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot, in the third inning to give Hays a 7-2 lead.

Back-to-back RBI doubles by Trey Riggs and Brock Lummus pushed two more runs across in the fourth for a 9-2 lead.

The Eagles added three more in the seventh inning. Cody Petersen singled in a run and Hutchison drove in two more with a single to give Hays a 12-2 lead.

Hutchison was two-for-three with three RBI’s and Bainter finished two-for-three with three RBI’s.

The Eagles improve to 32-6 on the season and are 2-0 in state pool play.

They will take on Great Bend in the final game of the day Friday at Larks Park.