Dustin Armbruster

The Hays High Indian baseball team opened up the 34th Annual Western Plains Diamond Classic Baseball Tournament with two wins on Thursday.

Hays 10 – Life Prep Academy 0 (6 Innings)

Hays got six innings of five hit ball from Marcus Altman as the Indians run-ruled the Life Prep Fire 10-0. Hays scored three in the first and third innings to build their lead to 6-0, then capped the game with a two runs in each the fifth and sixth innings. Altman struck out seven and walked just two in his fourth win of the season and is now 4-2 in six appearances.

Marcus Altman helped his own cause by collecting three hits and driving in two runs at the plate. Brayden Delzeit added two hits in the 11 hit attack from the Indians. Eight different Indians scored runs in the 10-0 victory.

Highlights v Life Prep Academy

Hays 8 – Great Bend 6
On their way to the Western Athletic conference baseball title, Great Bend swept Hays just one week ago 15-6 and 8-5. In both games the Panthers scored four runs in the first inning. Their third meeting eight days had an similar start.

Great Bend sent eight to the plate in the first inning score two runs with two outs but left the bases loaded leading 2-0. The Panthers then added another run in the second inning to go up 3-0. Hays starter Jarett Pfannenstiel was still facing the Panthers in the second inning with the bases loaded and nobody out when he caught a head high line drive and completed the double play to third base. It would the first of five double plays completed by the Indians on the evening.

Despite allowing eight hits and committing three errors in the first three innings, Hays trailed by just 3-0 entering the bottom half of the inning. With the first two batter retired, Indians Jace Armstrong and Cole Schumacher were both hit by pitches. Dalton Stout collected the second of his four hits with a deep line drive off the bottom of the 320′ fence. The hit gave the Indians just a single run as Armstrong scored but Schumacher was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from the fence.

After turning another double play in the fourth inning, the Hays offense grabbed the lead in the home half. Jarett Pfannenstiel drove in a run on a single with a throwing error leaded to the tying run to cross. Hays took their first lead of the game on a Drew Young sacrifice fly and lead 4-3 after the fourth inning.

Hays plated three more runs in the fifth inning two off a double from Brayden Dezleit and one from single off of Jared Haynes bat. Leading 7-3 after five innings the Hays defense again would shine.

Highlights v Great Bend

Hays thought they had turned a double play in the sixth inning only to have player interference called leaving runners at first and second with no outs instead of two outs and nobody on. Pfannenstiel wlked in a run after loading the bases, cutting the Indian’s lead down to 7-4. Dalton Stout moved from second base to pitcher with the bases loaded and no out when he induced a ground ball double play to freshman third baseman Palmer Hutchison, stepping on third and getting the runner at first. Great Bend added run on the double play but added no other runs and Hays escaped the sixth inning still leading 7-5.

Hays got back one of the runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Connor Rule single that scored Cole Schumacher. It was the Hays defense that again came up big, this time with their fifth double play of the game. Great Bend scored a run cutting the Hays lead to 8-6 and had runners at second and third with no outs. Drew Young fielded a line drive and touched second base for a double play and Marcus Altman caught a lazy fly ball to left field to seal the victory.

Coach Frank Leo

Jarett Pfannenstiel picks up the victory going five innings, allowing twelve hits but only five runs. He struck out one but walked only two. Dalton Stout picks up his second save of the season working two innings of one run ball. Pfannenstiel is 2-0 on the season and Hays High improves to 10-4 with the two wins. Great Bend falls to 9-4. Hays tallied ten hits in the victory, four of the coming from Dalton Stout and two each from Connor Rule and Brayden Delzeit. Great Bend recorded 14 hits and left 10 on base.

Hays will play two more games at the Diamond Classic. The Indians take on Salina Central at 7:15 on Friday and Goddard at 2:30 on Saturday.

Salina Central 14 – Life Prep Academy 1 (5 Innings)

Salina Central scored six runs in the second and four in the third to open their play at the Diamond Classic versus Life Prep Academy. The Mustangs pounded out 14 hits, stole nine bases and played 18 different players in the game. Ethan Kickhaefer takes the win pitching three innings.

HAYS, Kan. – The Hays High girls’ soccer team moved to 8-5 overall and 5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference with a 3-1 win over Dodge City Thursday at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

Jacqui Paderes scored two first half goals and Sydney Sulzman put the match away with a goal in the 70th minute. Sulzman scored off a beautiful pass from Lieacha Cook.

The Indians are off until next Thursday when they host Salina Central on Senior Day at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

By Dustin Armbruster

A renewed dedication to the weight room did more that just improve the throwing marks of Hays High senior Jake Gaughan this spring. It also landed him a track and field scholarship with Fort Hays State University.

The senior signed his national letter of intent on Tuesday morning, joining his brother and sister as FHSU athletes. Kylie ran cross country and track while Zach just finished up his senior season with the football team.

Jake Gaughan

While a little bit of natural sibling rivalry pops up from time to time, Jake said watching his older sister and brother compete for the Tigers allowed him to become comfortable with the FHSU atmosphere.

Coach Mitch Harris

Gaughan threw just javelin on varsity last season leaving him off of college radars. Gaughan believed though he could be good enough to throw collegiality and knew that way there would take him through the weight room. This season Gaughan has steadily improved his distances landing him with the 13th best throw in the discus this season at 159′-6.5″. Discus naturally is also his favorite event.

HAYS, Kan. – The Hays High girls’ soccer team dropped a 4-2 decision to to McPherson Tuesday at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

Jackie Paderes and Lieacha Cook scored for the Indians who fall to 7-5. They are back in action Thursday against Dodge City at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

It took a total of nine innings on Tuesday afternoon for Hays softball to sweep Liberal. Both teams had played road games on Monday, with Liberal making the their second trip in two days.

Game 1: Hays 17, Liberal 1 (Four innings)

Liberal opened the game with a single run in the first inning. It would be their last of the game. Hays responded back with one of their own in the first inning and then three in the second to grab the lead for good. Hays ended the game after scoring 13 runs in the bottom of the fourth. The decisive runs came on a two run home run by Albany Schaffer to invoke the run-rule.

In the decisive fourth inning Hays sent 15 batters to the plate with all nine scoring at least one run. Madison Prough and Kacie Brous each scored three runs, Tessa Stickel, Albany Schaffer, Kylie Brown, and Shannon Schumacher each scored two. Brous was also 3-3 at the plate while Schaffer also recorded three hits and drove in four runs.

Kaitlyn Brown took the four inning victory allowing just two hits, walking five and walking two. Brown evens her record out at 3-3.

Coach Erin Wagner

Highlights

Game 2: Hays 12, Liberal 2 (Five innings)

Game two started the same way the first game did with each team scoring a single run in the first inning. Hays took the lead in the bottom of the third scoring two. The Indians did the rest of the damage in the fourth, scoring five runs then added four runs in the fifth. All of the nine runs in the final two innings came with two outs.

Hays also won the game in a most unusual fashion, scoring three runs on a passed ball that never left the infield. A pitch got away from the Liberal catcher allowing Albany Schaffer to score. In an effort to throw out Schaffer, the catcher’s throw went under the glove of the pitcher into foul territory where the first baseman also missed played it allowing Nicole Dinkel and Kylie Brown to score for the final margin.

Kylie Brown, Mackenzie Fagan, and Kacie Brous led the way with two hits a piece. Schaffer, Dinkel and Brown each scored three runs. Brown also drove in four runs.

Jaysa Wichers struck out eight and walked just one four her fourth victory of the season.

Hays improves to 8-8 on the season and 4-2 in Western Athletic Conference play. Hays will finish the season at Garden City May 10th.